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Issue 05 May 2012 PREMIER PARTNER OF SYDNEY S NEWEST AFL TEAM THE GWS GIANTS PROUD PARTNER OF INTRODUCTION Welcome Enjoy our latest edition of Destination SKODA 2012 has been a huge year for SKODA already and it s only just beginning. As GIANT FOOTY FANS we ve witnessed history being made as the GWS Giants kicked off their inaugural nj xw jpjrw qn mwn jw w j n njpn u jjr qnr vj lq j U jmr v another giant opportunity to showcase our brand to Aussie footy fans. Read more in this issue... Two other exciting highlights have been our Facebook page and Simply Ride cycling app both launched during the Tour Down Under in January. In just one month facebook.com skodaoz had an impressive 5 000 fans and 4 000 entries in our Malvern Star bike competition. It shows how SKODA s sports partnerships are really connecting with the community. We were proud that Yeti 103TDI 4x4 won Drive Car of the Year 2011 Best SUV under 40 000 against quality competition. We also introduced a wild new Yeti - the 112TSI. Visit us on Facebook if you haven t already like us and stay up to speed with all the latest on SKODA cycling and AFL. While you re there take Sheedy s Footy Fan Challenge Enjoy this value-packed issue of Destination 5. Matthew Wiesner Director of SKODA 02 DestinationSKODA SKODA Yeti. Be prepared for something wild. The Yeti compact SUV has you in its sights. The 4x4 103TDI can outrun you with its gutsy diesel engine and outsmart you with its multi-function trip computer. But it ll never forget your creature comforts with cruise control seven airbags Electronic Stability Control Bluetooth VarioFlex adjustable rear seating and huge luggage space as standard. From just 39 980 driveaway the Yeti 4x4 103TDI is easy to capture. Also available the Yeti 77TSI from 26 990 driveaway Tame yours now at skoda.com.au Driveaway price for a SKODA Yeti 4x4 103TDI 6-sp manual (model shown no added options). Driveaway price for SKODA Yeti 77TSI 6-sp manual. Private buyers only. Available at participating dealers. SKO0773_FP_VOY2 lice Springs provided base camp for the launch of the new SKODA Yeti in late October. Eighteen Yeti 4x4 103TDI 6sp DSGs took part in the four-day launch starting with SKODA Dealer Principals xn qn x mj jwm vx x rwp sx wjur ox qn wju x Leaving Alice Springs and heading north on the Stuart Highway the SKODA dealers were soon testing the Yeti s comfort levels on the unsealed Santa Teresa Road before a sharp right took them into the bush. A couple of hours later the reward was a touch of Outback luxury at Ooraminna Homestead where Tommy Crow played didgeridoo as the sun went down and Hunters and Collectors front man Mark Seymour belted out a few classics. The journalists weren t quite as well looked after - they had an important review of the Yeti to undertake of course. A more testing drive program saw them head from Alice Springs airport to Boggy Hole deep in the Outback along the Fink River following tracks that would make bigger 4x4s think twice. Seven hours later a traditional Outback bbq and a night sleeping out under the stars marked the end of one of the toughest and most memorable car launches the industry has seen. The result A couple of punctures and some very impressed journalists. Words Michael Stahl 04 DestinationSKODA SKODA YETI WINNER DRIVE CAR OF THE YEAR 2011 BEST SUV UNDER 40 000 he Kia Sportage SLi diesel AWD (2010 winner) Volkswagen Tiguan 118TSI FWD and Nissan X-Trail ST auto FWD didn t stand a chance. A practical roomy cabin and thrifty diesel engine saw the Yeti 103TDI DSG AWD snatch a narrow victory over the competition. For its safety performance and versatile interior with loads of space and storage the judges awarded Yeti the Best SUV under 40 000. Many judges said they were happy to be taking the Yeti onto a drenched T test track where the assurance of the all-paw grip helped it claw through a tortuous set of driving tasks designed to safely test