I have to be honest, I think VW are flattering themselves a little if they think the Golf is held in as high esteem as they make out. My last car was a Mk4 Golf GTTDI and to be honest, it wasn't "all that". Yeah they are ok, but also common as muck and still come with the same issues that affect other models within the VAG range.

I agree about VW flattering themselves. It does seem though that they feel the need to perpetuate the myth. Probably so as to preserve the long held belief that VWs are still the rock solid marque they were in the days of dropping the cars in the adverts. I can't blame them as every brand needs an identity. VW has the top end of the range sewn up, Seat the sporty side of things and Skoda I feel is still figuring out what it wants to be.

If any of us were given the power to lead the branding for Skoda over the next five years, where would you all take it? A radical departure from the thinking man's VW might alienate the existing customer base. I'm sure a few of us on here for example like the underdog status of driving a Skoda, somehow flicking the V's at Audi & VW. If this image were tampered with, would we still feel as quietly and to some extent defiantly smug as some of currently do? (I include myself in this by the way.)

I think VW like to keep Skoda in their place too. Take for example the Most recent Golf advert, where everyone is saying "It's just like a Golf", "It handles just like a Golf", "Like a Golf but not a Golf". As soon as I saw that advert, I knew it was aimed at people on the edge of buying a Skoda, but still clinging to the old badge stigma. It says to them if you buy a Skoda, everyone will know you really wanted a VW. Clever marketing as VW wouldn't want Skoda/Seat to take too much of their 'prestige' sales.

They did make one error on the avert though. The purple car with the lads looking at the engine bay actually is a Golf - a Mk3 I think. Correct me if I'm wrong though...

I was thinking it looked like a Mk3... certainly not a Mk3 Golf engine though!

I didnt buy a Skoda because its a VAG product, I didnt want a VW I just wanted a practical small estate car and the Fabia fitted the bill perfectly. Only competition was a 207 SW or Clio estate... both French and therefore I wouldnt buy them! Basically the Skoda was cheap and reasonably well put together. It drives alright and for now is exactly what I want from a car.

Looking at the rest of the range, as a Fiat diehard the Superb 2 is gorgeous and I love the Yeti. Dont like the Ocatavia at all, and not keen on Fabia hatch. The Roomster is OK and obvioulsy I must like the Fabia estate!

Coming from Fiat, I dont feel Skoda or its dealers are anything special.. the dealer I used was pretty average and Skodas customer support has been dreadful so I dont see what all the fuss is about. I asked them two simple questions that the dealer didnt know the answer too and they never got back to me both times.

Ill be keeping my Fabia a while, but I could easily be swayed away from Skoda by the coming Seat Ibiza estate or even a Polo estate if they ever do one

As for VW, theyve gone downhill since the late 90s as far as reliability is concerned... and they still think its 1984 when the Golf WAS a great car

No rebranding required, and all this branding lark is *******s. It will only target people that care about image.

Between me and SWMBO we've had 8 VWs, 1 Audi, 2 Seats, and one Skoda, and all have been bought because they were VAG cars and fitted our needs, regardless of branding. I have a Leon now because the car and price were right- it wasn't an A3 or Golf because the prices were too high, not an Octy because it's too long. I buy VAG cars because I like the engineering and road behaviour.

It may be that the message is getting across , ever since i've had mine , about 18 months , everybody i tell i have a skoda , has said , oh there good cars nowadays , their volkswagens , i actually say at this point , nope their more reliable .

It's like a Vw, but the seats aren't cast from concrete!

It's like a Vw, but the seats aren't cast from concrete!

That was the one thing I didn't like about my fabia.

To be honest, i think VAG do a reasonable of job, of selling the same cars, via multiple brands.

They provide a cheap entry point into the VAG family, and some way for VAG to compete with the lower end of the car market.

I think this thread is redundant. In 8 months of owning the Roomy I haven't heard one comment against Skodas.

