What's the news?
The Skoda Vision iV will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It's a crossover coupe that sits on the Volkswagen Group's new Modular Electric Drive Kit or MEB platform, which will go on to underpin numerous new electric vehicles over the coming years.
Sitting on substantial 22-inch wheels, the Vision iV features sharp, angular lines and aerodynamically optimised bodywork that includes cameras in place of traditional door mirrors.
Its upright front grille is bisected by a thin LED light strip that runs across the full width of the front of the car, joining the two sleek headlight units. Around the rear, Skoda's signature C-shaped tail lights receive a new treatment and help to emphasise the stance and width of the car. As has now been the case since the introduction of the Scala hatchback, the Skoda name is spelt out across the bootlid in place of the badge logo.
So far Skoda has remained tight-lipped about the expected performance of such a car in production, but sources familiar with the production versions have said that it will feature an electric driving range of up to 500 kilometres and be capable of fast-charging. There's no word on what kind of driver assistance systems it will feature, but it is likely to have partial levels of autonomous driving capability in the future.
Anything else?
While the Vision iV isn't directly scheduled for production anytime soon, the Czech brand is gearing up to introduce its first electrified cars this year. These will come in the form of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Superb which will be updated later this year along with a fully electric version of the Citigo small car. Towards the end of 2019, an all-new Skoda Octavia will also debut, and this is likely to have a PHEV variant. The company is investing two billion euro in the development of alternative drive systems and plans to have more than ten electrified models on sale by the end of 2022.