Skoda Kodiaq Coupe may be previewed by Vision E concept

SKODA’S plans for a sleek coupe-style SUV have already been outed thanks to the leaking of a Powerpoint slide from an internal presentation, but it appears we may get our first glimpse of the car as early as next month.

The shadowy teaser image released by Skoda on Friday is expected to make its first public appearance at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. Details are scant at this stage, but the tell-tale sloping tailgate glass revealed by this silhouette is fairly unambiguous – it doesn’t mesh as a coupe version of an existing sedan, but would translate well as a high-riding crossover in the same vein as the BMW X6.

Skoda is keeping details of the Vision E concept under a tight lid, but reports that it will be all-electric vehicle may not be on the money – after all, Skoda’s previous concepts like the Vision D, Vision C and Vision S have all followed a similar format, and the ‘E’ may not stand for ‘Electric’ here.

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Then again, Skoda is expected to wheel out an all-electric vehicle at the Shanghai show, and with style-driven SUVs and EVs proving increasingly popular in the Chinese market, rolling both of those concepts into a single car would make sense for Skoda.

Besides being a springboard for Skoda to launch itself into new territory product-wise, the Vision E is also a preview of Skoda’s evolving design language. Inspired by traditional Czech crystal glass art, the Vision E’s styling will be dominated by crisp lines, “bold contours” and intricate, jewel-like detailing in the headlamps and tail lamps.

Whether or not the Vision E is entirely representative of what will become Skoda’s first fastbacked SUV has yet to be seen, but it’s clear that the VW-owned brand is keen to diversify its portfolio. However, with the Chinese market being home to many unique species (such as long-wheelbase BMW 3 Series sedans, among others), a global release for Skoda’s upcoming X6-lite is not guaranteed.