Seats: 5
Body style: estate
Range: 400 miles
Introduction - Skoda Vision O Concept
Skoda’s Vision O Concept is a look at the Czech carmaker’s future – design-wise, but also more specifically for the next generation of Octavia, which is going electric. With so many SUVs flooding the market naturally we’re excited about a sleek estate that offers similar levels of family practicality.
We’ve driven this working concept – only at walking pace round the block, but we’ve experienced enough to enjoy the airy sense of calm that pervades the Vision O’s cabin. It’s down to everything – the soothing design, the minimalist layout and the huge panoramic glass roof that bathes the interior with light.
High tech is of course ever present, but it’s more subtly integrated and less in your face. The engineering underneath the skin promises exciting developments over the coming years, too. The Vision O Concept isn’t a far off pipe dream, it’s a glimpse of what’s coming next from Skoda, and it looks great.
Styling and dimensions
We’ve already seen Skoda's new ‘modern solid’ look with its smallest EV, the Epiq. The Vision O is showing us what that could look like on bigger models, and it’s sleeker and more sculpted than previous versions of the Octavia and Superb. It’s designed to be as slippery as possible through the air, with touches like hidden door handles, aero-honed wheels and vents to make it as efficient as possible.
This illuminated front end design is called the ‘Tech Deck’, and is basically a more modern take on the grille. Skoda hasn’t just slapped a blanked off grille on a car that used to have an engine, it’s embracing the electric.
And even though this is a traditional estate car shape this car is full loads of subtle little details. Even the side mirrors are beautifully sculpted. Just a shame that we’ve seen that shark fin element along the side of the car on other manufacturers’ cars before.
Everything feels frameless and crisp on the Vision O, which is something that you don’t find on production cars because they have to be a bit more sensible about these things. There’s an honesty to this concept car, though, it feels realistic and attainable.
Skoda’s Vision O Concept is a look at the Czech carmaker’s future – design-wise, but also more specifically for the next generation of Octavia, which is going electric. With so many SUVs flooding the market naturally we’re excited about a sleek estate that offers similar levels of family practicality.
We’ve driven this working concept – only at walking pace round the block, but we’ve experienced enough to enjoy the airy sense of calm that pervades the Vision O’s cabin. It’s down to everything – the soothing design, the minimalist layout and the huge panoramic glass roof that bathes the interior with light.
High tech is of course ever present, but it’s more subtly integrated and less in your face. The engineering underneath the skin promises exciting developments over the coming years, too. The Vision O Concept isn’t a far off pipe dream, it’s a glimpse of what’s coming next from Skoda, and it looks great.
Range, battery and charging
Underneath all that minimalist design is the new ‘SSP’ platform. Doesn’t sound sexy, but it’s a big deal. It’s the Volkswagen Group’s new Scalable Systems Platform – basically its Lego set for future EVs. One clever toolkit that can build everything: a little hatchback, a chunky SUV, or a big estate like this Vision O.
And it matters because SSP unlocks more range, ultra-fast charging and proper next level autonomous tech. Plus, because all the VW Group brands share it, the cars should end up being better value too.
The electric Octavia this will become will be the first car to be built on it. So while we don’t know anything yet about the Vision O’s battery and charging details we can guarantee that it’ll improve on the (already very respectable) range of up to 359 miles offered in its sibling, the Enyaq. We’ll have to wait and see.
Charging will also no doubt match or better that of the Enyaq, which can rapid charge at up to 175kW. Maybe this will be the first electric Skoda to get over 400 miles of range and 800V ultra rapid charging? We’ll have to wait and find out.
Interior and technology
The suicide doors (rear hinged back doors and normal front doors that open up to a wide gap) and pillarless opening are the sorts of things you find on concept cars when designers like to show off, but once you get in the car there’s an almost Scandi-style serenity to proceedings, it’s like being in something made by Volvo or Polestar.
The Horizon Display is the thing that you immediately notice once you’re inside the car – it’s a screen that runs the full width of the dashboard underneath the windscreen, it’s 1.2 metres long. It puts all the key info right in front of the driver and makes the cabin feel even more spacious. And then on the passenger side of the cabin there’s stuff for them to look at too, all of which can be controlled through the car’s app.
The central portrait screen sits in the middle of the dashboard, but it’s not too big, where some screens can be overwhelming. Skoda’s not told us how big this screen is, but we reckon around 14.6 inches. You can customise what appears on the display, and there’s even a clever ‘info dimming’ feature, so you can choose how much detail you want to have displayed – ideal for cutting distractions on the move.
The steering wheel feels like it’s basically production ready, and it’s good to see that there are some button controls on the wheel and the central part of the dashboard as well as a chunky rotary control
Skoda has worked hard to make the Vision O Concept as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible – the O in the name is meant to be a symbol of circularity and reuse. Many of the fixtures in the cabin have been made using ‘monomaterials’, which makes them easier to recycle at the end of the car’s useful life. The seat upholstery is made of 100% recycled polyester, and there’s even recycled leather for the flooring.
Practicality and boot space
The boot in the Skoda Vision O Concept is big. With over 650 litres of luggage space – or 1,700 with the seats folded – it’s got more space than the Enyaq SUV’s 585 litres. It’s roomier than the VW ID.7 Tourer and its 605 litres of boot too.
A nice touch that will hopefully make it through to production is the clever charging cable cubby at the side of the boot. There are also four umbrellas – one hidden away in each door – a Skoda trademark, and always useful.
Motors, performance and handling
Okay, so I only got to drive the Skoda Vision O Concept very slowly, around a car park... But still! I drove it! And it felt like driving a spaceship. I really like 'tranquil mode', which adjusts the seating, the music and the ambient lighting to keep you calm and relaxed regardless of how miserable your Friday night commute is. In fact, to be honest, the Vision O generally feels very serene, mature and grown-up regardless of which mode you've chosen. That's the real takeaway that I got from my slow amble around a car park in this concept car. And I think that's exactly what you want from an electric Skoda Octavia, isn't it? If it can look remotely this cool, and drive with this kind of zen-level of calm and confidence, I'd buy one. Make it now, Skoda. And make it just like this.
Pricing and on sale date
The current generation of Skoda Octavia has been on sale since 2020, which makes the car at least 87 in automotive industry years. We don’t actually know when the next version that the Vision O hints at is due to be revealed, but we expect it to arrive within the next couple of years.
Pricing could be a sensitive topic – the Vision O is plush and electric isn’t cheap. Skoda remains a brand that people love for its value as well as for its practicality, but it’s also been inching more upmarket over the years. We’ll have to wait and see, but we hope the Octavia will remain a wholesome, well priced option in the family car class – this could be the one that brings a lot of families into the electric era.
Verdict
The Vision O Concept is a sign of great things to come from Skoda – it’s suffused not just with common sense but also a sense of responsibility for the rest of the world. And of course it’s got the umbrellas, but it’s good to see fun touches that will make life a bit easier as well as a smattering of useful physical buttons.
There’s an overriding sense of calm inside the car that we hope translates through to production, we could all do with a bit of that. This styling, plus better battery tech for longer range and faster charging? I already want one.
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