SHARP STYLING MARKS CZECH CARMAKER’S NEW OFFERING, WRITES MIKE STEVENS
Skoda’s upcoming SUV, rumoured to be called Kodiak, has been previewed through the new VisionS concept, shown ahead of its Geneva motor show unveiling next month.
The concept delivers an early look at the next evolution of Skoda’s sharpened styling language, moving beyond the little Rapid and Fabia, the mid-sized Octavia and the still very new Superb.
A long and slender new grille dominates the front, flanked by narrow headlights and small, deepset, secondary lights. Long, pointed tail-lamps take their cue from the Superb-previewing 2014 Vision C concept, below a high-set window opening and above a long red trim (likely LED-lit).
The interior is still to be revealed.
A muscular profile hints at a shared styling language with the new five-seat Seat Ateca SUV, although, as a seven-seater, the VisionS stretches the look along a longer wheelbase.
The Kodiak measures 4.9m overall, making it a match for the longer version of Hyundai’s Santa Fe.
It outstretches the likes of the Ford Territory (4.86m) and the new Kia Sorento (4.75m), while models like the Nissan Pathfinder (5m) are longer again.
Power in the VisionS is provided by a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid system, pairing a 115kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery and a six-speed DSG auto.
The system sees the petrol engine and a 40kW/220Nm electric motor powering the front wheels, and a second 85kW/270Nm e-motor driving the rear axle.
The Czech carmaker claims the VisionS will return fuel figures of 1.9l/100km, while offering the ability to travel up to 50km on electric power alone. With the petrol and electric systems working together, a driving range close to 1000km is expected.
Skoda has not confirmed whether this plug-in system will be offered when the VisionS concept makes the leap to production, but, given an overall move towards electric-assisted drivetrains in the market, it appears likely.
The final showroom version of the VisionS is expected to arrive Downunder early next year.
-caradvice.com.au