Skoda is going "back to its roots" with its most important concept yet - and here's an early look
Open gallery Rakish roof and clean lines for the next iteration of Skoda's Modern Solid design language
Silhouette takes familiar Octavia shape and applies new 'Modern Solid' cues
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Skoda has given more details of its upcoming electric estate concept, with just weeks to go until the wraps come off at the Munich motor show.
The Vision O concept will preview the next-generation Octavia estate, due by the end of the decade as the first of Skoda's legacy nameplates to gain electric power. It will set the tone for the next generation of Skoda's design language, while taking influence from previous generations of Octavia, including the seminal late-1990s Mk1.
Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer said the concept 'sets the stage for the future of Skoda's combi estate'.
'This is an important segment for many of our customers and one where Skoda has been playing a leading role in Europe for many years. For example, more than three million Skoda Octavia estate cars have been produced across four generations since the modern Octavia was launched in 1998 – the best-selling estate model in Skoda history."
The Vision O will also showcase 'the evolution of the Modern Solid design language' that Skoda is rolling out across its line-up, which the brand says will manifest in far fewer 'decorative' styling elements and a prevailing focus on aerodynamics.
Details visible in the latest preview video include its rakish, sloped roofline and T-shaped rear lights like those of the upcoming Skoda Epiq small crossover.
Daniel Edr, the Vision O project manager, said that the concept's aim is to go 'back to the roots' of the Octavia. 'From my perspective, the car's simple and purposeful design draws heavily from the first and second generations of the Octavia, returning to the model's roots -which are above all about functionality.'
Skoda also says the "steeply raked" windscreen and "gently sloping roofline" are "design cues that have characterised Skoda's most successful estate models".
The Superb and Octavia estates are among Skoda's best-selling global models, with the Octavia 'Combi', particularly, ranking as its top seller in certain markets.
As a result, Skoda "is committed to continuing the estate bodywork legacy into the future," said the company.
Exterior designer Jounggeen Kim shaped the Vision O's silhouette and said his task was "to apply the Modern Solid language to an estate car".
He designed the concept to be an "all-in-one" proposition and added: "This car is built to do it all. I see Skoda as a family-oriented brand – practical, reliable and trustworthy. I aimed to reflect those qualities through the new Modern Solid design language.'
Kim added that while the Vision O will be a future-looking concept that adheres to Skoda's current design principles, he took inspiration from past models such as the Yeti and Roomster.
Skoda had originally planned to launch an electric estate version of the Octavia based on the Volkswagen Group's current MEB electric architecture. However, Zellmer said it will instead be underpinned by the VW Group's upcoming SSP architecture because it will offer 'more performance and be more cost-efficient'.
He said: 'Wait and see until September, and then we will show you the full potential and technical package that we envision. It will be a concept car, so this is also a test bed for us to see what the resonance from the media, from our dealers and from our potential customers is.'
The production version of the electric Octavia estate is due by the end of the decade at a similar time to the related Volkswagen ID Golf, which will also be based on the SSP platform. It is expected to lead the next generation of electric Skodas and mark the point where its combustion-engined and all-electric ranges start to converge.
To date, Skoda's electric vehicles have existed in a parallel line-up as the brand prioritises consumer choice and will continue to do so. This suggests the hybridised combustion-engined Octavia estate will continue to be sold as Skoda gradually introduces battery-electric vehicles into its more familiar nameplates.
Before the electric Octavia, two more Skoda EVs are due. The Epiq, a sibling to the Volkswagen ID 2 and Cupra Raval, will be launched next year as the Skoda's entry-level electric car. The brand will also put its previous Vision 7S concept car into production in 2026 as an electric equivalent of the Kodiaq. This is likely to be Skoda's most expensive car yet, but Zellmer said it will retain its core principles of 'design functionality and value for money'.
However, there are no plans to launch a Skoda version of the recently unveiled Volkswagen ID Every1 concept car, which will arrive as an entry-level VW electric city car in 2027 and be priced from around £17,000.
'We have decided not to be part of that segment,' said Zellmer. 'Within the Volkswagen Group, VW [will be left to] conquer that part of the market.'
Skoda is not abandoning entry-level cars altogether, though, and Zellmer confirmed a sub-£17,000 starting price would remain in its range as the Fabia, Kamiq and Scala have all been signed off for updates to keep them in the market for the years ahead. This will include mild-hybrid versions, something that's required for the upcoming Euro 7 emissions regulations, which re-engineered versions of these cars will have to meet.
Zellmer is keen to add more hybrids to Skoda's range, including more long-range plug-in hybrids off the back of the success of Superb and Kodiaq hybrids.
He said: 'We want to have more hybrids in our portfolio because this is clearly something that we see reflected in the competitive landscape and consumer sentiment.
"The feedback we get from our dealers and from our customers in those cars [Superb and Kodiaq plug-ins] is very reassuring that we're heading the right way to have the best of both worlds: the range and the ease of a combustion engine, and the peace and quiet driving around and more than 100km [62 miles of electric range] with the E drive mode.'
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