ŠKODA RECORDS A DOUBLE VICTORY AT THE WHAT CAR AWARDS 2006


• What Car? magazine bestows honours on the Octavia… again
• Octavia vRS wins Hot Hatch of the Year
• Octavia Ambiente 1.6 FSI wins Small Family Car of the Year



The Škoda Octavia has scored a remarkable double victory by scooping a pair of What Car? awards – widely regarded as the Oscars of the motor industry. The magazine awarded its Small Family Car honour to the Octavia Ambiente 1.6 FSI for the second year running, and bestowed the prestigious Hot Hatch award on the scorching new Octavia vRS.

Chris Craft, Director of Škoda UK commented, “Škoda is becoming renowned for providing vehicles of real quality and practicality and, indeed, that little bit extra. To win the Best Small Family award for the second year in a row against some excellent - and new - competition confirms we have the formula right”.

The Octavia’s victory in the fiercely-contested Hot Hatch category prompted the judges to say, “Don’t think Škoda has won here simply by offering value for money – the vRS is Škoda’s fastest-ever production car.” The judges also praised the Octavia vRS’s unique combination of sportiness and practicality, saying, “The chassis harnesses all of the performance with a blend of comfort and control. It also fulfils its brief as a hot-hatch for grown-ups by providing loads of interior space. Discerning owners will gain a glow of satisfaction from the knowledge that their unassuming Škoda can wallop many more brash rivals.”

In awarding the Small Family Car title to the Ambiente 1.6 FSI, the What Car? the judging panel described the 1.6 FSI Octavia as being “more spacious and practical than any direct rival. It even puts many cars in the class above to shame. Our pick of the engine range is the 85kw 1.6-litre petrol, which endows this big car with spirited performance.” The judges concluded by saying, “None of the new pretenders have been able to unseat our defending champion, the Škoda Octavia.”

The award follows a number of group test victories in which the Octavia has triumphed over cars costing thousands more. In winning the award for the second year, the Octavia beat off category rivals in the shape of the new Honda Civic and the Ford Focus.

The double award-winning Octavia 1.6 FSI is now available in NZ and with a retail price starting at just $31,990 it offers unbeatable value for money. The 1.6 FSI engine features state-of-the-art technology and generates 85kw of power with torque of 155 Nm at 4,000 rpm. Fuel consumption is truly outstanding, with a combined economy figure of 6.6L/100km. With EU4 emission control standards they are also one of the cleanest petrol engines available. Standard equipment includes 16” alloy wheels, dual climate air conditioning, CD player, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming mirrors, parking aid, trip computer and remote central locking etc.

Douglas Blair, General Manager of Skoda NZ commented, “Still more international success continues to show how good the brand and these cars are. The 1.6 FSI new Octavia has been available in NZ since September of 2005 and the new Octavia vRS is due here in August of this year. Skoda has simply produced the best combination of high quality and value for money and the continuing awards bestowed upon the new Octavia clearly support this”.

The Octavia range is available in two body styles – and three engine options: 1.6 FSI and 2.0 FSI petrol and the 2.0 TDI diesel engines. The 2.0 Turbo FSI petrol Octavia vRS is due in NZ in August. Prices for the Octavia start at $31,990 for the 1.6 FSI liftback, while the range-topping 2.0 TDI PD combi (wagon) with DSG transmission is priced at only $47,490.

The Octavia is part of a multi award-winning range that also includes the Fabia supermini and the luxurious Superb. All three models provide Škoda’s unique combination of great value, outstanding customer service and, of course an “extra bit of car”. All of that has led to Škoda being recognised as second only to one, premium brand in the 2004 and 2005 JD Power Survey of Customer Satisfaction and ranked in the top five for the past 10 years – a unique achievement.


Škoda continues to collect awards for its cars and customer service. A selection includes:
• Fabia What Car? and Auto Express - Car of the Year, 2000.
• Fabia vRS Diesel Car - Best Performance Diesel, 2004
• Superb Scottish Luxury Car of the Year, 2002
• Octavia What Car? Best Hot Hatch 2006
What Car? - Best Small Family Car, 2005 and 2006
Test Drive – Gold Award, Small Estate, 2005
• Customer satisfaction awards:
JD Power Survey of Customer Satisfaction – Second Overall, 2004 and 2005
Auto Express Driver Power – Second Overall, 2004 and 2005
Top Gear Customer Satisfaction – Second Overall, 2003, 2004 and 2005