The 2019 Skoda Vision IV Concept is Here to Prove That the Czech Automaker is Taking its Electrification Plans Seriously

Skoda’s growing lineup of Vision SUV concepts is set to add the newest member to the family when the Vision IV Concept makes its début at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. In line with the design blueprint of its predecessors, the new concept is the latest showcase of the Czech automaker’s overarching electrification agenda. The Vision IV once again takes the shape of a small coupe-crossover. It features a different face, sure, but most of the design elements we saw from past concepts like the Vision E and last year’s Geneva debutante, the Vision X, are carried over to the Vision IV. Skoda has no direct plans to offer a production version of the Vision IV Concept, but given that this is the fourth concept to carry the "Vision" name, there's enough smoke to assume that Skoda has plans to roll out an all-electric SUV in the future. Perhaps we're already looking at it. Perhaps not. Either way, Skoda is bringing the Vision IV Concept to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show so we can see how far along the company is in its electrification plans.

Not everyone on our team likes the Skoda Vision IV Concept, and I can understand why. There’s a sentiment that it’s not as eye-catching as the earlier Vision concepts. There’s also the belief that it looks like a rather unimpressive copy of a BMW X4, albeit with different profiles that were intentionally designed to mask its aesthetic shortcomings. While I do understand those points, I prefer to look at the Skoda Vision IV Concept from a different perspective. It’s not a glass-half-full approach because, by definition, a glass that’s half-full is also a glass that’s half-empty. No, I don’t think the Skoda Vision IV Concept is a waste of a concept. Skoda could’ve done a better job with its design — the front light bar that cuts across the front grille is abnormally hideous — but this is less about the concept's ragged design and more about the progress the company has made with its electrification plans.

Back in 2014, the Czech automaker unveiled the VisionC Concept, the first of what would become a series of concept SUVs that were developed to assure the masses that Skoda is taking its electrification plans seriously. Soon after the VisionC, the VisionS, VisionE, and VisionX were all spent time at Geneva, setting the stage for this year’s iteration, the Vision IV.

From the outside, the Vision IV Concept retains the same coupe-crossover profile as Skoda’s past concepts. The Vision IV also features its share of trademark concept design features. The doors, for example, are not only electrically-operated, but there are no handles to speak of. Rear-view cameras are also included in the design in place of traditional side mirrors. Not to be outdone, the Vision IV Concept also sits on a set of 22-inch alloy wheels. Classic concept car design cues, right?

Remember, this is the same company that plans to have 10 electrified models in the market by 2022. At some point, it has to show some progress with those plans.

Well, consider the Vision IV Concept as the physical embodiment of that progress. No longer is Skoda talking about whimsical ideas or big-picture goals for the future. That may have been the case when it unveiled the VisionC, VisionS, VisionE, and VisionX in the past. But it’s already 2019. Skoda knows that if it wants to achieve its goal to have as many as 10 electrified models in the market by 2022, it needs to show concrete proof that it can have a model out in the market by 2020. I don’t know if it’s the Vision IV Concept, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is.

Granted, Vision IV’s interior still looks more like a concept than an actual production model — the floating infotainment system in the middle of the dash and the digital instrument binnacle aren’t exactly what you’d call “production-ready” features of the SUV — but the technologies in place in the SUV aren’t too different from what other automakers are beginning to offer. Skoda says that the latest concept features Level 3 autonomous capability. Ok, that’s a bit of a reach to see in a soon-to-arrive production model, but it’s not unrealistic anymore, too. Same thing, right? Park Assist and Traffic Jam Assist are safety features that are included in the concept. These features aren’t ground-breaking anymore.

In terms of power, the Vision IV utilizes a pair of electric motors, one powering the front axle and the other powering the rear. Together, the two motors combine to produce a total output of 302 horsepower. That’s enough to help the SUV sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds and clock an electronically limited top speed of 112 mph. The motors get their juice from a liquid-cooled 82 kWh lithium-ion battery, mounted between the vehicle’s axles. The battery carries a range of 310 miles and can be charged to 80 percent capacity in about 30 minutes. The figures aren’t mind-blowing, but they’re not paltry, either. They fit in right in line with our expectations of a future Skoda EV SUV.

Perhaps I just want to see progress manifest itself in concrete terms. After five years of rolling out one concept SUV after another, I do believe that Skoda has achieved that. The Skoda Vision IV Concept isn’t the prettiest concept in Geneva. It might even be a BMW rip-off. But that’s not as important to me as the steady improvements the company has made in rounding out its electric SUV. By the company’s own timeline, this year should be the last year we see a Skoda SUV concept at the Geneva Motor Show. The hope is that by next year, the production model takes center stage.

I’m ready for that possibility because I think Skoda is, too.