the limits of the car s balance. They were also impressed by the fact that Yeti has seven airbags and exceptional handling with Electronic Stability Control including ABS EBD ASR and Hill Hold Control. Space was another winning factor. Judges noted that even though it was 200mm shorter than its twin-under-the-skin Volkswagen Tiguan the Yeti had more interior space. It s a box. It s a clever way to maximise interior space one judge noted. Judges also liked the removable VarioFlex seats that open up the rear to a cavernous 1 485 litres of luggage space and extra features like hidden x jpn knux qn n r kxx xx Yeti now joins a long list of SKODA award winners as a simply clever vehicle perfect for Australian driving. Issue 05 May 2012 05 06 DestinationSKODA Issue 05 May 2012 07 SKODA STADIUM SKODA STADIUM OPENING SOON T hey said that a new AFL club couldn t be built in Western Sydney but it s been done. The GWS Giants are now playing in their inaugural AFL season and on Saturday 26 May history will be made again. The Giants take on Essendon in their new home - SKODA Stadium. qr r qn vx rpwr ljw jmr v redevelopment since the Olympics jointly funded by the NSW Government the AFL and the RAS. The upgrade will include two new stands which will see seating capacity increase from 13 000 to a more substantial 25 000. The grandstand and tiered grass banks provide ample seating for spectators every seat designed to have a great view. The main stand is a two-level high-tech design with sensational panoramas of the ground. From the top of the stand the city skyline can be seen in the distance. Other upgrades include new hospitality and media facilities improved audio and sound systems 360 degree jmr v jlln jwm j nlxw p nm playing surface. Perhaps one of the most impressive new features is the giant TV screen which will be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. SKODA Stadium is much more than a giant home for a new AFL team. It s celebrated as a major step forward in helping Sydney attract and retain major sporting and leisure events. The project is creating an additional 446 million in economic and social value for NSW and an estimated 3 400 jobs for Western Sydney. We re proud to be part of such a rpwr ljw mnnuxyvnw qj rw xm ln SKODA to footy fans around Australia. 08 DestinationSKODA GWS GIANTS WELCOME 2011 NAB AFL DRAFTEES he Greater Western Sydney GIANTS capped off an historic night at the 2011 NAB AFL Draft by selecting fourteen players to join the club for its inaugural year in the 2012 AFL competition. Jonathon Patton an 18 year-old forward from Victoria s Eastern Ranges was selected as number one Stephen xwrpurx j vrm numn o xv jw r rl rw n n w jurj j w vkn x jwm xv xw j vrm numn from the Oakleigh Chargers at number three. National Recruitment and List Manager of the GIANTS Stephen Silvagni said he was delighted with the club s selections as they would help form the nucleus of an exciting young team in the years to come. r q nunnw xo qn ox nnw nunl rxw n qjn knnw jkun x nl n xvn xo qn wn x wp junw rw Australia. We have recruited an excellent mix of young vrm numn ox j m jwm mnonwmn xpn qn r q x existing players it makes for a very exciting future for the GIANTS he said. Chief Executive of GIANTS David Matthews said the jo qnum rw n n w mwn ox qn rvn was a landmark occasion. He welcomed all the draftees to the club and wished them every success for their careers. Tonight these young men have realized their ambition to be drafted by an AFL club. The GIANTS will now do everything we can to support develop and help them achieve their dream of playing AFL football he said. With our excellent accommodation facilities at Breakfast Point and the strong culture we ve already developed throughout the playing and coaching group n n lxw mnw qj qn ruu n un rw x qn lu k jwm enjoy long and successful careers at the GIANTS. David also acknowledged the junior clubs and coaches who have helped develop these young players along