Designed by architect...
Designed by architect Markus Voglreiter, and constructed in Salzburg, Austria, the open-plan home is packed with technology to make it energy efficient. But while the original Beetle brought cheap motoring to the masses, the VW house doesn"t follow the same ethos - the rent is 2,500 Euros (í‚á£1,680) per month.
However, Auto Express...
However, Auto Express can also reveal that even though the revamped saloon, which we drove in issue 800, is due to hit the roads this summer, the estate version won"t arrive in the UK until next spring. It"s expected to be priced from around í‚á£14,000.
An exclusive picture in the current issue of the magazine shows how the newcomer will look. Placing practicality first, the car will build on the Octavia"s reputation for interior space and build quality. A versatile seating layout is promised, as is massive carrying capacity. Based on the all-new VW Golf platform, the estate will be offered with a wide choice of the firm"s latest engines and gearboxes.
But there"s bad news for performance car fans; although the turbo vRS models will continue until next year, there are currently no plans to replace them. Skoda will continue to sell the existing Octavia estate until next spring, hoping it will help add to the record 165,000 sales achieved by all variants last year, a one per cent rise on 2002.