Skoda Roomster Euro NCAP 5 Stars
First things first ditch all those preconceptions!
Skoda cars may well have deservedly been the butt of many a joke during the 1980s, but make no mistake under the watchful eyes of parent company Volkswagen the Skodas of today must not be tainted with the same brush.
As if to prove the point, more than 56,000 Top Gear readers, who rated 152 cars in the magazines annual owner satisfaction survey, voted the Skoda overall number one car manufacturer of 2006.
As Skoda themselves say Roomster by name - Roomy by nature this MPV (kodas first) certainly has a lot to offer. Whilst pitched in competition with versatile superminis such as the Renault Modus its interior space and boot capacity actually compares more favourably
with much bigger players. Minimum luggage space is already good with the rear seats in place but becomes van-like with them removed. Its party trick is the clever Varioflex seating system with its origami like flexibility switching between passenger space and luggage space.
With a VED band C rating and emissions of 135g/km and 139g/km the 1.4 TDI and 1.9 TDI respectively are pushing the boundaries of green motering for a car of this capability and size. The added bonus is the excellent fuel economy of 62.8 extra and 55.4 combined for the 1.4 litre and 61.4mpg and 53.3mpg for the 1.9. There arent many MPVs out performing the Roomster.
You can choose from 4 trim levels on the New Roomster and it couldnt be easier as the levels are simply named 1, 2, 3 and Scout! Entry-level Roomsters have electric front windows, CD player and a socket for an MP3 player. Moving up a trim level adds rear speakers,
remote door locking, air-con, alloy wheels and electrically adjustable door mirrors. Range-topping cars have cruise control, rear parking sensors and a sunroof..
There are 3 petrol and 3 diesel engines, with a range of gearboxes, offered across the new Roomster range.
NCAP 5 star, plus 4 star for child protection. The Roomster uses a high-strength steel in key areas of its structure and has six airbags (front, side and curtain) as standard.Euro NCAP gave the Roomster a top 5 star rating in its safety tests along with an excellent 4 stars for child protection. It already meets pedestrian safety regulations which are not due to come into force until 2010.
Every Skoda comes with a 2 year Unlimited Mileage Warranty, with a third year of warranty valid up to 60,000 miles, as well as a minimum 10 year anti-perforation warranty. Despite the brands top
ratings for Mechanical Quality in JD Powers 2006 industry report, for your peace of mind Skoda also provides 3 years roadside assistance (thought provokingly called Skoda Assistance) via RAC.
It is available 24 hours a day every day of the year and as it is vehicle based anyone driving your koda may take advantage of the service. All new vehicles supplied by kodaAuto in the UK are automatically entitled to koda Assistance both in the UK and when travelling in
Europe.
About the manufacturer
Skoda say they designed their cars to have a minimal impact on the environment at all stages of their lives from manufacturing stage, usage and ultimately at the end of the vehicles life. All engineers involved in the development process are given internal guidelines and extensive information as the basis for creating
recyclable products. In addition to avoiding the use of hazardous substances, Skoda are also increasingly using recycled materials as well as labelling materials of all applicable vehicle components with their material types, to aid identification and subsequent
recycling. Documentation is prepared and made available to recycling companies to ensure environmentally friendly recycling at the end of a vehicles life. Parent company, VW Group Uk, has
formed a partnership with Cartakeback.com to provide a Government approved national network of certified dismantling companies to receive and take care of the environmentally friendly recovery of used skodas.
A large range of used parts from vehicle repairs are taken back by Skoda every year and remanufactured on an industrial scale The remanufactured parts are sold across the world with a full manufacturers guarantee under the Genuine Parts scheme. Valuable metals like platinum and rhodium are extracted from old catalytic converters and used in ones. To further increase the economic recycling of end of life vehicles, koda has developed and tested the VW-SiCon process. This allows the shredder light fraction to be processed and put to optimal usage. The first large-
scale industrial plants to use the VW-SiCon process are being built or are in the planning stages. When operational Skoda believes a recovery target of 95% for end-of-life vehicles is attainable
Skoda has also been working on reducing servicing requirements. The servicing intervals for modern models are currently up to 50,000 km, with extended servicing intervals depending on the model and the usage of the vehicle. This means the disposal of old oil and other used parts is therefore much lower
Introduction of modern FSI and TDI engines as well as the automatic DSG® direct shift gearboxs are helping to reduce fuel consumption and emission levels. Skoda is also working to increase the longevity of its vehicles as longer a vehicle can be used, the less burden there is on the limited raw material resources of the plane. It should also give owners a financial gain as well!