SKODA has just produced its 22 millionth vehicle - not bad for a company, which has been around for 124 years.

The 22 millionth car was built in China, not the Czech Republic, which is where the company HQ has been for all those years.

But China is the most important market in the world for Skoda and there was no irony when the new Kodiaq came rolling off the line, just in time for the Shanghai Motor Show, and it just happened to be Velvet Red!

By as early as 1936, the Czech brand had five sales agencies in China and the Czech manufacturer entered the Chinese market again in 2007.

After 75 months, the milestone of one million vehicles delivered was achieved; it took a mere 42 months to sell the second million.

Skoda, advertised most recently by Paloma Faith, pictured, continues to get bigger and better, and more than a quarter of all of the vehicles they have built since they started 124 years ago have been built in the last five years alone.

Skoda is one of the longest-established vehicle manufacturers in the world. The company started car production in Mladá Boleslav with the Voiturette A developed by the company founders Laurin and Klement.

In recent years, the Czech car manufacturer has further expanded its production capacity.

In 2014, ŠKODA AUTO produced more than one million vehicles in a calendar year for the first time. In September 2017, the long-established Czech brand’s 20 millionth vehicle rolled off the production line at the Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic.

ŠKODA will continue its growth strategy by launching more than 30 new models worldwide by the end of 2022, 10 of which will be electric At present, they manufacture at a total of 16 sites in nine countries.

With spring officially sprung and summer just around the corner, Skoda is celebrating with a tempting range of deals and offers across its award-winning new car range.

Thanks to finance deposit contributions of up to £3,000 (5.9 per cent APR representative), and value-packed service packages on selected models, buyers can drive an exceptional deal on the Karoq.

It comes with a finance deposit contribution of up to £1,950 when financed with Solutions PCP (5.9 per cent APR) and is available on all models except SE Technology. Customers can also add a service plan that covers the first two consecutive services (1 x oil and 1 x oil and Inspection service) for just £159.

Additional information relating to ŠKODA offers and finance can be found at www.skoda.co.uk/car-finance/new-car-offers.

The multi-award-winning Karoq became broader with the introduction of a new 2.0 TSI 190PS engine option. With demand for ŠKODA petrol engines continuing to grow, the new powerplant is the perfect option for drivers looking to combine agile performance with exceptional refinement and efficiency.

Karoq customers can specify the new engine in SportLine form, with prices starting from £31,820 OTR. The engine develops 320Nm of torque between 1,400 and 4,100rpm and delivers its power to the road via a standard seven-speed DSG gearbox and four-wheel drive. It can complete the sprint from 0-62mph in just 7.0 seconds, making it the fastest Karoq in the range.

Despite its strong performance, the 2.0 TSI 190PS engine is remarkably efficient – returning 33.2- 32.1mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and emitting 158g/km of CO2. On top of that there is the one litre Karoq which is an amazing piece of kit.

The new engine is available to order now across both Karoq and Kodiaq ranges. For technical information (including WLTP fuel consumption figures for all models), images and other media assets, please visit www.skodamedia.com.

In Western Europe the number of customers in 2018 increased by 1.8 per cent to 486,400 vehicles, with the Karok being delivered to more than 100,000 customers.

The Karoq actually replaces the lovely old Skoda Yeti, which was the favourite of many motoring journalists. It was a great crossover; while it was never a great looking car, it was rather beautiful.

The Karoq will give you around 40 miles to the gallon and there is a six speed manual and an auto as well.

It’s got bags of kit, bags of space and it is a ride which is thoroughly enjoyable.