Skoda Vision X
Concept previews 2019 Seat Arona rival
WE ALL KNEW this was coming.volkswagen has a trio of SUVS in the T-roc,tiguan and Touareg, while Seat has the Arona and Ateca, with the larger Tarraco soon to join them. So, it’s only natural that fellow Volkswagen Group brand Skoda should complete its own SUV line-up with a smaller model to sit beneath the Kodiaq and Karoq.
That car is previewed by this Vision X concept, and when it goes on sale next year it will be vying for your attentions alongside small SUVS such as the Kia Stonic, Renault Captur and Suzuki Vitara, as well as those aforementioned stablemates.
Although it’s based on the same underpinnings as the Arona and T-roc, the Vision X is longer and lower than those cars and its front and rear axles are farther apart, so it’s likely to be at least as practical and spacious inside.
As a concept, the Vision X offers a good idea of what the production model will look like. It features Skoda’s prominent front grille, thin LED headlights and, unusually, the word ‘Skoda’ spelt out across its tailgate.
The Vision X has a futuristic four-seat interior, but this will be signi cantly altered for the production car, not least to include a central rear seat. However, some elements, including the digital instrument display and ‘ oating’ infotainment touchscreen, are likely to remain.
The Vision X has an experimental hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5-litre engine running on compressed natural gas (CNG) and two electric motors – one to give the engine a small boost of electric power when needed and the other to drive the rear wheels. Like most hybrids, the Vision X can drive on electric power alone for short distances.
Skoda says this 128bhp set-up emits 89g/km of CO2 and delivers a 0-62mph time of 9.3sec.
Although Skoda claims this hybrid technology should be ready for use in production cars by around 2020, the Vision X will instead be sold with conventional small petrol and diesel engines to begin with. In both the T-roc and Arona, we currently recommend turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol units.
No Cng-fuelled cars are currently sold in the UK, although there are some commercial vehicles, such as lorries, that run on it. The fuel appears unlikely to take off any time soon, given that there are just six public CNG lling stations in the UK.
Skoda hasn’t yet revealed what the production version of the Vision X will be called, but those hoping for a return of the Yeti name will be disappointed, because the new car is expected to be badged as either the Anuq or the Amiq.
Prices won’t be nalised until later this year, but the model is likely to slot in between the Arona and T-roc, which are currently priced from £16,555 and £18,950 respectively.a starting price of around £17,500 is therefore likely, but expect all three models to be more closely matched on PCP nance deals.
‘The Vision X is longer than the Arona and T-roc, so it should be at least as spacious’