GOLDEN STEERING WHEEL FOR SKODA FABIA

The new Škoda Fabia is the “largest” of all small cars. That’s why this compact automobile won the Golden Steering Wheel 2007 award from the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, as the best car in its class. Reinhard Jung, chairman of the Škoda Auto board of directors, accepted the valued trophy in Berlin, saying: “We are proud that the new Fabia follows on from the success of the first generation of the Fabia, which also won this significant award. It is an honour for the whole Škoda team.” The Škoda brand’s bestseller won out over four competitors in the final. The jury, comprised of experts and prominent people, rated the cars’ handling, design, spaciousness, value for money, quality and also standard of production. The Golden Steering Wheel was first awarded by the publisher Axel Springer 32 years ago and has been awarded every year since then. The prize for the best new car of the year was won in 1999 by the Škoda Fabia’s predecessor. The Škoda Octavia won it in 2004. The new Fabia follows on from the success of its predecessor, which was first presented in the autumn of 1999 at the car show in Frankfurt am Main. It became an important part of the compact cars segment in Europe and won a number of comparative tests in specialist magazines. A total of 1.6 million customers decided to buy it. Thanks to this, the Fabia is the bestselling Škoda since 1991. The new model again represents progress, in particular in the traditional values of the Škoda brand – spaciousness and value for money. The serial accessories for this cleverly designed compact car include four airbags, ABS and electrical-hydraulic power steering.