Geneva 2014: Koda VisionC Is No Octavia CC. It's the New Superb
When the first pictures of the new Škoda VisionC concept appeared online, it quickly became one of the most popular cars in the “proof that Americans can’t have nice things and Europe is heaven” realm. The sleek “five-door coupe”, or liftback with a swooping roofline bears striking similarity with other VW Group’s sedan-coupes. So it’s only natural that most people started speculating about forthcoming “Octavia Coupe” – something like Passat-based Volkswagen CC, or Audi A5 and A7 “five-door coupes”. The budget, or “value” nature of Škoda brand is against that, but how else to explain a suspiciously production-ready concept like this?
Well, there is an explanation. And based on what Czech media say, it is a true one. The VisionC doesn’t hint at some new, stylish version of Octavia. People who actually saw it in person say that it’s too huge for that. It is said to be almost five meters long, with a giant wheelbase. Which puts it firmly into the Superb class.
In an interview some time ago, Jozef Kabaň, the brand’s chief designer, said that new Superb will look “really striking” and that “we’ve never seen anything like that before”. Which is, of course, marketing BS. But it suggests that the new Superb will not be an awkward-looking, boxy liftback/sedan thing, but something that could be sold based on its looks.
If you take the VisionC, remove the bulged fenders and maybe raise the roofline just a little bit, you have a viable large sedan. So, it won’t be an A7 on a budget. It may very well be A8 on a (really tight) budget.
More by Vojta Dobe
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It would actually look quite a bit like the NA Passat if the fixed windows on the rear doors were instead on the C-pillars.
Current Superb tourer looks very nice. The sedan OTOH... That car looks a lot like an A5 or A7. Not bad.
Skodas are quite popular and well-liked in Europe. I gather they sort of have a market niche as cut-rate Germans. Wish they would offer long-term rentals to tourists the way Peugeot and Renault do. It would be a cheap and low-risk way of introducing themselves to possible new markets.
It looks great, I hope this will eventually become the new Superb. Maybe I would have to consider switching my '04 Superb for that one in a couple of years. Skodas gives such great value for money, and the Simlpy Clever details are very convenient. Combine this with being some of the most reliable cars according to several european surveys, and you have a winner. But please don't call it a Coupé. The '02 Skoda Tudor concept was a coupé, this one is just a sedan in my book. A really good looking sedan, but still a sedan.