Skoda win ‘Best Car Manufacturer’ title in the annual Which? Awards

The awards really seem to be following us around these days! Not content with

being nominated as one of the top 50 dealers in the UK and in the top 5 in the region, now Skoda have received their own prestigious award from Which ?

as ‘Best Car Manufacturer’ title in the annual Which? Awards, presented at the British Museum on the 19 May. Škoda trumped the competition – including premium brands – thanks to their outstanding customer service and products.

 

Škoda UK Director, Robert Hazelwood, said: “We’re really pleased to win this award. It shows just how highly Which? rates our products and service.  We’re very proud of the excellent engineering and great value in every one of our cars, and pleased that Which? has recognised the outstanding personal service our retailers give their customers.”

The Which? car test team and Which? members were impressed with Škoda’s reliability, customer care and the quality of its retailers. Škoda achieved above-average marks for its retailers (79 per cent) and its service (81 per cent), and the brand had a reliability score of 79 per cent. Four Škoda models were judged to be ‘Best Buys’ or ‘Worth Considering’.

 

Which? Chief Executive, Peter Vicary-Smith, said: “Škoda is a car company ideally suited to the times, as people demand more but want to pay less. It offers a great range of reasonably-priced, well-built cars.”

 

Announcing the awards, he added: “The winner of this award is a car brand much praised by its customers, with high scores on dealer satisfaction for both sales and servicing. Owner satisfaction is also high, with most Which? members rating it as very good. The company also achieved a number of best buys for the various models we tested, making Škoda an obvious choice for Best Car Manufacturer 2010.”

 

Editor of Which? Car, Richard Headland added: “'People might know Škoda as a purveyor of value, but what they might not know is that this brand should be equally recognised for its quality of product, its reliability and its excellent retailer network.”

We at Derek Slack Motors fully endorse all of the above comments and look forward to see customers new and old over the May Bank Holiday Weekend.

Thanks for reading

Tony Slack

Isuzu Denver Pick-ups in Middlesbrough

Sorry for the self promotion, but I thought this little story might be of interest to those familier with the true power of the internet!

Derek Slack Motors’ recently ran an online promotion targeting Denver Pick-up customers, which brought admiring glances from all corners of the country as we sold and delivered (free of charge), three Isuzu pick-ups in 24 hours. Recognising that a shortage of UK stock was leaving some customers frustrated we decided to help out by introducing a ‘Free UK Delivery Package’ on all orders placed within 24 hours of the online advertisment going live. Nothing happened until around mid-day, when the phones started to ring and the Isuzu promotion got into full swing.

Our furthest delivery was in Kent, but would have been happy to go further.

We still have Isuzu Denvers in stock, for immediate delivery with a choice of metallic colours and prices starting from as little as £14,995 for the Denver 2.5 Twin Cab.

As the main dealers for Isuzu in Teesside, Middlesbrough, Stockton on Tees and Darlington

we’d be happy to extend the same offer indefinitely! Just give us a call on 01642 256101

or visit us online at www.derekslackmotors.co.uk

Thanks for reading

Tony Slack

What Tow Car?

With more people choosing to spend their holidays at home this summer, it’s only natural

to see families searching for a vehicle that offers towing capabilities as people

look to caravaning and camping for their jollies!

Thanks to the growing number of ideal towing options now available from Derek Slack Motors, it was inevitable we’d build up a growing list of keen caravan and camping customers, all looking for the same practical solutions from Derek Slack Motors on Cargo Fleet in Middlesbrough. In particular, the Skoda Octavia Estate received 5 Green Stars from ‘What Tow Car’, the highest possible rating indicating a perfect match between car and vehicle. ‘What Tow Car’ has developed several online programs which can predict and compare the pulling performances of any car hooked up to a caravan. The programe also calculates the top speeds on flat roads and gradients, making the Skoda Octavia Estate the ideal towing car for you and your family.

The new Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDi, with the Skoda Octavia Scout and Subaru Forester, also make ideal vehicles for towing and come with a variety of purchase options, making your money travel as far as you do! Visit our website at www.derekslackmotors.co.uk to view the full range of vehicles.

