At 95,200 deliveries to customers, March 2012 was the best sales month ever for Skoda, recording a year-on-year growth of 12.1%. This contributed to first-quarter sales figures increasing by 11.8% to more than 242,700 units, making this Skoda’s best-ever quarter in the brand’s 117-year history. Skoda’s world market share increased to almost 1.5% (2011: 1.4%). Markets such as China and India continued their successful trend and set new highs; Russia, Eastern Europe and major Western European markets also posted double-digit growth.

“Skoda continued on its growth course in March and in the first quarter,” said Jürgen Stackmann, Skoda board member for sales and marketing. “Though market conditions were difficult worldwide, we managed to increase our sales, bucking the market trend. This confirms our 2018 growth strategy and is a reflection of all our employees’, importers’ and dealers’dedication,” said Stackmann, adding: “In the months ahead, we will continue our model offensive and add new models to our palette.”

In the UK, Skoda registrations rose by more than 24% in the first quarter of 2012, with nearly 14,000 vehicles finding new homes.