Expect to see a production model sooner rather than later.
Czech carmaker Skoda has unwrapped a bright new concept car that aims to ‘complete’ the company’s SUV lineup when it arrives. Called the ‘Vision X,’ this little SUV looks suspiciously familiar… though there are enough firsts under the skin to differentiate it from the Volkswagen T-Roc that you were comparing it to even before you started reading this.
Under the lime-green bodywork lies a hybrid system that utilises compressed natural gas, and petrol, and electricity. So there’s a CNG-optimised 1.5-litre turbocharged engine up front that can also use petrol, an electric motor in the back, some batteries hidden somewhere, and all-wheel drive without a propshaft (Volvo is fidgeting nervously as we speak).
The combustion motor up front, on CNG, puts out a reasonable 96kW and 200Nm, and there’s also an integrated starter motor in there to provide an additional 70Nm of boost when accelerating hard. The electric motor that drives the rear wheels on the other hand, Skoda says it can put down as much as 1,000Nm to those poor tyres.
Together, the Vision X can catapult from rest to 100km/h in… 9.3-seconds. Hmph. At least it has a top speed of 200km/h, and a total driving range of 650km, though the latter figure is down to a reserve tank full of good ‘ol unleaded that kicks in when the compressed gas runs out, and the battery is drained.
Very much a part of Skoda’s SUV lineup, the Vision X benefits from a recognisable face, made up of a split-headlight arrangement (as is the trend these days), with sharp, pronounced angles along the flanks, and sharp taillights replete with sequential indicators that we’re pretty sure they nicked out of the Audi parts bin (ah, the perks of being in the VW Group).
The interior of the Vision X, if you pare back some of the showy bits that are demanded of a concept car, is actually pretty standard Volkswagen Group fare. So there’s a big touchscreen crowning the centre stack, which notably moves away (upwards, sideways, we’re not sure) to reveal a built-in phone dock. That’s a pretty cool feature considering how prolific smartphone mirroring is.
Completing the Vision X concept are the two electric skateboards housed in the boot. Yes, electric skateboards, in the boot. Designed as a last-mile solution, Skoda thinks that you’ll use these to get around after having parked your Vision X in a carpark or whatever. We don’t know about you, but we’ve never had trouble just walking…
For more information on Skoda, check out our Showroom.
