The Vision O had its Munich show debut, but while the company said it would definitely become a production car, the truth is that we will have to wait until the next decade.
Most of us had speculated that the letter “O” in the name stood for “Octavia”, but the Czech automaker had a different explanation in mind. Apparently, it symbolizes the cyclic nature of sustainable production – from design and development all the way to recycling and back to design again. It’s also a showcase of the marque’s latest take on its Modern Solid design language, billed as “more laconic and high-tech.”
The show car is sized 4,850 x 1,900 x 1,500 mm (189.5 x 74.2 x 58.6 inches), slotting in between the current Octavia and Superb in terms of size. It features a new front fascia design known as the Tech Loop. It is formed by a LED stripe running under the hood and an air intake in the bumper. The headlights support animations and can light up in a different color to signal a switch to autonomous driving mode. The b-pillars look rather unusual as well, the rear doors are back-hinged, and the paint coat shifts its tint from warm to cool towards the rear end.
The interior is understated and accommodates a giant 1.2-meter (4-ft.) long Skoda Horizon display. It is accompanied by a vertical touchscreen on the console. Contrary to what one might expect, the middle armrest and the steering wheel house some actual physical buttons. Skoda also promises “an intuitive UI” and adaptive ambient lighting that adjusts itself based on the available light.
Last but not least, the concept has an AI-powered voice assistant called Laura. It is a part of the car’s Simply Clever package, which also includes a fridge, a set of four umbrellas, a portable Bluetooth speaker and a dedicated trunk compartment for charging cables.
The first production vehicle based on the Vision O won’t arrive until 2030 at the earliest, the company says.