We’re always delighted to offer our own free advice, so if you’re contemplating a holiday at home this year, or even a camping trip abroad, be sure to drop into Derek Slack Motors and we’ll see if we can hook you up with the perfect towing solution!

Thanks for reading

Tony Slack

Skoda Fabia vRS comes to Middlesbrough, Darlington and Stockton on Tees

Interest in the new Fabia vRS (the fastest production Fabia ever built), is so great, Derek Slack Motors, (main dealers for Skoda in Middlesbrough and Stockton on Tees), have already taken two orders. One from a Skoda customer in Stockton - on - Tees, a second from a Skoda customer in Darlington.

Built on its predecessor’s reputation for high performance, low running costs and remarkable value for money, the Fabia vRS is bound to become a big seller

to those who enjoy a bit of bite to their motoring. The fantastic new Fabia vRS will be officially launched in the UK on Thursday 28 July 2010, with prices and specification already confirmed.

Available as a hatch and estate, the vRS is powered by the fantastic 1.4 TSI 180bhp engine in tandem with a seven-speed DSG transmission, with ESP, HHC (hill hold control) and XDS (electronic differential system). Acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 7.3 seconds. Top speed is 139mph (140mph for the estate), where law permits.

 

The new vRS features stylish 17-inch ‘Gigaro’ alloy wheels, LED daylight running lights, sunset glass and vRS body kit giving it a very sporty appearance. Customers can also choose an optional white or black roof with a range of body colours, including the new Rallye Green, inspired by the S2000 rally car.

 

Inside, the vRS boasts figure-hugging vRS sports seats, a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with radio controls and paddles for changing gear, and MDI (multi-device interface) for use with iPods and other MP3 players.

 

Overall, the vRS offers fantastic value for money, particularly when compared to the competition. Where else can you find a 180bhp engine with DSG, paddles, LED lights and loads of standard kit for £15,700. If you’d like to be one of the first to get behind the wheel, or make an advance order, visit our website at: www.derekslackmotors, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

One of the top five garages in the region

I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the team at Derek Slack Motors for helping

us to become nominated as not only one of the top five garages in the North East, but also one of the top 50 in the UK. Chris Mason, Director of Motor Codes Ltd., offered his congratulations to the dealership on the 29 April 2010 and I quote...

‘it was  an excellent achievement and is a reflection of the high standards and commitments you provide to your customers. It’s been a real pleasure highlighting the best garages throughout the UK and I hope that your nomination gives you some of the recognition you deserve’. Thank you Chris, and thanks again to all the team at Derek Slack Motors for making it possible.

Thanks for reading

Tony Slack

Podium hat-trick for Wilks as Skoda repeats 123

Guy Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh scored a sensational third consecutive podium finish in the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge after coming home third on the Rally Islas Canarias 'Trofeo El Corte Ingles', which finished in Las Palmas today.

 

Guy was driving the same Škoda UK Motorsport Fabia S2000 in which he’d finished second on Rally Brazil and Rally Argentina. Having been shipped to Gran Canarias directly from South America, only a limited amount of time was available to change the car from gravel to asphalt specification – performed by the team’s skilled mechanics in the service bays of a Škoda retailer in Las Palmas.

On his first full asphalt rally in the Fabia S2000, the 29-year old Darlington driver set top-five stage times throughout the high-speed, two-day, 15-special stage event to stay second in the drivers’ standings.

 

It was also another fantastic event for Škoda, which scored its second consecutive one-two-three IRC finish. Having achieved its first international rally podium lock-out on Rally Argentina, the Czech brand did it again in Gran Canarias. This time, the three top Fabia S2000 drivers came home in a different order, with Jan Kopecký finishing 9.1 seconds ahead of Škoda Motorsport team-mate Juho Hänninen, and Guy a further 27.3 seconds behind. The result extends Škoda’s lead in the IRC manufacturers’ table to 31 points. 

 

Third was just reward for a fantastic Škoda UK Motorsport effort, as the team had to overcome the disadvantage of not being able to test on the Spanish holiday island before the event began. The stages presented a great challenge, as the wide, twisty mountain roads were incredibly fast – with several tests completed at an average speed of around 60mph. 