As for VW, our VW dealer (Who also sells Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo & Peugeot) is poor while our Skoda dealer is brilliant. And our Skoda workshop labour charge is about half the cost.

And I like the winged arrow badge now it has been made smaller than it was on the Favorit.

Edited 25 February, 201016 yr by Calomax

I'm sure a few of us on here for example like the underdog status of driving a Skoda, somehow flicking the V's at Audi & VW. If this image were tampered with, would we still feel as quietly and to some extent defiantly smug as some of currently do? (I include myself in this by the way.)

I think Skoda have been decent cars for years - even before the VW takeover. They have never let me down majorily - only my last Octavia was a problem! The first true VW Skoda lol! I don't think the badge needs to change or they need a re-brand. People actually respect me move for owning a skoda these days, in fact people want an Octavia when I show them what its like! My age - 24!

I think this thread is redundant. In 8 months of owning the Roomy I haven't heard one comment against Skodas.

+1. Only the really car-ignorant make Skoda jokes now.

'Branding'.

It's just another word for 'Bullsh!t'! It's the engineering that counts. If the cars are good they'll sell, if they aren't, they won't.

Edited 25 February, 201016 yr by The Ors

but it's not just the "selling", it's the wanting

I've no personal experience of an audi, Porsche or a lotus to know if they are good cars or not - doesn't stop me wanting one!

but it's not just the "selling", it's the wanting

I've no personal experience of an audi, Porsche or a lotus to know if they are good cars or not - doesn't stop me wanting one!

None of them make a car I'd want, except some of the Audi estate cars at a push.

Skoda are a better engineering company than VW, it has been in existence longer than VW, it's one of the few comapanys that has a badge which represents its history. It would be a brave man who takes the decision to throw all that heritage away.

It didn't work for Daewoo.

Skoda are a better engineering company than VW, it has been in existence longer than VW, it's one of the few comapanys that has a badge which represents its history. It would be a brave man who takes the decision to throw all that heritage away.

It didn't work for Daewoo.

I don't think using the Skoda concept car badge can be considered 'throwing it away'. It is the same logo, just presented in a more modern format.

Edited 28 February, 201016 yr by retro gal

don't think a rebrand is needed; if Skoda made a car that I wanted the badge/image/brand wouldn't matter a damn to me but the styling of recent Skoda's have been (IMO) dull at best. apart from the mk1 Superb, that worked for me but was a bigger car than I need

don't think a rebrand is needed; if Skoda made a car that I wanted the badge/image/brand wouldn't matter a damn to me but the styling of recent Skoda's have been (IMO) dull at best. apart from the mk1 Superb, that worked for me but was a bigger car than I need

What do you think of the yeti?

Skoda sort of took a back seat in engineering though in recent years. After the Felicia (platform based on the Favorit), there's the 1.4 mpi 8v Fabia engine (comparatively thirsty, unable to meet future emissions requirements, and based on a rather old but good push-rod engine design). And more recently the 1.2 HTP Fabia which from what I have read is quite good. All other things VW has taken the lead really, until more recently with cars like the Roomster, Yeti, and Superb estate. But still these are heavily VAG influenced borrowing from VAG platforms.

The badge was redesigned in 1995 (or at least it first appeared on cars around then), at which point a laurel wreath and the green colours were brought to the winged arrow logo.

Just open your bonnet and point out all the VW and OOOO logos on all the bits to everyone

Skoda do still do a lot of engineering for the group. Especially engines wise they designed and build the 1.2 HTP 6v and 12v, the 1.4 TDI PD, and recently the two 1.2 TSi engines. Think they also build the 2.0 cr diesels, 5 speed manuals and a new 6 speed manual for the small engines. They may also have designed the 1.2 and 1.6 cr diesels but not sure on that.

As for the 1.4 MPI that design dates back over 50 years, I'm sure there was a story that when vw took them over they ran the Skoda MPI engine agains their best engine at full revs, after about a week the VW engine broke but the only thing which happened to the MPI was a chip in the crankcase.

