Škoda’s VisionC concept to debut at Guangzhou Auto Show, gives cues to future design language

The highlight of Škoda’s presence at the Auto Guangzhou (20-29 November) motor show is the Chinese premiere of the Škoda VisionC show car.

With its expressive, modern and young design language, the coupé study gives a glimpse of the future Škoda design language. In addition, the Czech carmaker will present the full range of its current China product portfolio. This year alone, the company has doubled its China portfolio to six locally manufactured models. With its continuing model campaign and the expansion of local production capacity, the brand intends to increase deliveries in China to at least 500,000 annually. In the first ten months of 2014, Škoda has delivered 223,800 vehicles to customers in China. This is an increase of 12.4 percent compared to the same period last year. In October alone, the brand increased sales in China by 19.1 percent.

“As the largest individual market for Škoda, China is a core pillar in our international growth strategy,” says Werner Eichhorn,  Škoda Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “Over the last few years we have expanded our model portfolio in the country on a gradual basis and successfully developed the profile and image of the brand. Today, we are offering the most attractive Škoda model portfolio ever in China. We want to further develop our position over the coming years and increase deliveries in the Chinese market. Apart from functional features, we are placing more emphasis on a modern, emotionally-charged design language for our cars. In doing so, we are responding to the increased demands from our customers and are appealing to new market segments at the same time. The VisionC’ design study shows the direction in which the Škoda design is developing,” says Eichhorn.

With the Chinese premiere of the VisionC’ design study, the brand launches a new era of its design language: a design language that highlights the value and the ambition of the brand, and reflects the active lifestyle of modern people. The show car comes with Volkswagen Group’s modern MQB technology: innovative CNG drive, low bodyweight and excellent aerodynamics. With this set-up, the VisionC show car achieves CO2 emissions of just 91 g per kilometre. The study, Skoda says, fulfils the highest demands with regards to functionality as well as practical characteristics. The large tailgate for example, typically Škoda, provides optimum access to the boot: design and functionality in perfect harmony. 

Alongside the VisionC study, the car manufacturer will present its China model portfolio in Guangzhou, which has been comprehensively refreshed over the last months. A total of eight models with the winged arrow are currently available in China: Fabia, Rapid, Rapid Spaceback, Octavia, Yeti, Yeti 4x4, Superb and Superb Combi. Apart from the Yeti 4x4 and the Superb Combi, all vehicles are manufactured locally in China.

The Octavia is the heart of the brand in China too, where the new Octavia was launched onto the market in May. Production in China operates in cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) at the Ningbo car plant. So far this year, Škoda has delivered 88,800 Octavias to customers in China. In October alone, Octavia sales in China increased by 15.6 percent compared to October 2013. 

Škoda has had a presence in China since 2007. Since then, the brand has delivered more than 1.2 million vehicles to customers in China. The first model to be produced there was the Octavia in 2007. It was followed by the Fabia in 2008 and the Superb in 2009. The Yeti, launched in 2013, started off as an import model and has been manufactured locally in cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen since the end of 2013. The Rapid compact saloon has been available in China since the beginning of 2013, the new Octavia, the Rapid Spaceback and the Yeti as an urban variant followed this year. The brand is offering the Superb Combi as an import model.

China has been the strongest individual Škoda market since 2010, developed in close cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen. Since the market launch of the brand in China, about 1.1 million Škoda models have rolled off the production line at SVW. This is approximately 10 percent of the 10 million vehicles that have been produced at SVW since 1983. Škoda production currently takes place at three locations in China: Ningbo, Anting and Yizheng.