What's the news?
Skoda has used its strongest-ever sales figures in Ireland as a backdrop to issue a defiant defence of embattled diesel - as more than half of Skoda's 5,064 units sold in quarter one (Q1) of 2018 were powered by the black stuff.
In a current automotive climate in which car sales in Ireland are down compared to 2017 and there's the possibility of diesel drivers facing fines if their motors have not been tested to the latest emissions standards, John Donegan, brand director at Skoda Ireland, said: "Diesel is alive and doing very well. Strong demand for our diesel-powered vehicles helped us achieve our greatest first quarter result ever, in the brand's history. We believe that our efficient EU6 diesel engines still provide the best solution for the majority of Irish motorists."
The performance Mr Donegan is talking about is Skoda's overall market share of 7.1 per cent for Q1 2018, represented by those 5,000-plus vehicles registered. That keeps the Czech firm in sixth position in the Irish sales rankings and the brand's performance is in stark contrast to the overall market performance, as outlined by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. With that 5.8 per cent fall in overall car sales across all marques, Skoda has bucked the trend and managed to grow its volumes by 3.7 per cent - driven by 2,836 of its 5,064 vehicles sold being diesel-powered.
Examining Skoda's numbers in closer detail, the best-selling model for Skoda in Ireland through Q1 of 2018 was the Octavia, with more than 2,000 examples sold; this, despite the overwhelming surge towards SUVs among the car-buying public. Meanwhile, the Superb increased its segment share, at the expense of some of the premium brands.
And, in case you're wondering, Skoda isn't pinning all its hopes on a diesel revival, as Mr Donegan added: "Skoda also possesses one of the most advanced ranges of petrol engines - such as the turbo-charged 1.0 TSI 115hp unit, available in the Karoq and Octavia, offering great choice to our customers. By 2020, we will be offering our customers the option of electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol and - of course - diesel."
Skoda Ireland also added that it had provided loans to the value of more than €41 million to customers during Q1 2018, assisted by both 0 per cent finance provided by Volkswagen Bank and also the launch of the Karoq SUV. The company will also be extending 0 per cent finance to Skoda Approved Used Cars for a limited time.
Anything else?
Skoda's diesel performance really is quite impressive, given everything that is going on in the motoring world right now. Recent JATO Dynamics figures showed the first rise in average CO2 emissions across Europe for a decade, which Cartell.ie then followed up with a report demonstrating that - while Irish average emissions had tumbled between 1998 and 2017 - there had been a huge shift towards petrol power post-2016 in the country.