Just received my new Octavia VRS TDi in Black. Awesome car. I thought it might be of interest for everyone to know that in Spain, you get a lot more as standard. I live in Spain, but used the UK web site to research as I am English. I noticed that there are a lot of things that you get charged for in the UK, that come as standard on the cars here, and the price is about the same (ignoring the current terrible exchange rate).

Take a look at Skoda, you can run it through google translate to get an idea.

I got maxidot, dual zone air con, jumbo box, xenons, curtain airbags, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, all as standard. The only extras I ordered were 18" wheels, and rear parking sensors.

Anyway, maybe people can complain to Skoda, get them to explain why they sell the cars with a lower spec in the UK

probably the same reason why petrol is more expensive in this country, and the cost of living is one of the most expensive in europe... They dont say the phrase rip off britian for nothing.. Dare I say it, if the (any) manufacturer can get away with selling a lower-spec model at the same price as elsewhere, they will try and get away with it!

In France the L&K has come with more or less everything including sat nav for quite a few years, we have only just caught up with everyone else but the sat nav is still an option here.

Rip off Britain is alive and well.

The revolution is coming comrades...

Just received my new Octavia VRS TDi in Black. Awesome car. I thought it might be of interest for everyone to know that in Spain, you get a lot more as standard. I live in Spain, but used the UK web site to research as I am English. I noticed that there are a lot of things that you get charged for in the UK, that come as standard on the cars here, and the price is about the same (ignoring the current terrible exchange rate).

Take a look at Skoda, you can run it through google translate to get an idea.

I got maxidot, dual zone air con, jumbo box, xenons, curtain airbags, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, all as standard. The only extras I ordered were 18" wheels, and rear parking sensors.

Anyway, maybe people can complain to Skoda, get them to explain why they sell the cars with a lower spec in the UK

Same here in Portugal. Mine even come with front and rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, half leather seats, electric adjusting / memory seats, all auto dimming mirrors, sport suspension, xenons, audience, sound system etc, etc...

I guess it has all of possible equipment Skoda can offer. It only doesn't have sat nav and roof opening.

Anyway, maybe people can complain to Skoda, get them to explain why they sell the cars with a lower spec in the UK

Wont work... Try buying one in Denmark. They charge you double, and you even (almost) have to pay exrtra to get the vRS 2 litre TDI instead of the standard 2 litre TDI. The standard specs here are terrible.

The big problem is taxes, of which I don't think are abundant in Spain.

Have you looked at prices of Skodas in Malta. I've heard of a garage going there to get their stock.

Does this come down to RHD vs LHD since they can do a larger run of LHD cars?

Don't think you can really ignore the exchange rate thing at all. Skoda need to translate their earnings in UK back to euro so will look forward to see what they expect rates to be and set prices accordingly, in order to cover cost of forward currency hedges etc etc

Have you looked at prices of Skodas in Malta. I've heard of a garage going there to get their stock.

Some of the Motorpoint stock comes from Malta IIRC