SKODA'S new upper medium Octavia, due in the UK in early 1998, will be launched at the Paris Motor Show, and goes on sale in its left hand drive variant in the Czech Republic this November.

The Octavia is a brand new, Skoda designed and developed car, but it will use Volkswagen and Audi engines and drive train. These will be a 1.6 litre, 75bhp petrol engine, Audi's 1.8 litre 20 valve, 125bhp petrol engine, and a 1.9 litre turbo diesel injection engine. The car measures 4.511 metres long, 1.731 metres wide, and 1.429 metres high. Prices and specification levels have not been announced.