It's always fun listening to the reasons 4x4 buyers come up with in order to justify their purchases. Some are truly desperate but others have a modicum of pragmatism. Although very few 4x4s are bought because of their all terrain grip, hats off if to those who will admit their 4x4 was purchased on the grounds of image. There's honesty. Many buy 4x4s because they believe they'll come off better in the event of a crash with a smaller vehicle and because they enjoy the elevated seated position. For those who genuinely do need a little extra capability but could do without the social opprobrium, the wallowy handling and the catastrophic fuel economy, help is at hand. Skoda's Octavia Estate has long been offered in 4x4 guise and has filled a very profitable niche, but the latest version is bigger and better than ever. Could this be the car to tempt people from their 'barbie trucks'?

It's certainly a manageable size. Although it's a good deal bigger on the inside than the old Octavia Estate, the external dimensions have been kept in check and the wheel at each corner stance hints at very good packaging. It's no mere impression either, as there's a massive 1,620 litres of space available and even with the seats fixed into place there's 580 litres available to stuff with bags. That's fully 32 litres more than the old car despite the latest model looking a good deal sportier.

Three engines are offered in 4x4 Estate guise, catering to both petrol and diesel buyers. First up is a 105bhp 1.9-litre TDI PD diesel unit that offers strong torque and excellent economy. The engine is lively, accelerating the hefty Octavia body through 60mph in 11.6 seconds, and is supremely economical as well. Expect to notch up combined economy figures in the 50mpg ballpark. Combine that with a 55-litre fuel tank and you've got a car that can cruise over 600 miles between refills. Behind the wheel, it's a more mixed story. Skoda have done a very good job smoothing the TDI unit's notoriously spiky power curve. Older Volkswagen TDI installations felt as if you were driving a bungee cord, the lag and surge characteristics hardly assisting dignified progress. This one is a bit better but still nowhere near as linear as the newer next generation 2.0-litre TDI unit that delivers 140bhp and is well worth stretching the budget for.

"If you want the go-anywhere security of all-wheel drive but could live without the grasping social connotation of many 4x4s, this Skoda could be the solution"

Petrol buyers get the 2.0-litre FSI engine. As opposed to the engines with standard fuel injection to the intake pipe (the so-called MPI units), the FSI direct injection engines utilise a system where the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber. FSI stands for 'Fuel-Stratified Injection' and the engine runs on two cycles, using normal combustion technology above 4,000 rpm and stratified injection below 4,000 rpm. Direct fuel injection engines have a similar combustion principle as standard petrol engines, but in the FSI mode, a tiny drop of petrol is injected directly onto the top of the specially-shaped piston head, where it combusts with air that is swirled into the cylinder in a precise manner. The main advantage of this is lower fuel consumption, while normal injection is used at higher revs to provide excellent power.

The 2.0-litre FSI offers the best combination between power and economy within the petrol range. This all-aluminium, four-cylinder engine uses an adjustable camshaft for the intake valves and is good for a maximum speed of nearly 130 mph. It will dispatch the sprint to 60mph in just under 11 seconds while being capable of returning a combined fuel economy figure of some 33mpg. The engine is equipped with two three-way catalytic converters - a main converter and front-end converter, two lambda sensors plus exhaust gas re-circulation with an electric valve. When it comes to its 'Green' credentials, the Octavia 2.0 FSi doesn't do too badly either, producing around 180g/Km which should appeal to the company buyers as well as the environmentally friendly private customers.

Unlike some rivals, the Skoda Octavia 4x4 features a permanently available all-wheel drive system. This doesn't mean that the car runs in all-wheel drive mode all of the time, merely that its functioning is completely transparent. You don't need to press any buttons or manhandle any levers inside the car to switch to four driven wheels. In normal operating conditions, 100 per cent of the drive is directed to the front pair of wheels but as soon as the Haldex coupling system detects any slippage, a proportion of drive is shared with the rear wheels to offer improved grip. Full integration with the traction and braking systems mean there's not the tiresome loading of the steering that many 4x4 vehicles suffer from during parking manoeuvres.

The Estate 4x4 is based largely upon Skoda's plush-ish Ambiente trim but adds a number of additional features including Climatronic dual zone air conditioning, a leather trimmed steering wheel, gearknob and gaiter, ESP stability control and front fog lights. The suspension is raised to help clear modest off road obstacles and there's a sump guard fitted as standard for when the obstacles weren't quite modest enough. Fifteen-inch alloy wheels are fitted as standard and both models are equipped with a slick six-speed manual transmission. If the 4x4 models aren't quite butch enough for you, there's always the Scout which emphasises its offroad ability more strongly through its styling.

The load bay is not only large but also sensibly shaped. Instead of the wheelarch intrusion that so many estate models suffer, the Octavia Estate features a large, flat load space, carpeted and trimmed with rails so that heavy items can be slid into place. Lashing eyes mounted on the floor ensure that heavy objects can be firmly stowed and all the fixtures and fittings look beefy enough to last the course. The sheer attention to detail is impressive. The low loading lip is thoughtfully contoured so that heavy items can be rested there for a moment without danger of slipping. Beefy gas struts keep the tailgate well out of your way so you've got plenty of room to manoeuvre.

Priced from £16,910 in diesel guise and £16,755 in petrol form, the Skoda Octavia Estate 4x4 is keen value, well engineered and resolutely pragmatic. If you value the security of all wheel drive and the practicality of a decent estate, the Skoda is a very canny buy.