Škoda has made what it calls major revisions to its best-selling model, the Octavia.

Available early 2017 in the UK, the model features a newly designed front and rear section, new driver assistance systems, infotainment and connectivity, as well as additional new equipment.

The model is available as a hatchback or estate.

“The Škoda Octavia has always been in a class of its own in the compact segment,” said Škoda chief executive Bernhard Maier.

“As the 'heart of the brand', the Octavia has decisively shaped Škoda’s outstanding development from the very start, and has made the company what it is today: an internationally successful automotive manufacturer with a presence in more than 100 markets worldwide.

“With the now extensively revised Škoda Octavia, we are keen to continue this development sustainably.”

Design and technology

The lines of the new car have been further streamlined, especially at the front. The two adjacent headlights form the dual face with and full-LED technology.

The revision has brought new infotainment systems.

All three systems – Bolero, Amundsen and Columbus – now have displays that respond to light touch.

The Columbus now features a full 9.2-inch display; the top system has a WLAN hotspot and a SIM card module offering ultra-fast connection to the internet.

Škoda Connect is divided into Infotainment Online and CareConnect.

CareConnect is available in all equipment variants of the revised new Octavia.

If the Octavia is used as a towing vehicle, the trailer assistant will take over the steering when the vehicle is slowly reversing.

Predictive pedestrian protection complements front assist.

In addition, the parking assistant has been further optimised. Thanks to the rear radar, blind spot detection and rear traffic alert ensure safe lane changes and also help while reversing out of a parking space.

The rear-view camera displays the car’s immediate surroundings via the on-board monitor.

New features have been added to the ‘simply clever’ solutions: a customisable key, allowing multiple users to save their own vehicle settings, as well as a heated steering wheel, bottle holders which facilitate the opening of bottles, and the estate version features a removable torch in the boot.

The two TSI and two TDI engines available from launch in the UK are: 1.0 TSI 115PS, 1.4 TSI 150PS, 1.6 TDI 115PS and 2.0 TDI 150PS.

For almost all engines, a DSG transmission with six or seven gears is available in addition to manual transmission.