Next-gen 2027 Skoda Octavia wagon EV previewed

The Skoda Vision O concept has been teased ahead of its reveal on September 8 at the Munich motor show, paving the way for the all-electric next-generation Skoda Octavia that’s due around 2027.

Releasing the first image of the concept that will inspire the future five-door small hatch, the first teaser shows off a set of sharper LED graphics for the headlamps, taillamps and generally how the firm’s latest Modern Solid design language will be applied to the Octavia.

Beneath the skin, the new Skoda will be among the first Volkswagen Group vehicles to be based on the car-making giant’s next-generation Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) that will run new software developed by US SUV and ute-maker Rivian.

Globally, the Octavia and larger Superb remain the Czech brand’s best-selling models but with the decline in popularity for mass-market wagons, it was thought the family-friendly ‘Combi’ body style might have been dropped.

Instead, Skoda has said it is “committed to continuing the estate [wagon] bodywork legacy into the future”.

Commenting on the new Vision O concept’s styling, exterior designer Jounggeen Kim said: “I see Skoda as a family-oriented brand – practical, reliable, and trustworthy,” Kim continues. “I aimed to reflect those qualities through the new Modern Solid design language.” 

Kim said as well as replicating the steeply raked windscreen and gently sloping roofline used in other Skoda wagons, the Czech brand’s stylist also drew inspiration from both the previous-generation Yeti and Roomster and even Czech architecture, but says the resulting concept is both “modern, simple, fresh, and timeless”.

Skoda had originally planned to produce a battery-powered wagon based on the VW Group’s current MEB platform but axed the project with bosses deciding to hold off and wait for a vehicle underpinned by the SSP platform that is said to deliver “more performance” while being more cost efficient to build.

Speaking about the Vision O ahead of its Munich motor show unveiling on September 8 Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer said: “The Skoda Vision O design study will highlight the future trajectory of estate models under the influence of new technologies and sustainability”, adding that the new production car would “position us to remain a major player in the estate segment, where Skoda Auto has been engaged since the 1920s.”

It’s not been confirmed, but it’s thought Skoda might prolong the life of the fourth gen (NX) Octavia to provide an option for markets not ready for full EV, with the hatch and wagon tipped to switch to a full range of plug-in hybrid powertrains.

In the build-up to the launch of its most advanced Octavia EV, Skoda will roll out at least two electric cars – its sister car to the VW ID.2 and the Cupra Raval that will carry the Epiq nameplate and, later in 2026, a flagship version of the Vision 7S concept nameplate that will sit above the Kodiaq SUV.

What will be missing from the line-up will be an entry-EV based on the Volkswagen ID Every1, says reports, with Skoda’s boss ruling out a Czech take on sub-€20,000 ($A35,500) electric car.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au