The European motor press has been abuzz lately as journalists in the Old World wait for the arrival of the new Octavia, and now Skoda has released it. As seems to be the case with every redesigned car reaching the market these days, the third-generation Skoda Octavia is larger than the model it replaces, growing in wheelbase, length, width and height to the benefit of interior volume that is claimed to top its class. The boost in size also keeps the Octavia bigger than rivals like the Ford Focus, but smaller than the next size up like the Mondeo.

The larger form also comes cloaked in fresh sheet-metal that jives with Skoda's new design language, with the latest in comfort and safety features as you'd expect of a new vehicle developed by a major automaker. The new Octavia arrives as the fourth model to use the Volkswagen Group's MQB platform that also underpins the new VW Golf, Seat Leon and Audi A3. Under the hood, European buyers can expect to find a wide range of engines. Gasoline-burning powerplants range from a 120-horsepower 1.4-liter TSI to a 177hp 1.8, with diesel engines starting with a 103hp 1.6 and topping off at a 2.0 with 181 hp.

A choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG channels the power to the front wheels, with all-wheel-drive versions expected to follow. We can also expect a wagon, off-road Scout and - most exciting of all - a new vRS performance version to debut over the next couple of years. The vRS is expected to pack the Golf GTi's 2.0-liter turbo four when it debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, with a diesel vRS model expected as well.