Europeans could also be more and more flocking to SUVs, however there are nonetheless loads of wagons out there within the continent – and Skoda has proven it has no intention of abandoning the physique fashion.
The Imaginative and prescient O idea, revealed on the Munich motor present, exhibits what a wagon would seem like with Skoda’s new Fashionable Strong design language, and its identify hints at this present automotive particularly previewing an electrical Octavia alternative.
Skoda says it has been the chief within the European wagon (or moderately, ‘property’) section since 2016 because of its Octavia and Excellent wagons, and it plans to “reinforce its management” with a manufacturing model of the Imaginative and prescient O idea.
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The Czech auto model had already confirmed it will produce an electrical Octavia wagon, nevertheless it was delayed final 12 months and is now due for launch in 2027 or 2028.
“The manufacturing automobile of Imaginative and prescient O, based mostly on a future platform of Volkswagen Group, is deliberate for the following decade,” the corporate has now mentioned in its press launch for the idea. That platform is probably going the identical one that may underpin the Mk9 Volkswagen Golfreferred to as SSP.
The Imaginative and prescient O measures 4850mm lengthy, 1900mm vast and 1500mm tall, which truly places it between the present Octavia and Excellent wagons in dimension.
There’s a beneficiant 650 litres of boot area, increasing to 1700L with the rear seats folded.
We’d count on the rear-hinged again doorways to vanish and standard B-pillars to seem on the manufacturing model, however in any other case the Imaginative and prescient O appears fairly production-ready.
There’s a singular floating roof remedy, with the B-pillar included into the rear door, and the roof and rearmost pillars painted black. Lack of a standard B-pillar apart, this remedy has been seen earlier than on automobiles such because the DS3 Crossback.
Nonetheless, the clear flanks, boxy wheel-arches and rakish tailgate give the Imaginative and prescient O a particular look of its personal.
It wears Skoda’s new ‘Tech-loop face masks’, that includes slim lighting components that fade right into a black trim piece that varieties a border for the front-end. Slim, T-shaped lighting components will be seen on the rear.
The Volkswagen Group model’s Fashionable Strong design theme was previewed by the 2022 Imaginative and prescient 7S ideaand has subsequently been proven off on a close to production-ready model of the small Epiq SUV that was additionally revealed in Munich.
The Imaginative and prescient O brings a contemporary tackle it, providing a familial resemblance to the Imaginative and prescient 7S and Epiq with out wanting like a carbon copy.
It additionally has a minimalist inside, albeit nonetheless with bodily switchgear together with a rotary dial and rocker switches on the centre console.
Most features are managed through a big, portrait-oriented touchscreen, whereas the brand new Skoda Horizon Show is harking back to that proven off within the BMW IX3 on the Munich present.
It’s a 1.2m-long horizontal show that spans all the dashboard. Key info is displayed forward of the motive force, eliminating the necessity for a standard instrument cluster or head-up show.
There’s an AI-powered digital assistant referred to as Laura, which may talk about the automobile’s environment and take assembly notes, amongst different duties. Skoda says Laura will even improve route planning within the MySkoda app by including charging stops, petrol stations and purchasing centres based mostly on the person’s preferences.
Whereas the Imaginative and prescient O identify suggests this automotive previews a future Octavia, it’s additionally a nod to Skoda’s sustainability efforts via the usage of ‘round supplies’ corresponding to recycled trim and plant-based merchandise.
The seat covers are comprised of a 100 per cent recycled polyester flatknit materials; Ultrasuede NU materials utilized to bigger inside components has 65 per cent plant-based content material; and the flooring is comprised of post-production leather-based scraps.
Skoda likes to incorporate refined surprise-and-delight options like little umbrellas and parking ticket holders as a part of its Merely Intelligent philosophy, and the Imaginative and prescient O has some distinctive options too.
There are umbrellas in fact (4!), together with a devoted storage space for charging cables within the boot, plus a conveyable Bluetooth speaker and a fridge.
Skoda hasn’t offered any powertrain particulars, however the manufacturing model is about to be battery-electric.
Whereas Skoda has a variety of SUVs – the combustion-powered Kamiq, Karoq and Kodiaqplus the electrical Louder, Enpay and upcoming Epiq – its wagons stay well-liked in wagon-friendly Europe.
Since 1998, Skoda has bought three million Octavia wagons. That’s a hefty chunk of whole Octavia quantity, given Skoda has bought greater than 7.5 million Octavias general since 1996.
Equally, Skoda has bought greater than 1.6 million Superbs since 2001 and, whereas it didn’t launch a wagon model of its largest automotive till 2008, it has already notched up 650,000 gross sales.
Above: Skoda Excellent and Octavia
In Australia, the place wagons are a lot much less well-liked, Skoda is the one mass-market model to nonetheless provide mid-size and enormous wagons.
The Octavia misplaced its final direct rival earlier this 12 months, when the Mazda 6 was axed, and the Excellent is technically the final mainstream massive automotive on sale in our market, wagon or in any other case.
Whereas wagons proceed to vanish in Australia, the place they’re much extra of a distinct segment product than in Europe, China seems to be the most recent market to embrace to this long-running and once-widespread physique fashion.
World, nio and Zeekramongst different Chinese language auto manufacturers, have all not too long ago launched wagons of their house market.
