The ŠKODA OCTAVIA has won first place in the “Family Car” category at the 2020 Women’s World Car of the Year awards. This marks the Czech manufacturer’s first victory in what is the tenth edition of this international awards event judged exclusively by female motoring journalists.
As one of a total of nine category winners, the ŠKODA best-seller is now also in the running for the overall title. The announcement of the Women’s World Car of the Year 2020 on 8 March is timed to coincide with International Women’s Day. The jury consists of 48 journalists from 38 countries, from Argentina to New Zealand.
Compared to its predecessor, the fourth generation of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA boasts a more exciting and dynamic design, an even more spacious interior and greater comfort, combined with outstanding active and passive safety and advanced connectivity.
Like every ŠKODA, it also delivers superb functionality, enhanced by many clever details, making it an ideal family car. In addition, it is more economical and eco-friendly than ever before, as ŠKODA now offers customers a wide choice of powertrains that is unprecedented in the model series’ history.
It is available in liftback and estate format, with efficient petrol and diesel engines and a natural gas (CNG) version, as well as plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid technology and either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Power outputs range from 81 kW (110 PS) to 180 kW (245 PS).
The Women’s World Car of the Year title was first awarded in 2011. The jury for this event is made up exclusively of female motoring journalists.
This year, 48 jurors from 38 countries voted on all new models introduced between January and December 2020 and proceeded to nominate an initial three finalists in each of the nine categories.
Having won in the “Family Car” category, the OCTAVIA is now in the running for the overall victory. The announcement of the 2020 Women’s World Car of the Year will coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March. The assessment criteria are aspects such as safety, quality, price, design, ride comfort and eco-friendliness.
All-new OCTAVIA garners international awards
The category title at the 2020 Women’s World Car of the Year awards is only the latest in an impressive string of international award wins for the all-new OCTAVIA. In February 2021 it was crowned the most popular import vehicle in the compact class in the “Best Cars 2021” readers’ choice awards organised by German “auto motor und sport” car magazine.
In the last quarter of 2020, the OCTAVIA won a bevy of prestigious awards in its key export markets – including Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Awards highlighting its exceptional qualities as a family car came in the UK in Auto Express magazine, where it won both the “Auto Express New Car Award” in the “Compact Family Car” category and the overall “Car of the Year” title in October 2020, and in German motoring magazine “AUTO Straßenverkehr”, whose readers declared it the “Family Car of the Year” in June 2020 in the “Best Design” category for vehicles under 25,000 euros.