with the AFL for the talent pathway it has created. T Issue 05 May 2012 09 AFL DRAFT HOW THE NAB AFL DRAFT WORKS S ince 1986 the AFL s drafting system has been a cornerstone of the AFL competition and the centrepiece of the AFL s offseason assisting in the development of an even and stable competition. Every year the NAB AFL Draft commands huge media attention with all selections analysed and each club s strategy assessed. The draft is designed to give clubs qj wr q uxn xw qn ujmmn qn xyyx wr x yrlt jurj kn new talent. At season s end all clubs are allocated draft selections. The club qj wr qn uj nlnrn qn selection the second last team has second selection and so on - this is called a round of selections. A club that wr qn qn nj xw r q onn qjw n wins may also receive a priority draft yrlt r q j nunl rxw y rx x qn round. The number at which a player is selected in the draft has implications for his minimum entitlements under the AFL AFL Players Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. Much of the attention is focused on the No. 1 draft selection. Trading period The trading period occurs shortly after the end of the season and allows clubs to trade players on that year s list in exchange for other players draft selections or a combination of both. Players involved must consent to the jy knox n j mnju ljw kn wjur nm jwm deals must be forwarded to the AFL by an agreed deadline. Like Father Like Son Clubs can also nominate players under the father son rule where sons of former AFL players can play with the same club their father played or xo lrj nm r q y xrmrwp qn oj qn has played 100 games for that club. This is designed to continue the traditions of association that a family has with a particular club before the draft and elevate players from the Rookie List on to their Senior List. Rookie List Each club is allowed to select a maximum of six players or nine in the case of Sydney and Brisbane to be placed on the rookie list. These players can play in the pre-season competition or be promoted as a long-term injury replacement player during the home and away season. 10 DestinationSKODA WIN SHEEDY S FOOTY FAN CHALLENGE AT FACEBOOK.COM SKODAOZ hink you re simply clever about AFL Take on Sheedy your mates and AFL fans each week in a game of accuracy and speed. You could win the chance to be with the legend himself behind the scenes on game day. It s easy. Like the Challenge page on Facebook be the fastest to answer 10 questions correctly every week and you ll take your position on the leaderboard. The player at the top after nine weeks wins an up close and personal game day experience with Sheeds. So brag about it to your mates and challenge them to play. n x j lunn j qn unpnwm qn n xwu xwn j x wm x T Play now Unfortunately SKODA Dealers and employees are exempt from winning the Sheedy Challenge prize but please play the same and pass on the news to your friends and customers GIANT STEP FOR AFL ver 38 000 excited fans witnessed history being made at ANZ Stadium on Saturday 24 March. Not only was it the debut match for the GWS Giants and the nj xw uj wlq r j qn nn match-up between two Sydney AFL teams. Despite losing by 63 points Coach Sheedy was O rightly proud of his young debutantes who played enthusiastically and were highly competitive. Callan Ward Giants co-captain will go mxw rw qr x j qn lu k pxju kicker. Two quick goals through Nathan Wilson and Will Hoskin-Elliott kept the Giants within three goals in the second half but the Swans found their range and took out the match 100 points to 37. Afterwards Sheedy was philosophical. I felt that unfortunately we let the game blow out after half-time over a 15-to-20-minute period. But from then we played pretty well. Issue 05 May 2012 11 GWS Giants 2012 Fixture Premier Partner of Sydney s new AFL team DATE RD 1 Sat March 24 RD 2 Sun Apr 8 RD 3 Sun Apr 15 RD 4 Sat Apr 21 RD 5 Sat Apr 28 RD 6 Sun May 6 RD 7 Sat May 12 RD 8 Sun May 20 RD 9 Sat May 26 RD 10 Sat Jun 2 