Geneva show: Skoda to show Vision C

SKODA will rip the covers off a slinky new five-door coupe concept at the Geneva motor show next month that will preview the next iteration of its design language.

The concept marks something of a departure for the VW-owned Czech brand, with the company saying in a statement that its future designs will be “more expressive, dynamic and emotional” than they have been in the past.

A sketch of the concept reveals a long bonnet leading to a bold, aggressive front end with a gaping grille and narrow, angular headlights, while the rear of the car features a sloping rear roof-line common to the coupe body-style.

Skoda is yet to release details of the concept, but some reports have suggested a production version of the swoopy coupe could be based on the mid-sized Octavia and sit above it in the line-up in a similar manner to Volkswagen’s Passat-based CC.

Late last year, British automotive publication Autocar reported that Skoda had green-lit a swoopy four-door coupe based on the Octavia, as well as a Range Rover Evoque-style sporty SUV, but that they would not be released before the arrival of the Fabia replacement in 2015.

If this concept gets the go-ahead for production, Skoda would be one of a number of car-makers to fill a niche by introducing a four-door coupe style vehicle as an alternative to its more mainstream model. It could potentially be a cut-price BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe or Mercedes-Benz CLA rival.

The company said in a statement that it is in the process of “renewing and broadening the entire range of models” and that Skoda design “is playing an ever more important role and shows the brand’s emotional vibrancy and power”.

Skoda’s next-generation of production models will likely carry design cues from the concept, starting with the tiny Fabia that is rumoured to debut at this year’s Paris motor show in October.

Mercedes-Benz kicked off the ‘four-door coupe’ trend back in 2005 with its striking E-Class based CLS, before Volkswagen followed suit with the CC, while Audi added its take on the body-style with its A4-based A5 Sportback in 2010.