SKODA revealed the Octavia estate at the Frankfurt Motor Show - about a year ahead of its arrival in the UK. The manufacturer, part of the Volkswagen Group, caused a storm of interest in the fleet market at the 1997 Fleet Motor Show at Silverstone when fleet managers had the chance to put the five-door Octavia through its paces.

The hatchback will go on sale in the UK next June and will be followed within three months by the estate, which has been redesigned from the driver's door back. Officially the car shown in Frankfurt was 'a design study', but with the exception of the dashboard it was the finished article and will carry a premium of less than £1,000 compared to its hatchback variants when it goes on sale.

Hatchback versions of the Octavia will cost between £11,000 and £16,000 and will be available in at least three trim levels powered by a choice of established engines from the Volkswagen stable including 1.8 20v 125bhp, 1.9 90bhp TDI, 1.9 110bhp TDI, 1.6 75bhp and 1.6 100bhp. Manual and automatic transmissions will be available.