RD 11 Bye RD 12 Sat Jun 16 RD 13 Sun Jun 24 RD 14 Sat Jun 30 RD 15 Sun Jul 8 RD 16 Sun Jul 15 RD 17 Sun Jul 22 RD 18 Sat Jul 28 RD 19 Sat Aug 4 RD 20 Sat Aug 11 RD 21 Sat Aug 18 RD 22 Sat Aug 25 RD 23 TBC OPPONENT Sydney Swans North Melbourne West Coast Eagles Adelaide Crows Western Bulldogs Carlton Gold Coast SUNS Brisbane Lions Essendon Geelong Cats Richmond Melbourne Sydney Swans Hawthorn Adelaide Crows Fremantle Collingwood Port Adelaide Gold Coast SUNS Melbourne St Kilda North Melbourne VENUE ANZ Stadium Blundstone Arena BISP AAMI Stadium Manuka Oval Etihad Stadium Manuka Oval Gabba SKODA STADIUM Simonds Stadium SKODA STADIUM MCG ANZ Stadium MCG SKODA STADIUM Patersons Stadium SKODA STADIUM SKODA STADIUM Metricon Stadium Manuka Oval Etihad Stadium SKODA STADIUM LOCAL TIME 7.20pm 1.10pm 1.10pm 4.10pm 1.40pm 1.10pm 1.40pm 1.10pm 7.40pm 1.45pm 2.10pm 3.15pm 7.40pm 1.10pm 1.10pm 2.40pm 4.40pm 2.10pm 4.40pm 2.10pm 1.45pm TBC HOME AWAY HOME AWAY AWAY AWAY HOME AWAY HOME AWAY HOME AWAY HOME AWAY AWAY AWAY HOME AWAY HOME HOME AWAY HOME AWAY HOME 12 DestinationSKODA BECOME A GIANTS 3 MATCH MEMBER Catch 3 of the GIANTS home matches in Sydney for just 75 75 Adults- 55 Concession- 25 Junior 180 Families (2 Adults 2 Kids) Includes GA entry to three Sydney matches 2012 Member card lanyard and bumper sticker For more info or to become a GIANT today log on to www.gwsgiants.com.au or call 1300 GIANTS All games are subject to availablity. Some games may be upgraded to be fully reserved seating. In this instance you will need to upgrade to a reserve seat to guarantee entry for the price of the upgrade portion only. Go from ordinary weekends to Superb ones. Where dropping the kids at foot y b e co m e s a l i m o r i d e t h e d r i v e t o t h e b e a c h an escape. It s because we ve thought of ever y thing to make your journey Superb. Enjoy head-t ur ning European s t yle wi th Volk s w agen Group te chnolog y t hroughou t . E xplore our great indoors with exceptional legroom and up to 1 865 litres of luggage space1 . Feel the per formance of power f ul yet f uele f f i c i e n t e n g i n e s a c h o i ce o f T D I T S I a n d V 6 i n e i t h e r S e d a n o r Wa g o n w i t h 4 x4 s t a n d a r d on our V6 and optional on our 103TDI. B e r e a s s u r e d w i t h B i-X e n o n 2 a u t o h e a dl i g h t s that can see around cor ner s nine air bags rains e n s i n g w i n d s c r e e n w i p e r s 24 - h o u r S K O D A Roadside A ssist and Elec tronic Stabilit y Control. Appreciate the ease of Park A ssist3 t h a t a u t o m a t i c a ll y s l o t s y o u i n t o t h e t i g h t e s t s p a c e s l u x u r i o u s l e a t h e r s e a t s 2 d u a l -z o n e c l i m a t e c o n t r o l a i r- c o n d i t i o n i n g B l u e t o o t h p h o n e co n n e c t i v i t y a n d lo a d s of s imp l y c le v e r touches you won t f ind any where else. Take this weekend s car search f rom ordinar y to Superb. SKODA Superb skoda.com.au superb facebook.com skodaoz 1 Wagon with rear seats folded down. 2 Standard on Elegance trim only. 3 Standard on Wagon only. SKO0700_FP_MOT SKODA S OASIS DRIVE SKODA S OASIS DRIVE FOR LIFE TAKES YOUTH FORWARD K rystal s life was going downhill. At just ten years old she was a made a Ward of the State spending her childhood in and out of refuges and foster care. Struggling with drug addiction Krystal became stuck in a cycle of destructive behaviour. After her arrest in 2007 Krystal s turning point came when she was brought to The Salvation Army Oasis Youth Support Network as part of her bail conditions. When I came to Oasis it was my last option says Krystal. Krystal attended the education centre had counselling and within a year had transitioned to her own home. But it wasn t long before she came back to Oasis this time to attend the new SKODA Drive for Life Program. In 2011 as part of our community partnerships SKODA donated three Yetis to give disadvantaged youth the chance to gain their driver s licence