Just IMHO

1.VW's Golf GTI Mk IV produced 150 bhp.You gave us the vRS with 180:cool: It really appealed to me and I bought one.Now you follow the crowd or is that VW's orders? If so,why are Seat the ones with an extra 30 horses?

2.The 2.0T is just a normal engine in a lot of Audis/VW's.They don't badge them up (apart fromthe Golf) as a GTI type model.I see loads of A3's looking very normal with 2.0T on the boot.To me it means the vRS is just not so special anymore

3.You are a bit expensive

4.Where is the Yeti and some of the other interesting stuff you have come up with but not produced?

You have become a very mainstream company that seem to be denied a bit of the freedom that made you a bit different.At the moment,it doesn't make you very appealing:( Still nice cars though,just think if you had done something more special with the vRS like last time it would have been great,maybe you are saving it for the new Fabia vRS?)

I'm just not as bowled over as I was when the 'classic';) vRS first caught my eye(though I might still consider a 3 year old mk II when they get that old:) )

i agree!

fingers crossed there is a new limited edition vRS with the S3 engine :D

I think you can tell by the number of special offers on (spec upgrades on normal octavias, extra kit on the vRS) that things aren't selling as well as they used to.

I think it may also be because when the mk1 vrs drove down your street it was more "oh my god lock up your wives and daughters, have mercy on our souls"

When the mk2 drives down your street its more.. oh, there is another rep car.. oops no its frank on his way back from B&Q!

No offence to any mk2 drivers, they just dont have the "ooooooh whats that" factor anymore (but i may be proved entirely wrong)

They also did a 180bhp golf gti, and they did the leon with a 225 engine (which they should of put in the octy)

In the latest vrs i think they should of had the 240bhp 2.0t

You have become a very mainstream company that seem to be denied a bit of the freedom that made you a bit different.At the moment,it doesn't make you very appealing:(

Although the "non-sporty" versions seem to be selling pretty well - as a manufacturer, would you concentrate on:

1) the 80-90% of car sales which are to people looking for a reliable, safe, comfortable means of traversing A to B, who are likely to keep their car within tested thresholds and so less likely to claim on warranty/report reliability issues, and keep their car serviced within the dealer network, or

2) the 10-20% of sales to people who want a fast car, mod them and then claim on warranty when they break, and probably get them serviced at specialists rather than at dealers?

As such, are Skoda doing it wrong? From a business point of view, they seem to be doing it right...

Rob.

They also did a 180bhp golf gti,

Wasn't that just the SE Anniversary model though? They had a lardy 2.0 115 bhp and the standard Turbod one was 150 ? To me it was a big think a Skoda could chew up a favourite of mine.

Rob,thought I read somewhere that vRS's (especially Fabia) accounted for about 1 in 4 cars leaving the showroom?

If you think about the images that the different parts of the VAG group are supposed to conjure up:

VW - Solid, dependable

Audi - like VW but a bit more upmarket

Seat - sporty & Sexy

Skoda - good value for money, normal cars.

then they're filling their slot quite well.

I think it's great that every so often one of the "parts" is allowed to do something encroaching on the territory of the other, like the Sporty Skodas or the R8 stepping on Lambo's toes

Rob,thought I read somewhere that vRS's (especially Fabia) accounted for about 1 in 4 cars leaving the showroom?

Near enough 20%?

Rob.

not everyone who buys a vRS fits into Rob's "Category 2"

not everyone who buys a vRS fits into Rob's "Category 2"

True, which is why the Octy II vRS is more "fleet-friendly" than the Octy I vRS...

Rob.

I agree with 3 lozgti..

too expensive now... the fabia vRS was great value, and I bought one... I doubt I'd buy a new fabia vRS (when it comes out) I got the fiat (fully loaded with equipment, 130bhp TD) for

Wasn't that just the SE Anniversary model though? They had a lardy 2.0 115 bhp and the standard Turbod one was 150 ? To me it was a big think a Skoda could chew up a favourite of mine.

The anni was indeed a 180 1.8T and 150 PD. The 2.0 was replaced by the 1.8 n/a as well.

But they did both engines in the Golf and Bora aswell.

Prices have risen & for the same money you get a lot more choice, the build quality issues & skodas attitude to customers problems hasnt helped. I think they possibly now have an identity crisis as to quite where they fit into

Also you have to remember when considering total Octavia sales I think petrols equated to 5% against diesels. And Skoda themselves had a 7% share of the market.

