GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Skoda unveils Octavia Combi wagon

Czech car-maker Skoda has exposed its new third-generation Octavia Combi, a mid-sized wagon that will target Australian families when it arrives here in the fourth quarter of this year alongside the new Octavia liftback.

Two images of the new five-door wagon have been released ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show next month, revealing a redesigned tail-end displaying the new Octavia's signature C-shaped brake lights and contemporary sheet metal around its rump.

According to the Czech-based Volkswagen-owned company, the new design is the "epitome of clarity, precision and perfect proportions".

There is no front-end photography, but Skoda says the car's face will be identical to the new Octavia liftback, and like its brethren is expected to be significantly lighter than its predecessor - by up to 100kg.

The new Skoda Octavia Combi will be offered with a range of new safety and convenience technologies and has grown significantly in size, now measuring 90mm longer and 45mm wider than its predecessor.

The larger new Octavia twins will make room for the new Rapid small sedan, which will hit local dealerships mid-year.

The upshot of the wagon's growth is that it can lug larger loads. It offers a class-leading 610 litres of boot space, which expands 1740 litres with the rear seats folded.

Skoda has paid careful attention to the Combi's load area to ensure it is one of the most versatile vehicles in its segment, with a retractable and adjustable boot floor, more rear seat passenger room, reversible floor mats and a folding front passenger seat that allows the car to accommodate extra long loads.

"Our Skoda Octavia Combi offers rear-seat passengers extremely ample legroom – 73mm in front of the knees – the highest in its segment. And at 610 litres, the size of the boot sets a new record for its class," said Dr Frank Welsch, the Skoda board member for technical development.

The wagon version of Skoda's most popular model, which has found 3.7 million homes globally, also gets roof rails and will be offered with similar safety technology to the Octavia sedan.

However, Australian specifications have yet to be confirmed by the importer.

In Europe, the new Octavia will be available with a City Emergency Braking Function that can prevent a collision by automatically braking the car, as well as lane keeping assist, fatigue detection and up to nine airbags.

Radar-based cruise control is also on offer there, as is automatic high-beam functionality and updated infotainment and satellite-navigation systems.

The new Skoda Octavia Combi will benefit from the Volkswagen group’s latest engines and will be offered in Europe with a diesel engine that sips just 3.4L/100km - less than many high-profile hybrid cars.

However, Skoda Australia spokesman Karl Gehling told motoring.com.au that engine choices for Australia’s four-door Octavia liftback are likely to be limited to two petrol and two diesel engines. As is currently the case, expect the Combi to mirror these.

The local selection is understood to include 1.4- and 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engines offering 103kW/250Nm and 132kW/250Nm respectively. The turbo-diesel pair is likely to comprise 1.6- and 2.0-litre engines outputting 77kW/250Nm and 110kW/320Nm.

Skoda's front-wheel drive Octavia Combi will be offered with manual and dual-clutch automatic gearboxes in Europe, while an AWD Scout model based on the new car is also expected to make the journey to Australia.

The range-topping Skoda Octavia RS is also certain to be offered in this country, where it will replace Skoda’s current hot wagon, which is powered by the Golf GTI's 147kW turbo-petrol engine, but is not due here until 2014.

Skoda's Australian operation is yet to confirm its pricing strategy for the new Octavia Combi but the new model is unlikely to deviate much from the current scenario, which sees wagon models command a $2000 premium over liftback models with a starting price of $26,990.

The new Octavia Combi and liftback can't come soon enough for Skoda Australia, whose sales of the mid-size mainstay slumped by more than 40 per cent in 2012, to 914 units.

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