Incoming Octavia concept will showcase "next step" of Skoda design

A new Skoda concept car that previews the next-generation Octavia estate will "create a lot of buzz and controversial discussion" for the brand as it moves into a new era of design.

Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer told Autocar that it will be a "further step" for the brand in its design but will still "clearly be recognisable as a Skoda".

The estate concept, which will be revealed at the Munich motor show in September, will be based on the Volkswagen Group's upcoming SSP platform, which is designed for the next generation of electric cars that will follow those on its current MEB architecture.

Zellmer said the brand decided to wait to launch an electric Octavia on this architecture because the current MEB is not well suited to lower saloon and estate models and is designed more for raised crossovers. Skoda also thought the model would need the next-generation automated driving features offered on the SSP platform.

The new Octavia concept will help "develop the brand and the aspiration of the brand further" but it will also "stay true to our roots", rather than being a sign of the brand trying to push out of the mainstream.

A production version of the concept isn't due until the end of the decade. However, Zellmer hinted that it is an option for the electric estate to be sold alongside an updated version of the current combustion-engined model to ensure that the brand continues to offer a full range of powertrains.

"There's enough volume in the market for us to have two cars in parallel. It all depends on customer sentiment, especially in the fleet market. We'll keep all avenues open," he said.

A plug-in hybrid version of the Octavia will also be relaunched, said Zellmer, following a revival in that market.

Zellmer confirmed that the refresh to the Fabia, Scala and Kamiq models, which will update them to Euro 7 emissions regulations, will keep them on sale "beyond 2030".

This reverses a previous decision to phase them out and replace them with the new Epiq entry-level electric car due next year. 

There is now "price parity but not cost parity" for electric cars and combustion-engined ones, said Zellmer, and a key focus of EV development is to bring costs down where possible.

Another new electric Skoda due next year is a production version of the seven-seat Vision 7S concept car, which will be the new "flagship" for the brand. Zellmer said the brand is still working on a name for the car but internally it is called "Space BEV" due to its amount of interior space.