The production-spec Skoda Vision IN was supposed to launch later this year but has likely now been pushed to 2021 due to the coronavirus scare. The crisis has severely impacted the launch timeline of several other manufacturers as well.
Skoda Auto India have embarked on a new India 2.0 Strategy since the beginning of this year along with Volkswagen India. This strategy will see both companies launch a lot of new products in India and more importantly, some of them specifically for India. Both the companies have together invested more than one billion euros in an attempt to recover their sales in India. In that effect, Skoda Auto showcased the Vision IN at the 2020 Auto Expo alongside Volkswagen’s Taigun Concept. Both of these are mid-size SUVs that are meant to take on the Creta and the Seltos.
Skoda was supposed to launch the production version of the Vision IN SUV following the Superb facelift and the Karoq SUV. However, the ongoing coronavirus scare has severely disrupted the launch timeline of several manufacturers, including Skoda. The production-spec Vision IN was supposed to debut later this year but as it stands now, it is not expected to hit the road before the first quarter of financial year 2021. This was hinted by Zac Hollis’ recent tweet about the difficult times endured in our social lives and economy.
The Skoda Vision IN and the Volkswagen Taigun concept were both design studies for the production-spec mid-size SUVs for both the brands. Both these SUVs would be built on a India-specific platform known as the MQB AO IN platform and both these SUVs would see heavy localization in terms of parts used and also the manufacturing process. That would allow them to price the mid-size SUVs in the range of Rs 10-17 lakh, perfect to take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos. However, they would have brought something very different to the table, being the only European offering in the segment.
Also Read : Here’s A Rolls Royce Cullinan Scale Model Costlier Than A Hyundai Creta
The Vision IN is a handsome looking car and there’s no two ways about it. The design somewhat resembles the Skoda Kamiq that is sold abroad but its bolder, with a more upright nose. The concept car came with rather fancy details like the illuminated Skoda logo and grille. As is the trend, the Vision IN gets split LED headlamps and a rather aggressive looking bumper with large angular air intakes and a three-slot skid plate. Other notable design elements include plastic cladding all around, prominent roof rails and large 19-inch alloy wheels befitting a concept.
Also Read : Current-Gen Honda City Will Continue to Come in Fully-Loaded Variants!
On the interiors, the dashboard has a multi-layered layout but still has a clean and minimalistic design. The dashboard will be dominated by a large free-standing touchscreen infotainment system. Powering the production-spec Skoda Vision IN will be a 150hp, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. There won’t be any diesel engine option, but a CNG variant could be on the cards. The mid-size SUV segment would have soon become quite a lot more competitive and there were many who were excited for the arrival of the Skoda Vision IN. However, it will be some time before we see new entrants in this space.
