HIGH interest from fleet buyers has prompted a 50% boost in orders for a vital new car. Skoda UK planned to sell 3,000 examples of the ground-breaking Octavia saloon and estate range, which will be launched next month. But potential demand is so strong that the initial factory order for the remainder of this year has been raised to 4,500, it was revealed at the Fleet Motor Show.

'We expected to experience some difficulty in having only European versions at this event, but buyers are showing a remarkable level of interest. Their knowledge of what we're trying to achieve is surprising, and they are already viewing the car as an attractive proposition in terms of wholelife costs,' said spokesman Ian Bland.

Response at the show reinforced Skoda's view that operators would be quick to recognise that Octavia would also offer drivers quality and attractive features, and its expected showroom success was likely to help drive the distributor's growth by 50% this year.