Škoda Vision 7S Reveals The Future

Practical, user-friendly and sustainable. The Škoda Vision 7S honours traditional Škoda values, but presents them in a completely new form. In fact, the electric car based on the modular MEB platform is the first to receive a completely new design language that will become the hallmark of future Škoda vehicles.

“With the Vision 7S, we are offering a concrete view of a completely new Škoda model that will expand our product portfolio and our customer base. We are thus significantly accelerating our eMobility offensive – we are going to launch three new pure electric models by 2026,” says Klaus Zellmer, chairman of the Škoda board of directors.

Škoda plans to launch a total of three new all-electric models by 2026: in addition to a seven-seater family car based on the Vision 7S, there will also be a compact SUV and a small car. By 2030, Škoda wants to achieve a share of over 70% of all-electric models in Europe. In the transition to eMobility, however, Škoda is also strengthening its product portfolio of highly efficient combustion engines and will introduce a new generation of Superb and Kodiaq models in the second half of next year. This will be followed in 2024 by a modernised Octavia.

Škoda designers and engineers will continue to emphasise superior aerodynamics, with the VISION 7S study combining a robust underbody with a high-set side tornado line and aerodynamic roof lines. The large 22-inch wheels with rims in an almost enclosed design contribute to the excellent aerodynamics. The VISION 7S also shows off the redesigned cooling system for the electric car, which has different requirements than cars with combustion engines. The air outlets above the side skirts are worth noting, for example. Covered by grilles, they extract air that heats up when cooling the battery. At the same time, they serve as running boards for the portal doors that swing up in opposite directions.

On the nose, we find seven vertical openings for air intake to the radiator and brakes, and the distinctive orange control element that serves to safely disconnect the car’s high-voltage circuit. This orange is a frequently used accent colour on the VISION 7S. The T-shaped headlights and rear lights are also a new design element. The headlights are complemented at the front by an ambient light strip that stretches across the entire width of the vehicle. On the front and rear of the car, we find the illuminated Škoda lettering, which is part of the new logo and the carmaker’s new visual identity.

The Škoda Vision 7S’s exterior conceals modular technology with an 89-kWh battery that gives the car a range of over 600 kilometres per charge in the WLTP cycle. Charging itself can also be very fast, with a maximum supported charging power of just under 200 kW.

Inside the car, we find a brand new interpretation of the on-board infotainment system with significantly revised graphics and control logic. The dominant feature is the 14.6-inch touchscreen, the largest ever installed in a Škoda. The Virtual Cockpit is made up of an 8.8-inch display and a redesigned steering wheel with a flattened top and bottom provides an excellent view in it. There’s also an augmented-reality head-up display. The steering wheel has two large spokes at 6 and 12 o’clock: the lower one incorporates a touchpad that can be used to control some functions when the car is stationary. Elsewhere on the steering wheel, we find special haptic scroll wheels, which have been given bright orange accents for easier orientation.

On the centre console below the large screen are six buttons that take the user into the infotainment, phone, vehicle settings, navigation and app menus, with a sixth button that can be configured at will. There are also three rotary dials, the outer two for climate control and the middle one for controlling the main screen (zooming the map, scrolling through lists etc.). Two buttons are used for selecting the car mode, and of course there’s a volume control as well.

The large infotainment screen has two positions. As standard, it is positioned in portrait mode, which supports ergonomic operation. But at the press of a button the car can also be switched from Drive mode to the special Relax mode. This configuration can be used when the car is parked, for example when charging or on other occasions. In this mode, the screen and dashboard slide further away from the occupants and the display is rotated to landscape, for watching movies and TV shows, for example. To give rear seat passengers a good view of the screen, the driver’s and passenger’s seats swivel inwards and recline. The seats in the second row also recline.

In Relax mode, the car’s infotainment can be operated by a smartphone. Mobile phones have their dedicated place in the centre console, where they are magnetically secured and partially protected here by the centre elbow rest. The seven-seat interior with three-row seating is packed with an array of Simply Clever features. For example, magnets are also used to hold in place the mobile devices of passengers in the second and third rows, so they can easily watch the content playing on them. Special backpacks, which are integrated but also removable at any time, are also attached to the seat backs using magnets.

One special feature of the interior is the integrated child car seat in the safest place in the car – it is integrated into the centre console, which extends to the second row of seats. This means that the second-row passengers can always see the child in the seat, while the driver and passenger can monitor the smallest passenger via a camera.

The interior of the VISION 7S works with a range of lighting elements. This is not just ambient lighting: the lighting elements also have practical functions. Behind the infotainment screen, for example, we find a crystal that indicates the car’s battery and charging status in colour, so that it can be checked from outside simply by looking through the windscreen.

The door panels incorporate interactive surfaces with coloured lights shining through the fabric. For example, a bright orange light guides you to the inner door handle hidden in the lower part of the door panel. A blue or red light visualises air conditioning temperature change. You can even write on the fabric with your finger – to leave short notes or for children to create little drawings. In place of the missing B-pillar, the front and rear doors are fitted with additional crystal lights that guide passengers when getting in, or warn of an approaching car or cyclist with a red light when opening the door.

The interior’s architecture and lines emphasise the internal space and evoke a feeling of security. The entire interior is trimmed with sustainable and durable materials. The floor and boot are made entirely of recycled-tyre veneer, while the upper part of the dashboard is finished in dark faux leather. The lower parts are trimmed in lighter artificial leather that echoes the exterior body colour. The fabric used in the interior, for example for the middle part of the seats, the door panels or the dashboard, is made from recycled polyester yarns.