Volkswagen’s Czech unit Skoda expects to return to sales growth this year thanks to a build-up of orders and signs of recovery in many of its markets, the carmaker said on Monday after posting a 25.5 percent drop in 2013 profit.

Skoda is counting on the launch of new models to propel it towards a goal of selling 1.5 million cars annually by 2018 and has said it is set to hit 1 million for the first time in 2014.