and their independence. During the programme youths are taught the skills necessary to drive safely responsibly and defensively in a caring and respectful environment. Full-time driving instructors and regular volunteers help them achieve the mandatory 120 driving hours necessary for their P1 provisional licence. We re very proud to partner with Oasis to offer this life-changing opportunity to many young Australians says Matthew Wiesner Director of SKODA. Without family networks to teach them or money for lessons it s almost impossible for disadvantaged young people to get their drivers license so this is the perfect way for us to contribute to the community. There are now 75 Oasis youth doing Drive for Life. For Krystal who passed qn n r q rwp lxux qn n was a special incentive to succeed. She can now regularly visit her little sister in foster care in a regional centre and hopes to gain full custody soon. I m so grateful to Oasis and SKODA for giving me this opportunity says Krystal. The Sydney launch was just the beginning of this exciting project as SKODA plans to expand Drive for Life nationally. Issue 05 May 2012 15 TOUR DOWN UNDER 2012 A WORLD CLASS SUCCESS nce again SKODA is proud to have been a major partner at this year s TDU in Adelaide from 15-22 January. It was the fourteenth anniversary of the event qn xy xw qn x um llurwp calendar and the biggest tourism event in South Australia. n qn yj n nj qn x qj recorded huge growth. In 2012 crowds of 760 600 lined the streets of Adelaide and regional South Australia 40 000 of which were visitors from interstate and overseas generating 42.2 million with more than 140 million worth of media coverage. The world s best teams and riders compete at the event every year. O And this year was no exception. qn jln j jl nm j j mmnm num including overall winner Simon Gerrans over 130 professional riders 760 600 spectators and hundreds of amateur cyclists taking part in rides for charity. Eddy Merckx known as the world s greatest cyclist was a special guest along with his Belgian compatriot Patrick Sercu. Cycling fans had the chance to meet them both at the Legends Night Dinner on Saturday 21 January. As premier partner SKODA provided 158 support vehicles including Octavia RS Wagons as team cars along with race director and commissary cars including the Fabia and Yeti. 16 DestinationSKODA THANKS FOR THE CANCER HELPING US RAISE 19 8 92 COUNCIL IN T HE BUPA CHA FOR LLENGE YOUR SP ONSORSHIP OF THE SKOD TEAM HELPE A D US RAISE 19 892.55 FOR THIS TREMEN DOUS CAUSE . I M SO PROU OF EVERYON D E WHO DONA TED AND OUR TEAM OF 30 D EDICATED RID ERS INCLUDIN SKODA AMBA G SSADOR THE LEGENDARY PHIL ANDERS ON WHO RAC ED WITH US IN THE BUPA CO MMUNITY CH ALLENGE. WE TO GO EVEN PLAN HARDER NEX T YEAR AND YOUR SUPPO WITH RT RAISE EV EN MORE MATTHEW W IESNER DIRECTOR OF SKODA The Santos To ur Down Under s recreational rid e the Bupa Ch allenge Tour gives fam ilies friends w ork colleagues an d individuals th e opportunity to be part of the Santos Festival of Cycl ing. The popu lar recreational rid e celebrated its 10th year in January as riders from all walks of life on all ty pes of bikes to ok part. Held on Friday 20 January th e Bupa Challenge Tour covered a dist ance of 138km from N orwood to Tanu nda in the Barossa w ith three shor ter distances on of fer including th e 33km Tanund a to Tanunda route. Around 185 te ams registered to ride from all over A ustralia as wel l as strong national repres entation team s from the USA and N ew Zealand. O rganisers urged everyone to pull on thei r lycra and take to th e streets to pr epare for the 2012 B upa Challenge Tour. Eddy Merckx s involvement in spired thousands of people to atte nd the event take pa rt and see thei r heroes compe te. Team SKODA was joined by cycling legend Phil And erson and othe r SKODA staff and friend s in raising mon ey for the Cancer Co uncil SA. Issue 05 May 2012 17 INTRODUC SHIMANO 18 DestinationSKODA SKODA PARTNER