SkodaAuto is presenting the first photograph of the new Octavia Estate. Based on the same new platform as the Octavia hatch, the wagon is 4572 mm long, 1769 mm wide and 1467 mm high, 5mm higher than the hatch.

The new Octavia wagon continues to offers Škoda’s "extra bit of car" with outstanding interior space. Front and rear passenger space remains the same as in the hatch, with the wagon offering even more carrying capacity than the hatch. With the rear seats in place, the wagon will hold 580 litres of luggage. With the rear seats folded, the loading capacity increases to an outstanding 1,620 litres.

The wagon will be available in the same trim specifications, Classic, Ambiente and Elegance, as the hatch. The engine selection will follow the hatch line-up as well, with four petrol engines – the 1.4 16v, 1.6 MPI, 1.6 and 2.0 FSI engines – and two fuel-efficient diesel units, the 1.9 TDI PD with 105 bhp and the 2.0 TDI PD with 140 bhp.

Škoda will present the Octavia wagon at the Mondial de l’Automobile (Paris Motor Show) in Paris on Thursday 23rd September.

The wagon will join the hatch in early 2005. The Octavia hatch, which is already on sale, is already gaining popularity among independent-minded new car buyers with its combination of upper-medium class size and lower-medium segment pricing.

There are, currently, no plans for the Skoda range to return to Australia.