WORLDWIDE SALES MAY - SKODA - the brand sold 99,000 cars in the month, above a year earlier.

• Sales: ŠKODA delivers 99,000 vehicles to customers in May (+ 2.4%); Best May of all time
• Markets: Strong growth in Western (+ 4.1%), Eastern (+ 9.9%) and Central Europe (+ 14.5%)
• Model: ŠKODA KODIAQ enjoys high demand; 7500 deliveries in May
• SUV Campaign: Launch of ŠKODA KAROQ starts in fourth quarter of 2017

ŠKODA’s deliveries increased by 2.4% to 99,000 units in May (May 2016: 96,700 vehicles), making it the best May in the company’s history. The traditional Czech brand made significant gains particularly in Europe and India. ŠKODA promises further growth impetus from the current SUV campaign: The ŠKODA KODIAQ – the brand’s first new SUV model – has been successfully launched on the markets; 7500 units were delivered to customers in May. 

The new compact ŠKODA KAROQ SUV, which was presented to the public for the first time in Stockholm in May, will follow in the fourth quarter of 2017.

“ŠKODA continued along the path to success in May,” says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “Despite the challenging market conditions in some regions, we were able to sell more vehicles last month than in any May in our history. 

We are particularly pleased with the successful market launch of the ŠKODA KODIAQ. The first vehicle of our SUV campaign has been very well received by our customers.”

ŠKODA is expanding its model range through a comprehensive SUV campaign as part of Strategy 2025. The first representative is the ŠKODA KODIAQ, 17,100 of which have already been delivered since its market launch in March 2017. 7500 of the brand’s first large SUV were delivered in May alone, confirming the steadily growing demand. The ŠKODA KAROQ will further strengthen the brand's position in the important SUV segment. The new compact SUV was introduced in Stockholm in May. More than a million spectators watched the world premiere via live stream. The market launch of ŠKODA KAROQ will take place at the end of this year.

In Western Europe, ŠKODA surpassed last year’s result in May with 42,800 deliveries (+4.1%) (May 2016: 41,100 vehicles). In Germany – the brand’s strongest individual European market –ŠKODA confirmed the excellent result from last year with 15,500 vehicles delivered. The brand also recorded strong sales growth in the markets of France (2300 vehicles, +13.5%), the UK (7000 vehicles, +5.9%), Italy (2600 vehicles, +27.5%), Sweden (1600 vehicles; +8.5%), Austria (2200 vehicles, +5.9%) and the Netherlands (1400 vehicles, +12.7%).

In Central Europe, ŠKODA increased its deliveries by 14.5% to 19,000 units (May 2016: 16,600 vehicles). In the Czech home market, deliveries increased by 12.1% to 9100 vehicles (May 2016: 8100 vehicles). The Czech car manufacturer also made significant gains in Poland (5700 vehicles, +19.2%), Slovakia (1900 vehicles, +10.0%), Croatia (700 vehicles, +74.6%) and Slovenia (600 vehicles, +5.2%).

In Eastern Europe excluding Russia, ŠKODA grew by 9.9% to 3600 vehicles this May (May 2016: 3200 vehicles). The Baltic States (700 vehicles, +25.0%), Serbia (600 vehicles, +16.5%), Ukraine (500 vehicles, +48.5%) and Bulgaria (300 vehicles, +11, 3%) all recorded double-digit growth rates. In Russia, ŠKODA recorded an increase of 5.9% to 5000 units in May (May 2016: 4700).

In China, the brand’s largest individual market, ŠKODA delivered 22,700 vehicles (May 2016: 24,200 vehicles; -6.1 %). This decline is mainly due to the ongoing revision of the model range. ŠKODA had expected this trend and anticipates a normalisation of demand in the second half of the year.

ŠKODA can report a positive result in India, where the manufacturer’s sales increased to 1300 – 34.1% up on last year (May 2016: 1000 vehicles).

ŠKODA deliveries in May 2017 (in units, rounded off, according to model; +/- in percent compared to May 2016):

ŠKODA OCTAVIA (33,000; -10.0 %)

ŠKODA RAPID (16,100; -12.0 %)

ŠKODA FABIA (18,600; +4.5 %)

ŠKODA SUPERB (12,500; +0.2 %)

ŠKODA YETI (7800; -8.0 %)

ŠKODA KODIAQ (7500; - )

ŠKODA CITIGO (Only sold in Europe: 3500; +20.7 %)