Latest news with #SSParchitecture
Auto Express
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New Skoda Octavia Electric previewed by Vision O concept
Skoda has been trotting out excellent estate cars for decades now, but the new Vision O concept shows the Czech firm is looking to enter the all-electric estate market. This is our first official teaser of the Vision O, which is set to be unveiled at the Munich Motor Show in September. To ensure Skoda's forthcoming electric estate car will be just as competitive as its internal combustion-engined alternatives when it goes into production, it'll also be the first Skoda to use the Volkswagen Group's new SSP architecture. Advertisement - Article continues below The new EV estate was originally due to be built on a lengthened version of the existing MEB platform. However, since we got an official look at the car with a design sculpture in 2023, Skoda has decided to use SSP for the electric estate. Can't wait for the electric Octavia? Our Find A Car service can help you find the latest deals on a new Skoda Octavia or top prices on used Skoda Octavia models... Skoda says the Vision O's design will present 'a consistent evolution of the Modern Solid design language' and it'll feature 'a sleek, distinctive silhouette'. The proportions look similar to the current Octavia Estate's, although the rear window appears to be a little more raked. We can also see some of the car's light signatures: the rears in particular look similar to those on the design study for Skoda's upcoming small eletric car, the Epiq. We also expect to see some form of Skoda's Tech-Deck front end that features on the facelifted Enyaq and new Elroq. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The company's CEO, Klaus Zellmer, added: 'The Vision O design study will highlight the future trajectory of estate models. It will position us to remain a major player in the estate segment.' Advertisement - Article continues below It's not yet known if the Vision O previews an electric alternative to the Skoda Octavia Estate, the Superb Estate, or both, although the new model is said to be around 4.7 metres long. That puts it more in line with the current Octavia than the larger Superb, yet by capitalising on its cab-forward design, the upcoming EV has the potential to offer more interior space than both its combustion-powered counterparts. The interior will share the exterior's simplified and modernised aesthetic and could potentially incorporate a portrait-aspect central display, like the one seen in the 7S Concept. However, Skoda should continue with its Smart Dials layout and retain most of the physical dials and buttons – just as we've seen in the current Superb and Kodiaq. We don't expect the production version of the Vision O to go on sale for a few years – and Skoda may yet decide to extend the lifespan of its petrol and hybrid estates. That strategy could align with parent company Volkswagen's Golf, the electric variant of which will sit on the same SSP architecture as the Skoda estate. Come and join our WhatsApp channel for the latest car news and reviews... Find a car with the experts Electric cars driven until they die: the truth about EV range Electric cars driven until they die: the truth about EV range Five EVs under £24k have joined Dacia's Spring on the UK market. How far can you go on a budget? We find out New Citroen C5 Aircross SUV undercuts the Volkswagen Tiguan by a huge £7k New Citroen C5 Aircross SUV undercuts the Volkswagen Tiguan by a huge £7k Citroen's revamped flagship C5 Aircross SUV is available to order now with hybrid or electric power Car Deal of the Day: Polestar 4 is a head-turning EV for a super cool price Car Deal of the Day: Polestar 4 is a head-turning EV for a super cool price The 'car with no rear window' is looking seriously cheap on lease right now. It's our Deal of the Day for July 28
Auto Express
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Confirmed: New VW Golf GTI will be electric – and it's a 'monster'
The first all-electric Volkswagen Golf GTI is under development – and VW CEO Thomas Schäfer promises 'it'll be a monster car'. VW will keep updating the current Golf until the end of the decade, at which point a pure electric version will come into play, based on the VW Group's all-new SSP architecture. And with zero margin for error on such an iconic halo car, conceptual work is well and truly underway to electrify the original GTI. 'At the end of the decade we will bring an electric Golf [GTI], and that will be a monster car,' said Schäfer. 'I'm very happy with the progress. It's cool. You can make it exciting, it has to be exciting, it has to be authentic. If we bring a GTI, it has to be a [true] GTI.' The headline news is that the GTI will be front-wheel drive, despite its closest electric sibling – the ID.3 GTX – having a 322bhp motor driving the rear wheels. That's around 80bhp more than today's 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol GTI, but it's possible that the e-GTI will match its stepchange in power, because of an electric motor's ability to precisely control the amount of torque to each front wheel. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The first electric Golf R – also in the plan according to Schäfer – will have the headroom to come with another power leap, because it sticks to the R concept of sending power to all four wheels. The ID.2 GTI – already shown in concept form – will set the benchmark for the new hot Golf, Schäfer said. 'We'll bring through a whole group of GTI, starting with the ID.2 GTI which is the first one coming electrically. When we started this journey, [we told the] the development teams 'we've got to be proud of the GTI of the future', and the team's taking that on.' The brand boss has already hot-lapped the upcoming GTI, expected to hit the market in 2026. 'We've driven a few prototypes on the new set-up, and it's mind blowing. What about the sound? What about the total feel, the handling and so on. It can be done.' Schäfer wouldn't be drawn on whether the GTI would emulate Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N with its simulated gearshifts and soundtrack. It also has a drift mode, electronic playthings that are more the natural preserve of the more hardcore Golf R electric. He did namecheck the GTi suspension, which is sure to deliver the trademark blend of ride comfort and eager turn-in. 'Can you make an electric Golf exciting? Absolutely,' he promised. Digital work on the new Golf package is shaping up, before the car moves into the physical prototype stage. 'We know what the vehicle looks like and [can] sit virtually in the vehicle,' said Schafer. 'The dimensions of the platform and the vehicle is clear, though it's not [fine-tuned] to the last design detail. We have many iteration steps to get through.' Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The SSP underpinnings will be a gamechanger for Volkswagen Group, with all electric cars from Skoda and VW all the way up to Lamborghini and Bentley tapping into the hardware and software modules it introduces. But iterations will be broken down according to vehicle size and cost. 'It's going to be really scalable,' the boss told Auto Express on the fringe of the FT's Future of the Car summit. 'We have certain sizes according to the vehicle, but still the same modules of the key components that can be used across [SSP], so you have the maximum scaling effect, also in purchasing power.' And what's Thomas Schäfer's favourite GTI of all time? 'I think the first one is the most exciting one, because it came out of nowhere and was a total gamechanger. What started as an experiment [became] a trend and stuff like that is legendary.' The first Golf GTI made 108bhp from its 1.6-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder engine. That'll be a world apart from the first all-electric, 300bhp-plus Golf GTI arriving some 54 years later – but hopefully its core DNA will be very much intact. Would you buy an all-electric Volkswagen Golf GTI? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section... Find a car with the experts EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change The number of MoT failures caused by worn tyres is on the rise, and experts are calling for mandatory follow-ups on advisories Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future The next Mazda MX-5 roadster is set to be offered as a pure EV, and our exclusive images preview how it could look
