Just prior to the doors opening at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show, Skoda has shed a generous amount of light onto the concept vehicle it will be showcasing at the event. The Vision E is the automaker’s first foray into fully electric vehicles, debuting as a coupe-like crossover with all-wheel drive and roughly 224kW.
The Vision E does mark new territory for the Czech marque, but certainly not for their parent company, Volkswagen, who have quite clearly stated their plan to electrify most of the cars in their portfolio of brands - including Audi, Porsche, Seat, Bentley - sharing platforms and technology where necessary.
It’s safe to assume that following the Vision E concept’s debut in China, Skoda will begin to offer some hybrid powertrain options in their current line-up of vehicles, slowly building momentum along with the VW Group toward a range of fully electric mass market (perhaps even self-driving capable) vehicles within the decade.
The Vision E also showcases Skoda’s latest design direction, incorporating more angles and creases to add visual drama as well as in the name of aerodynamics. The exterior looks very sculpted, much like the crystal motif that the company has said to be the inspiration behind their new design philosophy.
A single-piece illumination strip is infused with many contrasting crystal mirrors that sit ahead of the lighting elements, and the rear lamps also follow a similar motif. The glasshouse continuously follows the length of the car, seemingly using just a single pane as the front and hear windscreen as well as the roof.
While the exterior looks to be quite faithful to the initial sketches the company released earlier this month, we can only expect the interior was as accurately depicted. The cabin looked to be appropriately futuristic, with a minimal number of buttons to clutter the dash and other points of control/input.
Strictly a four seater crossover, Skoda assures us that the Vision E’s cabin will have ample room for passengers, the sense of space surely aided by single-piece roof and windscreen. For optimum visibility, the gauge cluster is replaced by a pair of shallow but very wide digital screens that would display pertinent information concerning the vehicle, navigation, and media.
Two electric motors are purported to power the Vision E with a combined output of 224kW, fed by floor-mounted reserve of lithium-ion batteries that should be good for up to 500km of range. Top speed, Skoda says, is a very decent 180km/h.
For more on Skoda vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
