Previewed by the VisionS concept car shown at this year’s Geneva Motor show, the new model will be named Kodiaq according to reports and will appear in production version form later this year at the Paris Motor Show.

The brand said the model is expected to appeal to company bosses after its research revealed that director-level company car drivers (39%) are more than twice as likely to choose SUVs than their more junior counterparts (19%).

Henry Williams, head of fleet for Skoda UK, commented: “We had a record year of fleet sales in 2015, with the all-new Superb proving a major hit for its outstanding design, technology, practicality and value for money. This complemented the existing popularity of our other models such as the Octavia.

“However, our new large SUV – which will take cues from the VisionS concept car – sees Skoda enter an entirely different vehicle segment. We can’t say much more about its pricing or specification, but I can promise that it will give fleet customers exactly what they’re looking for: a great product at a great price.”