Skoda Vision C concept (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

27 February 2014 10:00

This is the Skoda Vision C concept – ‘C’ potentially denoting ‘coupe’, in this instance. Though, as you’ll note from studying our gallery, it isn’t a coupe at all. This car has four doors (or five, if you want to include the tailgate, like Skoda does).

Yes, it’s one of those ‘four-door coupe’ jobs, popularised by the Mercedes CLS and proliferated by the Audi A5 Sportback, VW CC, and (eventually) the new BMW 4-series Gran Coupe.

We’ll leave you to make your own mind up about this sharp-suited Skoda’s styling, but a few details are worthy of note. There’s an overall VW CC’ness in the profile, and those triangular front foglights look like vampire fangs.

Adding to the design’s bite (sorry) are attractive turbine-like alloy wheels, seemingly inspired by the 18s fitted as standard to most VW Sciroccos. Hopefully, that points to little of the Vision C changing for production, once Skoda has gone to the humdrum business of adding door handles, sensible door mirrors, and some real-world wheel travel. Inside, the car uses a strict four-seater template.

The Vision C concept car is powered by a 1.4-litre TSI four-cylinder engine that can run on either petrol or compressed natural gas (CNG). Though CNG is a rarity in the UK, it’s a more prevalent fuel source in continental Europe (especially Germany), where the VW Group already offers a CNG-compatible VW Up, VW Golf, and Audi A3.

Skoda claims the sleek Vision C consumes 3.4kg of CNG per kilometre, and emits 91g/km of CO2: equivalent to one of Skoda's 'Greenline' diesel engines. VW’s MQB platform, which underpins the Golf, A3, Skoda Octavia and the new Seat Leon, was designed with incorporating CNG powertrains in mind, as well as petrol, diesel, electric and hybrid drivetrains. It’s expected that a showroom-ready Vision C would rest on the MQB architecture.

Word is that Skoda top brass want a flagship coupe, having eyed the brand-building, semi-premium success of the VW CC. Such a car would keep the mechanical package of the fine new Octavia, but offer, according to our source, ‘BMW 6-series Gran Coupe style for BMW 2-series coupe money’.

A sleek family-friendly four-door with Skoda sensibility under the bonnet for £24k? That could be a real game-changer as the four-door coupe market continues to blossom – if reaction to the concept car is as positive as Skoda is plainly hoping for.

By Ollie Kew