AND BIKING COMPONENT If you see the Shimano branded Octavia at a cycling event be it road mountain bike or triathlon feel free to say hi and check out some of our exciting products. Shimano is dedicated to supplying our customers with the latest innovation in bike products and accessories. Our goal is to help people get closer to nature through cycling and provide cyclists with bikes that shift better brake better and give an overall better performance. As there are many different ways to enjoy cycling we create the widest range of high quality bicycle components in the world. We are a team of passionate and dedicated cyclists an established and integral part of Shimano worldwide committed to achieving a world s best practice standard along with the world s best bicycle parts and accessories. Shimano Australia enjoys a great partnership with SKODA that goes beyond cycling. We share many similar values partnering at major Australian sporting events including the Santos Tour Down Under SKODA NSW Criterion series and the 2010 Road Cycling World Championships in Geelong. Commercially the SKODA Octavia is the vehicle of choice ox x jun njv wr q jon jwm ljn wx rn allow us to service our dealers during the week. It s also ideal for carrying all the gear and equipment required for cycling events - Matt Bazzano Managing Director of Shimano Australia. CING Issue 05 May 2012 TS SPECIALISTS 19 DEALERS AN EVER GROWING NATIONAL FOOTPRINT SKODA Australia has plenty of ambitious goals for the coming year. With the introduction of the Yeti and Fabia along with the general increase in demand for the entire range SKODA has plans to expand its dealership network Australia wide. With a current network of 38 dealerships SKODA aims to reach 45 by end of 2012. SKODA AT YOUR SERVICE ACT Phillip Lennock SKODA NSW Blacktown Trivett Blackburn SKODA Pennant Hills Alto SKODA Penrith Penrith SKODA Rockdale Rockdale SKODA St Leonards Northshore SKODA Gosford Central Coast Eurocars SKODA Newcastle Newcastle SKODA Parramatta Trivett SKODA Parramatta Rosebery Trivett SKODA Rosebery Wollongong W Wollongong Southern Classic SKODA SKODA DA Coffs Harbour Bellbowrie SKODA MaCarthur MaCarthur SKODA M SKOD Moss Vale Allan Mackay SKODA Orange Orange SKODA Port Macquarie John Oxley SKODA Warwick Farm Peter Warren SKODA QLD Albion Brisbane Prestige SKODA Cairns Cairns SKODA Mt Gravatt Bryan Byrt SKODA Southport Gold Coast SKODA Maroochydore Nambour SKODA Townsville Townsvi le v Pickerings SKODA SA A Medindie e Solitaire SKODA o TAS A Hobart Ho Euro Central SKODA u Launceston La Launceston SKODA L VIC V Brighton B Brighton SKODA B Doncaster Lance Dixon SKODA Epping Preston Motors Epping SKODA Essendon Essendon SKODA F Frankston n Peninsula SKODA Richmond Richmond SKODA Geelong Rex Gorell SKODA Wodonga Brooks SKODA SKODA ODA Bendigo Symes SKODA WA Melville DVG Melville SKODA Osborne Park Barbagallo SKODA Mandurah Barbagallo SKODA Mandurah CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DEALER S 20 Sales & Service e DestinationSKODA o A WINNING SPONSORSHI P Thanks to spo nsor Bellbowri e SKODA Coffs H arbour triathle te Clayton Fettell is conti nuing his winn ing form. He s already c laimed an Iron man title in Port Macquari e line honours in Geelong and is aiming for the iconic Ironman World Champio nship title. We re proud to partner wit h Clayton on h is journey to the Ironma n Holy Grail H e s got huge talent and the heart to matc h says Dealer Princip al Steve O Gra dy. By supplying him with a SKO DA it s helping him train and com pete more effective ly. Issue 05 May 2012 21 SIMPLY RIDE SKODA SIMPLY RIDE APP TAKES OFF nn llurwp jyy SKODA Simply Ride was launched at the Tour Down Under in January and has now reached over 3 100 downloads. Simply Ride gives cyclists of all levels the chance to train and pick up personal tips from Aussie cycling legend Phil Anderson one of our champion SKODA Ambassadors. qn qn x rmn ox wn o w x to win his expert advice