Skoda Auto, a unit of Volkswagen, said its 2005 net profit more than doubled thanks to a rise in sales of the more expensive models in its range.

The largest Czech company said its consolidated net profit jumped to £189 million from £3.37 billion a year ago.

"Achieving a record level of profit, a full discharge from the company's debts, and a considerably increased rate of profit from the product range in the last accounting year, Skoda laid the foundation for a successful future development," Skoda's CFO Holger Kintchser said.

Unit sales increased nine per cent to 492,111 cars, despite a stagnate world car market, the company said at an annual news conference. It added that it remained on track to exceed sales of 500,000 this year.

The best-selling model was the small Fabia, although sales fell to 236,698 units from 247,600 in 2004. Global sales of the Octavia family model rose 28.4 per cent to 233,322.

Sales of the limousine Superb decreased to 22,091 from 22,392 a year ago.

"The year 2006 will be marked by the Roomster, which will be introduced at the Geneva motor show and gradually launched on individual markets from the middle of this year," CEO Detlef Wittig added.

Roomster is a family car with variable interior.

"In order to secure a continuous growth of the company in coming years, significant attention will be paid to further expanding and development of new foreign assemblies in Russia and China, in particular," he said.

The firm has been helping drive the Czech economy, which grew an annual 4.9 per cent in the third quarter on strong exports. Skoda accounted for 8.2 per cent of the Czech exports last year.