Skoda introduced the second generation of the Octavia at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show in both body versions, hatchback and station wagon, continuing its predecessor’s success story.
When Volkswagen decided to buy the Czech brand Skoda, it tried to make it as a mass-market brand, affordable and reliable as a Golf. The first generation of the Octavia was highly successful and sold globally. The second generation followed the same recipe, using the Golf’s platform (PQ35), and offered the vehicle a wide choice of engines and options.

From the outside, the second generation was very similar-looking to its predecessor. The overall design adopted a few cubist details with straight lines and narrow edges, such as the headlights and the sloped-down, corner-mounted turn-signals. A chromed rim surrounded its squared grille with vertical slats. Depending on the options and trim level, the Octavia Combi featured a pair of fog-lights on the lower side of the bumper. From its sides, the long greenhouse extended over the trunk area with a slightly curved roofline made room for the third row of windows installed over the rear quarter panels. Like on its predecessor, the carmaker installed the taillights outside the tailgate area, while the rear window featured a third brake light at the top.

The clean, clear design with slightly curved surfaces and straight gray trims made the car look more in the mid-price segment than on the budget-cars. It was somewhat more expensive than its predecessor, but the materials used were of better quality. The Octavia II Combi featured a 580 liters (20.5 cu-ft) trunk size that could be expanded up to a staggering, for its class, 1620 liters (67.8 cu-ft) by completely folding down the rear bench.