will help you improve your conditioning perform at your best and get more out of every ride. Simply Ride is for individuals or teams easy to use and incredibly practical with its bite-sized videos and specially designed circuits. O PLUS map your ride and hold the local Yellow Jersey Set your fastest time over your favourite ride and challenge other local cyclists to beat you. Take your position on the leaderboard and hold the Yellow Jersey for as long as you can. xo lrju lj yj wn x qn x mn France and Tour Down Under SKODA is committed to Aussie cycling. Simply Ride makes it easy for you to get the nmpn jwm qjn vx n o w qn Australian (and non-European) to win the Yellow Jersey Phil s experience and knowledge helps you at every stage. Highlights Essentials The basics to make sure you enjoy each ride. Includes Safety Hydration Maintaining Energy and Prepping your bike. Hills Every cyclist s ultimate challenge. Perform at your peak on your own or in a group. Covers Fitness Climbing Descending Multiple hills. Stages How to compete more effectively and see the rewards including Pack Riding Pace Lines Recovery and The Yellow Jersey. Note continued use of GPS may dramatically reduce battery life. Download now for free 22 DestinationSKODA Train with Phil Anderson and the FREE SKODA Simply Ride app facebook.com skodaoz GENEVA MOTORSHOW NEW SKODA CITIGO DEBUTS IN GENEVA I n a sneak preview for Australia qn k jwm wn n mxx U Citigo was launched at the Geneva Motorshow in March. It s SKODA s entry into the growing subcompact segment an essential part of our growth strategy and will be available in European markets from May 2012 in three jwm n mxx vxmnu SKODA s model offensive is continuing in 2012 said SKODA CEO Winfried Vahland at the Citigo s presentation on the eve of the Geneva auto salon. The Citigo will provide sustained strength to our favourable position in Europe and win new customer groups for our brand. Our new subcompact is a real simply clever car ingenious roomy agile and leading in technology. This makes it a young and fresh offering of ours in a strongly growing segment Vahland continued. The Citigo is among the most compact yet roomiest representatives of the subcompact class. Especially noteworthy is its precise and attractive design giving it a distinctive character. r qn U vxmnu x knj qn brand s new logo and impresses with its attractive proportions clean lines and surfaces. Among its simply clever features are a photo and document holder the glove compartment s integrated bag hook and the range of nets to hold loose objects. The SKODA Citigo is also big on safety rwwrwp qn vjrv v lx n xo n stars in the Euro NCAP crash test together with the VW up and the SEAT Mii. New three-cylinder petrol engines with a displacement of one litre and two power variants (44 kW 60 PS and 55 kW 75 PS) make the new Citigo nimble jwm no lrnw vx o nu q ro nnw tec variant consumes a mere 4 1 l 100 km with CO2-emissions of only 96 g km. Already at home in the Czech Republic the three-door Citigo was successfully launched in late 2011 promptly being named Best Subcompact as part of the 2012 Car of the Year awards. When it launches in Australia we expect its combination of attractive distinctive and highly practical features will again make Citigo a hugely popular sales success. 24 DestinationSKODA FABIA RS COUNTDOWN TO FABIA RS ur highly anticipated Fabia RS is expected to hit the shores around June this year. Possessing a rich racing heritage get ready for its gutsy dual fuel injection 1.4L TSI engine and 7-speed dual clutch DSG gearbox. Its sleek exterior comes in a variety of colour choices with options of a white black or grey roof. Racing trims O and a chrome double exhaust pipe add j yx wr q x qn mn rpw Find a Dealer Book a Test Drive Preview Inside the Fabia RS are the front sport seats stainless steel sports pedals and paddleshifts behind the multi-function steering wheel. So order yours now because at 0 100km h in 7.3 seconds