Škoda has been announced as the Official Automotive Partner of Crufts - the UK’s biggest and most prestigious dog event.
Skoda and Crufts will officially cooperate for the first time in 2023, but the company has long had a tight relationship with dogs and their owners. In order to enable owners to travel their furry friends securely and comfortably at all times, Skoda has continuously developed a wide range of safety and comfort accessories. The company has also developed close ties with the emergency services, offering special Skoda models like the Kodiaq and Karoq, all of which offer the ideal atmosphere for energetic working dogs.
Pet safety has driven Škoda to develop one of the biggest ranges of bespoke dog safety accessories in the industry. According to the Highway Code, dogs need to be suitably secured so they avoid distracting the driver and to prevent injury in the case of a sudden stop.
A study carried out by Škoda last year revealed the importance of using correctly designed and fitted restraints. The survey, commissioned by Škoda, found that 12% of owners let their dogs sit on their lap or even on the dash (9%) while driving, while some let their dogs move freely around the car. This figure was even more pronounced among younger drivers (18-24 years old), with over a quarter (27%) letting their dog sit on their lap while driving.
Skoda will have a booth in the main exhibition hall with a unique platform where visitors can take photographs with their dogs as part of the company's official collaboration with Crufts. The Kamiq from the popular television commercial for the brand, in which the little SUV took on an agility course for a dog show, will also be on display at the booth.
Škoda UK has set two official world ice drift records with the Enyaq iV vRS SUV, the brand’s second all-electric sporting flagship model.
The longest continuous vehicle drift on ice was the first world record broken by Skoda. Richard Meaden achieved a new record for the longest continuous vehicle drift on ice while operating the freshly released Skoda Enyaq iV vRS SUV. Meaden kept the vehicle in a controlled slide for 7.351 kilometres (4.568 miles). Meaden's drift broke the previous record, which had been held by China since 2022 and stood at 6.231 kilometres (3.872 miles). Meaden outperformed the previous record by keeping the car sliding for more than 15 minutes in a stunning display of talent. Meaden and the Skoda Enyaq iV vRS SUV broke the previous record while also setting a new record for the "Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (Electric Car)".
Skoda set the record on the brand's fourth day on location after multiple practise runs with various tyre combinations and little daylight. A Guinness World Records adjudicator was there, as well as international drifting judge David Kalas. To attain the ideal drift, a total of 18 hours of drifting in below-freezing temperatures were put in over the course of five days.
Despite the brutal conditions, the Enyaq iV vRS SUV’s performance was consistently strong. The car powered round the drift circle 39 times during the 15 minutes and 58 seconds of its record-breaking run. During the record run, it also achieved a top speed of 48.69 km/h (30.25 mph) and was travelling at 31.64 km/h (19.66 mph) at its slowest point.
The Enyaq iV vRS SUV is the second all-electric Škoda to bear the vRS badge, offering 299 PS and 0-62 mph in just 6.5 seconds from its 82 kWh (77 kWh net) battery and twin electric motors. With one on each axle, the Enyaq iV vRS produces 460 Nm of torque, with instant acceleration and powerful performance.
Inside, the vRS Design Selection interior featured sports seats with black perforated leather upholstery with grey piping and contrast stitching, which extended to the steering wheel and dashboard trim. The Enyaq iV vRS can be rapid charged at speeds of up to 135 kW via a CCS connector, meaning an 80% charge can be achieved in as little as 36 minutes via a 150 kW charger (or faster).
The record-breaking Enyaq iV vRS SUV will be arriving with UK customers from early summer 2023.