VW Group Enters Production Deal with Russia’s GAZ

In its never-ending quest for global domination, the VW Group signed an agreement with the GAZ Group to assemble Volkswagen and Skoda models under contract at the Russian automaker’s in Nizhny Novgorod. The two companies had already concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint automobile production in Russia in February 2011 with a planned production volume of 110,000 vehicles per year.

Under the deal, GAZ will build the Volkswagen Jetta compact sedan, Skoda Octavia and Skoda Yeti crossover models for the Russian market, with the first vehicles to start rolling off the production line by the end of 2012.

Read more »

Skoda to Challenge the Big Boys at Bonneville Speed Week with 600HP Octavia RS

With the help of the Volkswagen Group, Skoda has turned out to be quite an important player in the automotive industry. The Czech automaker delivered more than 760,000 cars last year and aims to double its annual sales to 1.5 million by 2018. But it’s not only about sales as Skoda’s German parent company is also planning to further boost the Czech brand’s image.

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the vRS (in the UK, simply RS for the rest of Europe) performance badge, Skoda will compete in the famous Bonneville Speed Week in August (13-20) with a specially modified Octavia vRS saloon. Skoda’s goal is to break the magic 200mph (320+ km/h) barrier for the first time in the company’s history.

Read more »

A Photo Tribute to the Ladies of the 2011 Wörthersee Show

Having brought you all the automotive-related news from the 2011 Wörthersee Tour including the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet in GTI and R formats, the 503HP Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia RS2000 Convertible, now it is time for us to share with you something related but far more spicier if you catch our drift…

Yes, that is right; we are talking about a photo gallery of the booth professionals and ladies who made their presence felt in full force at the world’s largest annual Volkswagen Group meeting, which took place in Austria from June 1 to 4. Hop over the break to get a taste of what you missed at Lake Wörthersee in our photo set that includes more than 70 images.

Read more »

Live from Wörthersee: Skoda’s Hot Fabia RS 2000 Concept

Not that the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Concept needed any help to draw the attention of automotive fans at the Wörthersee show, but the Volkswagen Group was t enough to bring some very pretty faces (and bodies…) to the Czech firm’s stand. You can get a better look at the car and the girls in whichever order you prefer in our high resolution photo gallery right after the jump. Read more »

Skoda Shows Fabia RS 2000 Convertible Concept at Wörthersee Festival

Over the 30 years of its existence, the Wörthersee Tour in Austria has developed from a small exclusive event for owners of the Golf GTi to a large happening connecting all brands of the ever-growing Volkswagen Group. Joining the production Golf GTI Edition 35 and the wild Audi A1 clubsport quattro concept at this year’s show is a prototype model from Skoda called the RS 2000 Concept.

Prepared especially for the anniversary meeting, the concept is a design study for an extreme convertible based on the five-door Fabia Super 2000 rally car. Skoda did not released any official information on the car’s mechanical hardware, but it very likely that the study keeps the rally model’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a six-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with three passive differentials.

Read more »

Complete List of VW Group's 178 Models Sold Worldwide

In the rare case that you have ever wondered how many and what type of vehicles the VW Group sells worldwide, then you've come to the right place. As we learned from the company's 2009 Facts and Figures booklet, the VW Group currently sells a total of 178 passenger cars, SUVs, sportscars, LCVs, busses and trucks spread across nine different brands - Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Scania, SEAT, Skoda and VW Commercial Vehicles. You can check out the complete list that includes photos of all models right after the jump.

Skoda's Yeti Compact SUV with 4x4 finally revealed

It took Skoda more than four years and two concept studies, but Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary finally managed to unveil the production version of the Yeti at this week's Geneva Salon. When it goes on sale across Europe this summer, the Yeti compact SUV will be Skoda's fifth model competing against rivals such as the Ford Kuga, Toyota RAV4 and even VW's very own Tiguan.

Skoda's designers kept close to the original concept in terms of styling though they did replace the hidden rear door handles with conventional ones. Compared to its rivals, the 4.2 metre long, five-door vehicle looks less robust and more 'crossoverish'.

The Czech company claims that the Yeti is quite practical offering up to 1760 litres in luggage space by removing the rear seats while a luggage cover and net as well as lashing rings are available to secure the load

Available exclusively with turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, the range consists of two petrol units (1.2 TSI with 102HP and 1.8 TSI with 160HP) and three diesel variants (2.0 TDI with a power output of 110, 140 and 170HP). Aside from the 1.2-liter TSI which is offered only with a front-wheel drive layout, all the other powerplants come with four-wheel drive.

Geneva Show: Skoda Fabia Sports Design Concept

Skoda's Geneva motorshow stand hosted the debut of the Fabia Sport Design Concept. Strangely enough, Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary did not disclose any details on the styling study, but we gather that the sporty Fabia could be hinting at the forthcoming RS model that's expected sometime in 2010. The Fabia Sports Design model is finished in a two-tone paint job featuring black alloy wheels, fa ront apron, a roof spoiler, side skirts, a rear apron with an integrated diffuser, blacked out headlamps and dark chrome surrounding for the front grille.

Interior changes are limited to the two-tone trim, the sports steering wheel, the aluminum pedals and the sport seats.

VW Mid-Engine Roadster to Spawn SEAT and Skoda Variants

Citing inside sources, German car magazine 'Auto Motor und Sport' is reporting that the VW Group is planning to introduce SEAT and Skoda variants of its forthcoming mid-engine roadster that will be based on the BlueSport concept unveiled at this year's Detroit Auto Show. Due to arrive sometime in 2012, VW's edition of the roadster will most likely be offered with the firm's TSI / TFSI gasoline and TDI diesel engines.

While a SEAT variant of the mid-engine roadster sounds logical given that the Spanish brand is supposed to be somewhat sporty (as long as it comes with a unique styling and a lower price tag than the VW's proposal), a Skoda version doesn't really make much sense in our opinion.

The Czech automaker has made a name for itself as a producer of reasonably priced family cars and we can't see how a two-seater roadster fits into this image. Unless VW has other plans for Skoda, producing a third variant (maybe even forth if Audi gets its own version) will only confuse the Group's buyers and most probably, lure away customers from SEAT.

Via: AMS (Photo: Carscoop)

Geneva Preview: Skoda Fabia Scout wannabe Crossover

The ever-growing family of crossoverish station-wagons has just welcomed a new member in the form of the Skoda Fabia Scout that is set to make its world debut at this year's Geneva Motor Show. But despite its off-road looks and unlike Audi's A4 Allroad Quattro or Subaru's Legacy Outback, the Fabia Scout retains the standard model's front-wheel drive architecture.

Based on the subcompact Fabia Estate, the Scout has been adorned with plastic cladding, newly styled bumpers and silver roof-rails.Other distinctive features of the Fabia Scout include fog lamps (with corner design), tinted windows and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, apart from the Scout-specific upholstery there's floor mats bearing the Scout logo, pedals with stainless steel surfaces and anti-slip, heavy-duty rubber elements.

When it goes on sale across Europe from late May this year, the Fabia Scout will be available with four powerplants. The petrol engines will consist of a 85HP 1.4 litre, with fuel consumption of 6.5L/100km (43.5mpg UK) and a 105HP 1.6 litre with a fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km (40.9mpg UK).

The two diesel engines are a 80HP 1.4 litre with fuel consumption of 4.6L/100km (61.4mpg UK) and the top-of-the-range 105HP 1.9-litre engine with fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km (57.7mpg UK).