IF there's one nation of drivers that has seriously embraced Skoda's best-selling car, the Octavia, it's the Brits.

This is a model line that feels like it has been with us forever; in fact the run is actually 28 years and counting, during which time the Czech brand has shifted more than 7.15 million examples.

Of those, some 380,000 have found homes in the UK putting us high on the sales list of the 60 or more countries in which the Octavia is sold.

Of course nothing can be taken for granted and both the Octavia hatchback and estate, now into their fourth generation, have been given a revamp making the pair look not only more cutting edge but also more sustainable inside.

More efficient powertrains - three petrol and two diesel engines plus mild-hybrid options - are also part of the upgrade, as well as new safety and assistance systems, improved connectivity and the latest LED Matrix beam headlights.

Our tested variant, the Octavia Estate in mid-range SE L trim, featured Skoda's 1.5-litre TSI e-TEC petrol engine with automatic transmission via a direct shift DSG gearbox.

They may not be to everyone's taste but on the whole estate cars - and the Octavia is a prime example - have a lengthy elegance to their design that you can't rely on finding in a hatchback.

And people tend to buy them for another more practical reason - they need to shift large amounts of clobber.

To that end the Octavia Estate makes a lot of sense. Its 640-litre boot is vast and sensibly shaped - long and squared off - and the rear seats split/fold 60:40, while having a variable height boot floor ensures a fully flat area.

Passenger space is excellent too, especially in the back where there's ample head and legroom for tall adults, though a centre rear passenger does have to sit with legs either side of a transmission tunnel.

As for stowage, there's a large covered container below the front armrest, a cooled glovebox, deep door bins plus a pair of cupholders up front and more in the back and a mobile phone charging tray.

Skoda's Simply Clever features are also in evidence, the likes of a rear storage box and optional semi-automatic retractable luggage compartment cover making their debut along with a rear tablet holder while the ice scraper in the fuel filler flap and brolley inthe front door are now made from sustainable materials.

On board tech includes a 13.0-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up mounted on the dashboard and featuring sat nav, a DAB radio, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth.

That's apart from a wealth of standard kit, which adds 17-inch alloys, keyless entry, a heated front windscreen, adaptive cruise control and ambient lighting if you opt for SE L trim.

You would hope an estate model would be both strong and frugal, and the Octavia delivers on both counts.

It's a comfortable, well balanced car to drive with a dominant driving position and compliant suspension with a rewarding engine too - at least in the case of the tested variant.

The 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine delivers a useful 150ps of punch, enabling a 0-62 acceleration time of 8.6 seconds and on to a potential 139mph top speed while achieving an average of more than 50 miles per gallon (the official return is 56.1mpg) easily attainable.