So when evaluating what sells and what to build then the vRS is in a very small market and earns them very little

(figures are what I remember from the Octavia vRS launch course)

Prices have risen & for the same money you get a lot more choice, the build quality issues & skodas attitude to customers problems hasnt helped. I think they possibly now have an identity crisis as to quite where they fit into

I asked recently what the target market was...after a pause, it's not the affluent 30's.

The mk I was cracking value, mkII octy this is, well as mentioned it's in a higher price bracket so more to compare it to.

When I got mine (2 of them), nothing came close pound for age / milage in the vag group, let alone outside. At one point I was debating a subaru, more money, but I figured I got 80% of that in the octy for what I do and enjoy.

Now, well I'm a 30 something and the accord looks very comfy, except it's a low power engine relatively speaking, so I look at the other marques...the mkII is fine, but it's enough of a price hike to make me think about other packages...mkI was far far easier to buy.

But showrooms and image cost money

I'll still end up with a mkII I'm sure, but temptation is before me; so who really knows!

I asked recently what the target market was...after a pause, it's not the affluent 30's.

The mk I was cracking value, mkII octy this is, well as mentioned it's in a higher price bracket so more to compare it to.

When I got mine (2 of them), nothing came close pound for age / milage in the vag group, let alone outside. At one point I was debating a subaru, more money, but I figured I got 80% of that in the octy for what I do and enjoy.

Now, well I'm a 30 something and the accord looks very comfy, except it's a low power engine relatively speaking, so I look at the other marques...the mkII is fine, but it's enough of a price hike to make me think about other packages...mkI was far far easier to buy.

But showrooms and image cost money

I'll still end up with a mkII I'm sure, but temptation is before me; so who really knows!

Come on Col, you know you wnat a Mazda6 MPS, they cheap as chips nearly new.

Following my visit to the factory this week it was interesting news to note that sales of the vRS Octavia II are so high they have had to increase production to keep up with demand.

The RS used to be built soley at Vrchlabi but now they roll off the line at Mlada Boleslav as well.

It was hinted that there would be some sort of announcment in November regarding the Octavia but I have no idea what but I doubt it would be a power increase.

I asked about the Fabia RS but everyone was tight lipped save to say that it was intended to be announced early next year.

I'm confussed, the title of this thread suggests something went wrong!

What exactly has gone wrong. Skoda UK have increased sales, year on year for many a year now and are on target to do so again this year!

What exactly has gone wrong.

Skoda have taken their success and as such repositioned themselves in the market , as a result making their product more expensive and lower specced. This means that the appeal as a low-cost (relatively) high performance car has gone for a lot of members.....

Chris

I'm confussed, the title of this thread suggests something went wrong!

What exactly has gone wrong. Skoda UK have increased sales, year on year for many a year now and are on target to do so again this year!

Skoda have taken their success and as such repositioned themselves in the market , as a result making their product more expensive and lower specced. This means that the appeal as a low-cost (relatively) high performance car has gone for a lot of members.....

Chris

Exactly...

Nothing has gone wrong; it's going right for them. People want Skodas now. Previously they had to work hard to sell them & the Mk1 vRS was a great marketing gimmick. A 'Skoda' that was better. Imagine sitting in your MkIV 1.8T GTi & watching a Skoda pull away from you down a motorway slip road, with nothing you could do about it! Back then it would have been unthinkable, now it's unremarkable & that's the point.

They probably didn't make much money on the original vRS but they're making money on the bread & butter stuff now because they have an acceptable image as a manufacturer of good quality, value-for-money cars.

They also did a 180bhp golf gti, and they did the leon with a 225 engine (which they should of put in the octy)

In the latest vrs i think they should of had the 240bhp 2.0t

stuart hatch.....

can't help noticing your picture thing....car looks ace!

I agree with 3 lozgti..

too expensive now... the fabia vRS was great value, and I bought one... I doubt I'd buy a new fabia vRS (when it comes out) I got the fiat (fully loaded with equipment, 130bhp TD) for

Didn't realise the Fiat was that cheap for that output!!!

And you get free depreciation at a mega rate!

It was hinted that there would be some sort of announcment in November regarding the Octavia but I have no idea what but I doubt it would be a power increase..

Mid life facelift apparently , bit of a nip and tuck on the bumpers and a few other things...

Have a look here:

Skoda Octavia: June 2007 - Gallery from 4Car