Mladá Boleslav, 15th July 2013 – For the first time ever, ŠKODA offers a compact car which combines ŠKODA’s good practical qualities with the hatchback shape. With its dynamically fresh design, the ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback is set to address younger customer segments.

As is typical of ŠKODA, the Rapid Spaceback offers a lot of space, numerous ‘Simply Clever’ ideas, top safety, interesting opportunities for individualisation, low fuel consumption and an excellent price/value ratio, meaning the new ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback sets new standards in Europe’s strongest vehicle segment.

The Rapid Spaceback will celebrate its premiere at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, while its launch in the European markets is scheduled for October 2013.

“The new ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback is a milestone for ŠKODA: it means that we are entering the strategically important segment of compact hatchback models,” says ŠKODA’s CEO Winfried Vahland. “The Rapid Spaceback is a great addition to this class in that it combines ŠKODA’s good practical characteristics with the popular hatchback shape. Sporting the new ŠKODA design, the Rapid Spaceback has a fresh, dynamic and individual appearance. It is a compact car with a sporty chic, spacious and practical, ideal for young people and families,” says Vahland.

A sporty-fresh compact car

The new ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback has a clear, independent appearance with a special chic. It is a car which exudes sporty freshness and dynamic elegance, making it attractive and appealing at first sight. The side view offers special accents. Compared with conventional hatchback models, it looks sportier and stretched, almost like a coupe, letting it stand out visually from the competition.

The ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback’s dynamic silhouette is marked by clear lines, a long wheelbase (2,602 mm) and the sharp, high tornado line. The Rapid Spaceback has a ‘C’ and a ‘D’ column with a third side window.

Individualisation is a focus area in this car - one of the highlights of the new Rapid Spaceback being the huge panoramic glass roof available as an option. This tinted glass roof reaches all the way from the windscreen to the rear window, offering passengers an unobstructed view of the sky. Combined with the panoramic glass roof, the optional prolong rear window constitutes an additional design accent. In this solution, the tinted glass of the rear window reaches about ten centimetres further down the rear door than in the normal rear window. In connection with the panoramic glass roof, the dark tint of the glass surface reaches from the windscreen all across the roof and deep into the rear door. A black spoiler at the upper end of the rear window emphasizes the dynamic impression.

The tail end of the car emphasizes the sporty character of the Rapid Spaceback. It features clear lines and creates a balanced and uncluttered impression. A black diffuser element equally underlines the horizontal orientation as well as the broad tail lights in the brand-typical ‘C’ design.

Up to the B-pillar, the design of the front of the ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback is based on the Rapid sedan. The core elements are: a prominent grille with 19 vertical ribs and a chrome frame, the new logo on the rounded front end of the hood, the cloverleaf arrangement of the headlights and fog lights.

A spacious, attractive interior

The interior of the new Rapid Spaceback impresses with sporty three-spoke steering wheels, stylish trim lines and fresh designs for the seat covers. As is typical of ŠKODA, the interior of the new ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback offers a lot of space: though the exterior of the new model measures 18 centimeters less than the Rapid saloon. Passenger space is just as generous as in the car’s ‘big brother’. The rear of the Rapid Spaceback offers the largest legroom (64 mm) and the largest headroom (980 mm) in its segment. Likewise, the boot volumes are among the best figures in the segment, measuring 415 liters or 1,380 liters when the rear seats are folded down.

This generous space is complemented by numerous ‘Simply Clever’ solutions. For example, the new Rapid Spaceback has an optional double cargo floor in the boot, permitting the boot to be divided into two horizontal levels providing double utility. And there is no need to leave the double floor behind when using the maximum boot space as it can simply be moved into the lower position. Furthermore, the Rapid Spaceback offers all the practical features from the Rapid including the ice scraper in the fuel filler flap, the holder for the safety vest under the driver seat and the waste bin in the side door. Other examples include the parking ticket holder, the multimedia holder, the cup holders in the front and rear and the parcel shelf that can be stowed behind the rear seats.

Safety without compromises

The new ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback offers the high safety that has come to be expected of ŠKODA. An extensive safety package protects passengers in case of an accident. It includes front, side and head airbags, height-adjustable three-point safety belts with pre-tensioners and height-adjustable head restraints. In EU countries, the ABS and ESC systems are standard. Other active safety features are optional xenon headlights, tyre pressure control, fog-lights with cornering function and the ‘hill-hold control’ assistant.

Four petrol and two diesel engines

In Europe, the new ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback is available with four petrol and two diesel engines. These advanced power plants put out between 55 and 90 kW, the 1.6 TDI/66 kW celebrating its premiere in the Rapid model series. In the GreenLine version with this engine, the Rapid Spaceback consumes a mere 3.8 l per 100 km, CO2 emissions amounting to 99 g/km.

The largest model offensive in company history

The ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback is the latest innovation as part of the largest model offensive in ŠKODA’s 118-year history as a company. Over the coming years, the brand is set to overhaul its entire model range and expand it into additional segments. On average, one new or re-engineered ŠKODA model will be introduced onto the market every six months. This model offensive is the core of the ŠKODA Growth Strategy 2018, by which time ŠKODA sales are to rise to at least 1.5 million per year.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Milton Keynes, 21st June 2013 – ŠKODA won praise for its value-packed range of cars, reliability and exceptional value for money, with owners reporting high levels of satisfaction from both their cars and the aftersales support.

ŠKODA previously won the award in 2010 and is the only car manufactuer to have won it twice.

Presenting the 2013 award, Which? Chief Executive, Peter Vicary-Smith, said: “ŠKODA drives away with this year's Best Car Manufacturer Award as it has launched some great new cars, with affordable prices and reliability that continues to impress. We've also had some excellent feedback from car owners."

He added: “In these tough economic times it’s fantastic that there are companies who still go the extra mile for their customers to provide good quality service and value for money products.”

Alasdair Stewart, Brand Director for ŠKODA UK commented: “We’re thrilled to win this award. We are committed to setting new standards with both our cars and our service, and this award is a tribute to our dedicated and passionate team of designers, engineers and retailers. Which? has always represented an independent benchmark for the quality of our work, and to be crowned top manufacturer is an honour.”

The Which? Awards have been running since 2007 and publicly recognise and celebrate the very best businesses in the UK that consistently get it right for consumers.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk