SKODA IRELAND HAS announced a market share of 7.1 per cent, for the first quarter of 2018. This marks the highest ever sales performance by the brand in Ireland. Skoda delivered 5,064 new vehicles to customers in Q1.

This places Skoda in sixth position in the Irish sales rankings. The brand’s performance is in stark contrast to the overall market performance as outlined in the SIMI/DoneDeal Motor Industry Report. With overall car sales down over 5.5 per cent, Skoda has managed to grow its sales volume by 3.75 per cent.

Statistics also show that sales of diesel powered vehicles overall for Q1 are down −20.32 per cent. However, Skoda’s results show that 56 per cent (2,836) of its sales were diesel powered vehicles.

Commenting on the figures John Donegan, Brand Director at Skoda Ireland said:

Strong demand for our diesel powered vehicles helped us achieve our greatest first quarter result ever, in the brands history. We believe that our efficient EU6 Diesel engines still provide the best solution for the majority of Irish motorists. Diesel is alive and doing very well.

However, despite the popularity of its diesel engines, Skoda isn’t ignoring other powertrains. By 2020 Skoda will be introducing an electric model and plug-in hybrid powertrains to its range, alongside its petrol and diesel options.

Bucking another trend, if we take a closer look at Skoda’s figures we can see that despite the growing trend towards SUVs, the brand’s best-selling model was its Octavia hatchback, with over 2,000 units sold. Meanwhile, its Superb model increased its segment share, at the expense of some premium brands.

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