The new Skoda Octavia Estate 4x4 will be available from March, providing motorists with the opportunity to enjoy all the advantages of a four-wheel drive system in a normal-sized car.
What that means is mud-plugging capabilities in a car which won't stick out like a sore thumb on the school run.
The only downside will be a lack of ground clearance - something which isn't usually a problem when crossing the Tesco car park.
Two engines will be available: an economical 1.9 TDI PD, boasting 105 bhp, and a powerful new 2.0 FSI boasting 150bhp.
The diesel will retail at £16,150 while the FSI model will cost £16,745. The Octavia Estate 4x4 owes its off-road capability to the permanently available four-wheel drive with automatic torque distribution, which is achieved through Skoda's Haldex coupling system.
Skoda says that this results in better handling in bad weather and poor road conditions.
However, the car is said to offer front-wheel drive characteristics under the majority of driving conditions.
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