2016 Geneva Motor Show: Skoda VisionS Concept SUV Revealed

After several teasers, Skoda has finally revealed the VisionS concept SUV in full and the car gives us an indication as to what the company's upcoming large SUV, likely to be called Kodiak, will look like. The Skoda VisionS concept is a plug-in hybrid and made its global debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor show

According to Skoda, the design of the VisionS concept is influenced by Czech Cubism and Bohemian crystal art. It has an angular appearance with sharp, aggressive character lines on the bonnet, front bumper, side profile, and rear. The design is further complimented by the sloping roofline. It also comes with a slightly modified version of Skoda's signature prominent grille, along with sleek LED headlamps and a wide air dam.

Based on the MQB platform, the concept SUV comes with 3 rows of seats, offering space for 6 passengers. In terms of overall dimensions, the car is 4,700mm long, 1,910mm wide, and has a height of 1,680mm. The VisionS Concept has also been equipped with flush-mounted door handles, a dual exhaust system, and a tailgate spoiler.

Skoda VisionS Concept Side Profile

Inside, the VisionS Concept is equipped with a 6 seats and comes filled to the brim with technology. There's a digital instrument cluster, a front-passenger infotainment system, touchscreen controls and also a digital center stack. There's premium leather upholstery on offer and the passengers at the rear won't be disappointed either because of the a rear-seat entertainment system. If you take a closer look at the pictures you realise that there are smartphones that have been integrated into the armrests; which makes it fairly technologically advanced.

The SUV is powered by a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain - a 154bhp (with 250Nm of torque) 1.4-litre petrol motor paired to 2 electric motors, a 54bhp (with 220Nm) gearbox-mounted unit and a 114bhp (with 270Nm) rear axle-mounted motor. The total system output for the hybrid powertrain is rated at 222bhp and gives the car a so-called 'smart' all-wheel drive (AWD) system without the need for mechanical coupling. Power is channelled to the wheels via a 6-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

The people at Skoda claim that the car is capable of going from 0-100kmph in 7.4 seconds and has an all-electric range of about 50km. The total range for the hybrid powertrain is claimed to be around 1,000km. As with most electric and hybrid vehicles, drivers can choose to operate the VisionS purely on electric power, or activate the petrol engine to aid progress and recharge the battery.

Skoda VisionS Concept Rear Profile

The production model of the VisionS concept, with the possible Kodiak moniker, will be based on the same MQB platform and is likely to debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show in October. The production version is likely to be equipped with the same 4-cylinder engines that are seen on the international Superb, with a 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel unit forming the base engine. A diesel-electric hybrid version of the SUV will also be offered, and 4-wheel drive will be optional on most models.