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Written by Ollie Kew
Skoda"s big headline maker is a small crossover with gas. It"s called the Vision X, and though this door handle-free square of green is a concept car, there"ll soon be something very similar-looking to this in the Skoda crossover family. Probably sporting a name beginning with K", if the Kodiaq and Karoq are anything to go by Design-wise, it"s not a big surprise. Skoda likes sharp edges inspired by the crystal- and glass-making traditions of its Czech homeland. And cramming another crossover into the range is a no-brainer for Skoda. It"s the fastest-growing car sales segment of them all, and fellow VW Group members Seat already have the Arona (a taller, ruftier Ibiza) on the MQB-AO platform. So all the building blocks are ready for Skoda"s newest miniature SUV. What sets this Vision X concept apart is its unusual hybrid system. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet has been converted to burn compressed natural gas, stored into two tanks either side of the rear axle. Skoda says the engine is equally happy to run on natural gas, sustainably extracted biogas, or synthetically produced natural gas. Using CNG, Skoda estimates CO2 emissions fall by 18-25 per cent, with a fraction of the NOx emissions. Switch to biogas or unnatural gas" and it"s effectively carbon neutral.
Date written: 5 Mar 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 11068
Skoda"s big headline maker is a small crossover with gas. It"s called the Vision X, and though this door handle-free square of green is a concept car, there"ll soon be something very similar-looking to this in the Skoda crossover family. Probably sporting a name beginning with K", if the Kodiaq and Karoq are anything to go by Design-wise, it"s not a big surprise. Skoda likes sharp edges inspired by the crystal- and glass-making traditions of its Czech homeland. And cramming another crossover into the range is a no-brainer for Skoda. It"s the fastest-growing car sales segment of them all, and fellow VW Group members Seat already have the Arona (a taller, ruftier Ibiza) on the MQB-AO platform. So all the building blocks are ready for Skoda"s newest miniature SUV. What sets this Vision X concept apart is its unusual hybrid system. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet has been converted to burn compressed natural gas, stored into two tanks either side of the rear axle. Skoda says the engine is equally happy to run on natural gas, sustainably extracted biogas, or synthetically produced natural gas. Using CNG, Skoda estimates CO2 emissions fall by 18-25 per cent, with a fraction of the NOx emissions. Switch to biogas or unnatural gas" and it"s effectively carbon neutral.
Date written: 5 Mar 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 11068
