THE new Skoda Octavia will be available with the latest in engine technology and will come as a plug-in and a mild hybrid as well as one with conventional powertrains.

As the Czech car maker prepares for the release of the fourth generation Octavia in the UK the company has revealed the newcomer will be its first PHEV with a zero emission range of up to 34 miles.

Mild hybrid versions - or e-TEC models as Skoda calls them - will use EVO engines from parent group Volkswagen and will feature either 1.0 or 1.5-litre TSI units hooked up to a 48-volt battery system to aid economy.

Other engines in the line up include non-hybrid versions of the EVO models as well as 2.0-litre turbo petrol and diesels - the latter also available with all-wheel-drive and a new shift-by-wire seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.

The new Octavia is bigger than the before - the hatch is now 4.69 metres long and 15mm wider - with boot space of 600 litres while the estate is a fraction more longer and has a minimum capacity of 640 litres.

A wider grille and a new look to the front splitter are the most obvious changes at the front of the car.

Other features include the availability of a head-up display, a new look to the interior and LED lighting systems.

A redesigned dashboard can be fitted with a high tech instrument panel and has been arranged indifferent levels featuring alarge, free-standing central display while massaging seats are an option.

The new Octavia - due for release late summer - offers achoice offour infotainment systems with screens measuring from 8.25 to10inches with the top-of-the-range Columbus infotainment system coming with a new zoom function for the sat nav.

Its arrival coincides with the 60 anniversary of the car, which has become Skoda's top seller in Europe.

Prices are still to be confirmed but are expected to see a rise of a few hundred pounds with the new range now starting from some £20,000 and topping out around £35,000 for the performance oriented vRS plug-in model which has a1.4TSI petrol engine and anelectric motor delivering acombined power output of204ps.