the Fabia RS will be accelerating out of showrooms fast Issue 05 May 2012 25 SKODA AROUND THE WORLD SKODA REPEATS DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH IN FEBRUARY SKODA is continuing its double-digit growth in 2012. In February alone worldwide sales grew by 13.1% to reach more than 72 100 units. The brand s world market share is now slightly below 1.5%. Sales advanced in all regions with especially strong growth posted in Europe India and China. In Switzerland SKODA is now the number 2 selling brand. In February 2012 SKODA s sales in Western Europe s strongly contested markets proved very stable. While total deliveries there were down more than 11% SKODA s sales rose 0.8% to 27 700 units (February 2011 27 500 units). SKODA therefore increased its market share in Western Europe yet again from 2.85% in February 2011 to about 3.2% in February 2012. Sales in Switzerland were especially dynamic (plus 24% 1 500 cars) with SKODA now the number-two selling brand behind VW. In France (plus 15.9% 1 800 cars) and in Finland (plus 19 % about 1 000 cars) SKODA also posted double-digit growth. In Germany Europe s largest car market SKODA continued its successful run with sales growing by 8.6% year-on-year in February to almost 9 900 cars. In Austria sales were up 8.5% to close to 1 700 units. In February the brand s bestselling models in Western Europe were the SKODA Octavia and the SKODA Fabia but demand for the SKODA Yeti and SKODA Roomster also rose considerably by 12.1% and 6.4% respectively. SKODA again scored strong percentage growth in Eastern Europe with more than 8 900 deliveries in February translating into a plus of 30.9% as against February 2011 which saw 6 800 units delivered. SKODA posted above-average growth in other major growth markets in China the brand sold about 17 100 cars in February 2012 advancing 19% yearon-year. At plus 40.9% and plus 27.7% respectively SKODA Fabia and Octavia were especially popular in China. The brand proved even more dynamic in India with SKODA selling more than 3 500 cars on the subcontinent in February. This is equivalent to a 48.6% growth compared to February 2011. Other foreign markets also posted strong growth Sales in Egypt were up more than 500% year-on-year to almost 700 SKODA cars. At 138.2% the brand s advance in Australia was also outstanding. 26 DestinationSKODA CANARY ISLANDS RALLY DOMINATED BY SKODA Taking place on asphalt roads on the island of Gran Canaria the second event of this year s IRC championship offered a thrilling spectacle. The fans saw a n ln kj un ox nn nlxwm kn nnw eventual winner Jan Kopeck of SKODA Motorsport and second-placed Andreas Mikkelsen of SKODA UK Motorsport. Although Mikkelsen had a 3.6 second lead after the penultimate stage it was Jan Kopeck who celebrated victory in the end. SKODA has thus achieved a second consecutive double to reinforce its lead in the Manufacturer s category while Mikkelsen tops the standings in the Drivers category. Both drivers of factory Fabia Super 2000s Andreas Mikkelsen and Jan Kopeck set the pace right at the beginning and it soon became clear that the only candidates for winning this rally were the two drivers. Kopeck won eight stages in total Mikkelsen won seven. Kopeck had a 1.2 second lead after Day 1 but Mikkelsen caught up r q qrv rw j mj jpn jwm nvjrwnm y w ru qn uj jpn defending a tiny lead over Kopeck . However Mikkelsen had bad luck in the last stage when a minor technical problem cost him the overall victory. Making his asphalt debut in a Fabia Super 2000 Sepp Wiegand of SKODA AUTO Deutschland repeated his fourth place from the Azores Islands and is qr m xn juu jo n qn x nnw of this year s IRC series. The IRC championship continues with the Ireland Rally that is taking place around the town of Armagh over the nntnwm xo y ru xynlt n un xw qn nnw of the Czech Championship the J nner Rally in January. Watch highlights and interviews here www.youtube.com motorsportskoda Issue 05 May 2012 27