Announcing its financial results for 2015, Skoda revealed it had delivered a total of 1,055,500 cars in 2015 – the second time it has managed more than one million deliveries and a new record for the brand.
Despite its record deliveries, officials admit that 2015 was not an easy year for the brand. Sales in Eastern Europe fell by 16.6% compared with 2014, while Russia’s market alone fell by 35%. The Chinese market also slowed significantly, with officials saying a return to double digit annual growth was "not achieveable."
As well as slowing growth in China, Skoda says that increased competition, fluctuating currency markets and the political crisis created by the VW Group’s emissions scandal had made for a difficult 12 months. Maier said that Skoda would “continue to deliver the company’s growth in 2016, while investing in the brand’s future under the 2025 strategy.”
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The Strategy 2025 plan hinges on sustainable growth and new products, including Skoda’s first all-electric vehicle which is currently planned to launch in 2020/21.
Skoda’s global sales revenue rose to €12.5bn in 2015, an improvement of over 6% on 2014’s figures, while operating profit grew by 12% to €915m. The company’s profit after tax stood at €708 million, a substantial increase on 2014’s figure of €665 million. Skoda’s financial boss Winfried Krause said the rise was down to an “increase in vehicle sales, a better mix in model versions sold and optimised material costs.”
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They should withdraw VW and