 

Car set-up was vital to give the Fabia S2000 the necessary high-speed grip levels required on the many long corners and to help preserve tyres. Although Guy experimented with different suspension settings throughout the event, he drove a faultless rally – pushing hard when the car was at its best on day two and driving intelligently when the mechanical grip was not so good in the middle section of day one.

 

Having completed day one in third place, Guy kept the pressure on Kopecký and Hänninen by pushing hard over the final day’s six stages. Guy made sure he was best-placed to benefit from any potential mishaps ahead, and despite a furious pace until the very end, the three Škoda drivers reached the finish in Las Palmas in the same 1-2-3 order they’d started the final day.

 

Guy said: “Three IRC podiums in a row for Škoda UK Motorsport and the second consecutive all-Škoda podium is a great achievement, and we are all very happy.

 

“It hasn’t been an easy event for us. We lost a chunk of time on day one trying things out on the car and we were a lot closer to the pace on day two. With Jan and Juho ahead, and only an all-Škoda podium to lose, there wasn’t a good enough reason to throw caution to the wind and really push on the final day, but we were happy to finish at the pace we did.

 

“It’s been a hectic start to the season, with this rally added to the schedule and the rally car coming straight here from South America. Preparation time has been limited, so we couldn’t test in Gran Canaria before the event. Sometimes you have to dig really deep, work hard and fight for every second – and this has been one of those rallies.

 

“We’ve got a little bit of a breather now before our next rally in Sardinia, so we aim to make the most of that time to prepare well for the next round of the IRC. I know that I and the Fabia can gel a little bit better and better results can come. I know we can push for the rally win, absolutely, and that’s what we’re aiming for.”

 

The next round of the IRC is the Rally d'Italia Sardegna (4-6 June).

Thanks for reading

Tony Slack

Derek Slack Motors - first choice for Subaru in the North East England

Desirable becomes more affordable. Every once in a while an offer comes along

unlike any other offer and to follow Subaru’s own advertising strap line...’a car unlike

any other car’, now we have an offer to suit! 

Order a brand new Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 230ps, from Derek Slack Motors, (main dealers for Subaru in Teesside) and you can drive away with 0% finance. Sounds almost too good to be true, so here's how it works....

Cash price: £18,995 Deposit 50% followed by 24 months @ £395.72. 0% APR. So all you pay for

is the uncommon engineering, uncommon roadholding, uncommon stability and uncommon sense. No finance fees! 

If for some reason you’re not familier with the WRX’s features, here’s a taster...Driver/front & passenger side/curtain airbags, SVDC (Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control), Thatcham Cat 1 alarm, Xenon Headlights, Rear privacy glass, Climate control, 17” alloy wheels.

We believe this is the best Subaru Impreza offer in the North East, and if we’ve learnt anything overs the years, it’s customers will drive that extra mile to get the car they want at a price they can afford! In fact, we’re now seeing new Subaru customers arriving at our dealership not just from the locality, but also nationally too! We think we must be doing something right!

Derek Slack Motors - first choice for Subaru in the North East England

Buying a new car in Middlesbrough

Watching spring turn slowly into summer, I’m always reminded how quickly the year can

race away from you. It seems only yesterday, all we could talk of was snow and bad weather. Now things are starting to warm up, we’ve enjoyed some cracking bank holiday weekends, May 1st in particular saw the start of the Fabia Scoop Purchase - Gold Rush. Two great offers on both ‘09’ registration Skoda Fabia 1 and Skoda Fabia 2, with savings of up to £2,796. 

The motoring public of Teesside are always quick to pounce on a good offer, so I wasn’t too surprised to see the dealership really busy over the bank holiday weekend. 

The recently advertised Scoop Purchase on Skoda Fabia 1 70bhp at only £7979 (save £2796) and the Skoda Fabia 2 at only £8686 (save £2499) are two offers that pushed the limits of supply and demand. I’m pleased to say everyone got their new Fabia, and as I write this blog post, I can already see from my window a new delivery of the last of the Scoop Purchase stock arriving!

So if you live local to Middlesbrough, Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, Thornaby, Redcar, or Darlington, and you’re in the market for a new car, forget about a new Ford, Renault, Peugeot Vauxhall or Fiat and think Skoda- home of happy drivers at Derek Slack Motors, Middlesbrough.

Thanks for reading

Tony Slack