Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the Skoda Vision RS shows the path the Czech manufacturer is likely to take for the next generation of its cars. This is a hatchback, sized like a Volkswagen Golf, but sharpened up to the level of a hot-hatch. The Vision RS, a concept car, rolled under the Paris Motor Show lights with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gas engine producing 148 horsepower but assisted with an additional electric motor good for 100 horsepower. As a hybrid, the Vision RS demonstrates Volkswagen's uncanny ability to craft modern compact cars and transform them into hot hatchbacks - a type of a car the company is definitely versed in (just remember the Golf GTI, the Leon Cupra, the Audi S3, and the Octavia, among others).

Exterior

Instead, the car will likely ride on the MQB A0 platform. Shared with other Volkswagen city cars, the platform does allow for the use of a quite impressive tech. Just take a look at the new Audi A1. It is a masterpiece based around the same platform. Considering the upscale character of the Vision RS, which will probably transform into a Rapid, I believe Skoda will surprise us with plenty of high-end tech.

As far as the concept car goes, Skoda drizzled it with performance touches usually associated with performance compact cars. Not just by chance, mind you. The Vision RS represents a bold future plan that showcases what every new Skoda of the future will look like and what kind of a character they will have.

Designed for the Rapid, the grille fits the Octavia and the brand's SUVs as well. We only have to wait for the implementation. Yet, I find the front lights most intriguing. Yes, they are LED units, but that is not why I find them cool.

Their shape is far more defined and more conventional than on any Skoda to date. The brand has tried to “reinvent the wheel” with their lights a few times before. Now, the company is opting for a classic aggressive style to smartly complement the front with large intakes in the bumpers and pronounced creases on the bonnet. I must say, it looks good. The only thing I am really worried about is the width of a car. As it is based on the MQB A0 platform, it will inherit a lot of the structure of small cars. Even the Rapid isn't wide enough to be considered a proper hatchback.

The Skoda Vision RS' dimensions are as follows: “4,356 millimeters long and 1,810 millimeters wide, with a height of just 1,431 millimeters and a wheelbase of 2,650 millimeters.”

This is wider than the Golf, and I like that a lot.

After all, the Rapid is a car for developing markets - cheap, long, and narrow. If Skoda wants to do something cool with the Vision RS, it simply cannot be associated with these three words. At all.

The back of the car actually looks striking, modern, and quite sophisticated. With black surfaces, a nice 3D effect on the rear lights, large spoiler, and a prominent diffuser, the Vision RS feels quite composed and exciting. Add to this massive wheels, side skirts, and a massive beltline, and the Vision RS easily elevates the Skoda paradigm to a whole new level.

Interior

An obviously sporty, dynamic character dominates the cabin that is garnished with screens. Not unlike modern Audis, the Skoda Vision RS features a massive central display. Underneath and basically located at the start of the central tunnel under the dash, one can find another display. This one, I presume, is used for climate control and that sort of a thing. Then, there’s one behind the steering wheel - a three-spoke, sporty unit with paddles, and a flat bottom. I quite like it, actually. If I am correct, this conceptual interior actually features four seats (two in the front and two in the back), with the central tunnel spanning through the whole car. It would be quite a cool layout for sure, but no one can actually expect it to appear in the production car. It is far from convenient. Yet, some of the design cues introduced here will most certainly appear on the production version of the new Rapid.

Drivetrain

The car uses a 1.5-liter, TSI engine good for 148 horsepower. It is a common engine used for many modern Volkswagen cars. What is not common is the additional 100 horsepower from an electric motor. We have heard about this 243 horsepower hybrid system before as Skoda actually developed it for the new Superb hybrid. However, I find it far cooler in this Vision RS.

As a plug-in hybrid, the batteries can actually be topped up at home. If you recharge them and set on driving only using electric power, you will be able to cover 40 miles. Not exactly plentiful, but definitely better than nothing. After that, the ICE can kick in. If you, however, don’t find EV driving that alluring, go for the full boost right from the start. This spirited Skoda hot-hatch will surge to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds. Not bad at all.

Conclusion

It is basically a nice-looking hot-hatch with a hybrid propulsion system that will not be as expensive as the Golf GTI or even the Seat Leon Cupra hot-hatch. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the car also showcases the next generation of the Skoda compact hatchback called the Rapid. I am not sure if it will retain that name, but it all points that the Vision RS will actually morph into a Rapid successor. Now upscaled and filled with new tech.

Further Reading

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Skoda Kodiaq RS.