A local Air Ambulance Service fleet, serving Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, has taken delivery of two Skoda Kodiaq vRS SUVs.

The 4x4 has been signed up to aid the air ambulance team with on-the-ground support. Already this year, the specialist team has undertaken 619 combined missions alongside the children’s air ambulance and covered 9,708 miles on the road.

The charity’s helicopters do not fly at night and instead rely on their rapid response road fleet to get to incidents quickly and safely.

Powered by a twin turbo charged 2.0-litre TDI engine and equipped with four-wheel drive, the

drivetrain delivers 239PS and can sprint from 0-62mph in seven seconds.

Richard Clayton, director of operations at the Local Air Ambulance Service, said: “It is more imperative than ever, that our fleet of critical care cars are able to meet the demands of the job.

“The reliability, versatility and power of the two new Kodiaq vRS models will enable us to continue to respond rapidly to emergencies across the Midlands.”

The introduction of the two Skoda Kodiaq vRS models bolsters the local air ambulance’s critical care fleet, which already consists of two Skoda Superbs, to provide 24/7 support to the emergency teams, 365 days a year.

To ensure the vehicles were up for the challenging demands set by the local air ambulance, the conversions were tailored to their exact specific requirements, with Halls Electrical, a Skoda-approved convertor, completing the necessary specialist work.

Bespoke conversions for emergency service fleets can be provided through Skoda’s ‘one-stop’ shop package. Skoda fleet can provide the vehicles fully converted to suit specific requirements, and fleet managers have the peace of mind that the conversion, breakdown recovery, service, maintenance and repair requirements are built into one package.