Following on from what is now quite a lively debate in this thread what do people think?

Would modernising the Skoda brand and logo help shake off the century old jokes and win more customers?

To be honest, im 17 and i don't really see an issue with skoda's image.

I mean yes the people my age that don't have a clue about cars just say 'Uh it's a skoda' (even though they can't actually name a single thing thats wrong with them)

But the people i speak to that do take an interest in the automotive world, i think would agree with me when i say they are great cars, and are massively underated..

It's quite nice taking pride in the fact that you know how good skoda's are, and they don't, Don't you think?

As you get older you want less and less change. It will happen to us all at some stage. That is not a dig or a criticism but people feel comfortable with what they know and what they have grown up with. Young people have fewer loyalties as they develop as you grow up.

I would be pretty confident in stating that the younger contributors will be for a badge change and the older ones either will be against it or do not care. The interesting point I think on the age poll is if we get anyone in the below 30 category and how many are in the 31-40 section. I suspect the numbers in both will be low and that is who the re-brand would be targeted at. Now some would state that SEAT fill that gap for the VW range but I am sure Skoda would like a few more from there.

as soon as i told my grandad i'd bought a skoda he turned his nose up and asked what i was thinking, as for most of his life skoda were a joke, so thats how he sees skoda.

however i'm 22 and i'm too young to remember or know of skoda jokes, so i just know skoda as being good reliable cars and nothing else!

for the older people i think the only way you could change the opinion based on my granndad would be a complete name change :( he hadnt seen my car or badge, just heard me mention the word skoda, and he turns his nose up.

I don`t think there`s any need to change the logo as i like it, although i should like it with me driving my octavia round with it plastered on both sides lol. I bought my first Skoda when i was 19 and i got a lot of stick from people at work asking questions why i`d bought a Skoda and just general badge snobbery. I loved my fabia vrs and couldn`t drive it enough. I`m now 22 and driving my Octy WRC VRS around and still get comments off certain individuals about the badge. I can`t personally see why i`d want to drive anything else. I love the vag build quality and can`t see the point in paying over the odds just to have either a VW or Audi badge stuck to the front and back. I love the design of the new facelift Octy VRS and have already decided that`s what i want next. I can see me driving Skoda`s around for many years to come .

Having just ordered a new car, I wouldn’t give a fig if it had a Skoda Badge on it, but even though I have come back to the VAG stable, Skoda didn’t do the engine I wanted, or the 4x4 system or the sports diff or the …..etc so I had to get the car from another part of the stable. It isn’t just about the badge. Skoda overlaps the 2 German marques, but they in turn extend their vehicles by adding many systems and slightly better materials.

For me, Skoda needs to keep doing exactly what it does best. Produce good quality cars at a reasonable price (they are starting to look a little expensive in some areas of late imho) and getting the best from the mainstream technology from Audi and Volkswagen. Then wrapping it all up in an original package for it’s ever growing customer base. If it strays too much towards VW or Audi, it will get it’s hands burnt badly. I have read quite a few post on Brisky in the last few months were owners are starting to say the prices are creeping upwards, compared to it’s direct competitors.

In my opinion, Skodas are presented fine. They offer the serious build quality of VAG, but without the helfty pricetag, or the German-ness (IMHO, German cars take themselves too seriously, whereas Skodas are a bit more "cheeky" for want of a better word).

The Superb is a hell of a bargin, by the way - and even with one of the puny engines, it doesn't hang around. Compare this to one of the competitors, and it's a no brainer unless you need a differet badge to accentuate your manbulge.

The only bad things I would say are; the new Fabia is STILL hideous and the new Fabia vRS is pointless when there's already the

Ibiza Cupra and Polo GTI running the same engine, chassis etc. (The point of a Skoda is to be different and possibly a little odd - hence the original vRS running a diesel)

The rest of the range is spot-on though