NEWS

Dealer group Chathams have announced a restructuring programme which brings about some big changes. The programme will see the Edinburgh-based dealer group parting company with Honda, and moving forward with Skoda. Effective from the end of November, Graeme P Chatham Ltd and Honda (UK) Ltd will go their separate ways – a partnership that has [...]

SINCLAIR Skoda has just delivered a Roomster to Swansea women’s surf champion Gwen Spurlock. The 19 year old Swansea University student picked up the keys from sales manager Andy Shorland at Sinclair. He reckons it’s the perfect motor for her – it’s ideal for swallowing all her surfing gear. ‘It has a large boot and [...]

SKODA has vowed to maintain its reputation as the ‘manufacturer of happy drivers’ with a new customer pledge. Called the Skoda ‘customer promise’, the Czech maker aims to build on its strong reputation for customer service by promising to deliver an enjoyable experience for all Skoda drivers. The promise plans to put Skoda customers at [...]

SEPTEMBER saw Skoda record its best ever single month sales results, increasing its UK market share. The Czech manufacturer reported vehicle sales of 75,790 vehicles in September, increasing worldwide deliveries by 12.8 per cent in the first nine months of 2010 – recording a total of 568,990 units. Also on the up were UK registrations. [...]

SKODA has promoted an approved repairer to full main dealer status as Hughes expands its coverage. Hughes Skoda Aylesbury is Skoda’s latest franchise but not Hughes’ first Skoda. Not only has Aylesbury been an approved repairer since May 2009, the dealer group has also operated Skoda Farnham Common retailer and repairer for some while now. [...]

THE Skoda Yeti has been named Auto Express Car of the Year in the mag’s hotly contested awards. The crossover won the best new car accolade and also the Crossover category title – the first award of its type – last night. But the Yeti wasn’t the only Skoda winning awards, another four models walked [...]

STIGMA in the car world is a tough burden to carry and is often even harder to shed. Skoda has been at the sharp end of motoring jokes for decades, but has cleverly sidestepped them to become the forward-thinking car brand it is now. The new Superb Estate is the latest car in the marque’s PR offensive. Estate [...]

HYUNDAI has come top in the Auto Express Driver Power 2010 satisfaction and reliability survey. The firm’s i30 family hatchback is the UK’s most reliable and satisfying car, reckon the survey’s 23,000 respondents. The British Jaguar XF was just behind it in the Driver Power Top 100 list though, after winning the survey outright last [...]

SKODA is encouraging its car dealers to drive service business with a cool new air con spring clean scheme. The brand has developed a bespoke air conditioning clean-up service, and is advising car dealers target customers as better weather returns. It allows Skoda dealers to promise the removal of bad smells and breeding micro-organisms from [...]

SKODA Auto has awarded a top customer service award to its UK importer for the 4th time in 5 years. The UK arm of Skoda has once again been prized with the firm’s tip Skoda Auto Human Touch and Customer Care award. It is also the second successive year of triumph for the UK firm [...]

SWAPPAGE schemes continue to grow with Skoda the latest firm to introduce its post-scrappage scheme. ‘Happy Swapping’ is available to buyers of Skodas trading in a 52-plate car or older. This will save them at least £2k, which takes the entry price for the brand down to £7340. Head of Skoda Operations David Ovenden said [...]

SKODA is planning a VRS version of the Superb, according to the maker’s head of fleet sales. At the launch of the new car Martin Burke told Car Dealer the manufacturer was seriously contemplating a hot version of the saloon car. ‘We are most definitely talking about one,’ said Burke. ‘It would fit very well [...]

SKODA took its best car dealers throughout the UK to a special awards ceremony in Prague last week. The all-expenses-paid jaunt was to mark a best-ever UK market share of 1.9 percent. But it was also to reward the firm’s three best UK car dealers. They are: •    DM Keith Leeds •    Rainworth Skoda Mansfield [...]

BLADE Motor Group has acquired Bristol SEAT and Skoda for an undisclosed sum in a new deal. The deal signals further strengthening of activity in the car dealer transactional sector. Blade says the two VW Group car dealers will reinforce its portfolio of Volkswagen Group retailers. This relationship goes back years, says MD Mike Flanagan. [...]

SKODA has appointed a new authorised franchise in Surrey with the opening of Colbornes Skoda Woking. Formerly a retail and servicing specialist for VW and Audi, Colbornes is hoping to snare many new customers with the addition of Skoda. ‘We wanted to be able to offer our customers a complete range of cars,’ said head [...]

SKODA has promoted head of retail operations Chris Newitt to its new head of marketing operations. Newitt will start his new role in February, taking over the reigns from Mary Newcombe. She now becomes head of learning services for all brands in the Volkswagen Group UK – meaning she’ll be organising training schemes for VW [...]

SKODA customers in Glasgow are to get round the clock franchise car dealer service, with the launch of a new system. Henry’s Skoda has become the first dealer in the UK to develop the ‘always on’ service. It takes the form of a touchscreen, that lets customers: •    Request a service appointment •    Book an [...]

WHICH? Car today reveals SIX of the least 10 popular cars in the UK are French, according to owners. Renault and Peugeot dominate the bottom of the latest Owner Satisfaction League. Worst of all is the Renault Espace, which one owner described as a ‘fantastic car, if only it would work longer than a month [...]

SKODA says that 9 in 10 customers buying cars on scrappage are new to the brand, in a conquest sales boost. 4500 Skodas have been ordered through the scheme, and nearly 2000 have been delivered. But it’s the scrap cars that have been taking Skoda car dealer’s eyes. These range from a Trabant to a [...]

CATERHAM is facing such strong demand for its new models, it’s had to up production at the UK plant. The factory will up cars built by around 10 percent, to meet the growing orders being placed at car dealers. Currently, they’re quoting delivery no sooner than October. Caterham will now build around 420 cars this [...]