The IAA in Munich is an opportunity for Skoda to present its Vision O concept. A large electric estate car that will serve as the basis for future models from the Czech brand in the Volkswagen Group.
The Volkswagen Group has decided to use this 2025 edition of the IAA Mobility show in Munich as a showcase for its future. After Audi’s Concept C, a veritable white paper on the design of future vehicles in the rings, it’s Skoda’s turn to present its manifesto, in the form of the Vision O concept. And, as with Audi, it’s not just another SUV! It’s an estate car (100% electric, of course), a category in which the Czech manufacturer has enjoyed a string of commercial successes, led by the Superb Combi and Octavia Combi.
Practical, spacious and… elegant
Skoda has revisited its design language, known as ‘Modern Solid ‘, which emphasises simplicity and a futuristic brutalism. The new front end features a full radiator grille, with headlamps and sensors forming the future visual signature of the brand’s models. The whole thing is 4.60 metres long and has a very slender silhouette for an estate car. It’s elegant.
But this sharp styling doesn’t seem to prevent the Vision O estate from fulfilling its initial mission: making life easier for the driver, offering comfort for passengers and offering a voluminous boot. This is the case here, with Skoda announcing a capacity of 650 litres! That’s almost as much as the Skoda Superb Combi, the benchmark in the brand’s catalogue, which is almost 30 centimetres longer. And it’s 50 litres more than the current Octavia Combi for the same size. All-electric helps!
Still inside, but this time in the passenger compartment, everything is simpler than in current models. Tech and minimalism are not necessarily the house style, but it works. The ‘Horizon Display’ extends across the entire dashboard, the lighting adapts to different times of day and a voice assistant called Laura, infused with artificial intelligence, keeps the car’s occupants company. There are two killer details: an integrated fridge and a portable loudspeaker. If that’s not a family car, we don’t know what is.
See you in 5 years?
A highly accomplished concept car, we could almost expect to see the Vision O or its production versions on our roads as early as next year. But that won’t be the case! Instead, it is part of the Skoda Strategy 2030 and, according to several observers, the manufacturer is waiting for the Volkswagen Group to finish developing its new platforms for electric cars before announcing the first vehicle adapted from the Vision O. And if we had to put a coin in, we’d bet on the first electric Octavia. What’s in it for us? Its dimensions and the ‘O’ in ‘Vision O’ give us a hint.
