While the BMW X6 is the popular known pioneer of the Sport Activity Coupe (SAC) segment, it is not the first vehicle to actually be designed that way. A full 3 years before it, even before the X6 was in its development stages, Ssangyong had launched its Actyon compact SUV in 2005. However, despite its debatable beginnings, the coupe-styled SUVs have slowly but steadily picked up steam. Fast forward 15 years and every major manufacturer including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen and Toyota have caught up with the trend. The Sport Activity Coupe is well and truly on its way to becoming a mainstream body type for mass-manufactured automobiles. At the recently concluded 2020 Auto Expo, Skoda showcased its brand new Vision IN SUV. While the car at the Expo was still in its concept stage, Skoda Auto India has set plans to launch the vehicle by June 2021.
However, while the design of the all-new Vision IN is butch and appealing in its own right, we wondered how it would look with a little bit of zing at the back. Thus, we present to you our rendered version of the Skoda Vision IN coupe-SUV. As you see, our digital artist Shoeb Kalania has kept the front of the Skoda Vision IN intact because that is what Skoda is most proud of and regards its styling as a must for all SUVs. So it still gets a rugged, squared off look with a pronounced grille, sleek LED headlamps and fog lights, with a butch bumper design at the bottom. A look at its side profile will reveal that our rendered concept seems a bit longer than the original. Well, in order to elongate the rear and make it look proportional, sacrifices need to be made. In this case, that means falling out of the sub-4 metre bracket. On the plus side, you do get more space inside and a head-turning design outside. That’s a definite win-win in our books. While we have no pictures of a rendered rear-end, we imagine it to carry similar design elements like a chunky bumper design, chrome-plated skid-plate and LED tail lights. All this could be complemented by a steeply raked windshield and a pronounced rear lip. Overall, we think that a Skoda Vision IN coupe-SUV is radical enough to be actually given a shot. However, manufacturers know Indians are finicky and a mass-market coupe-SUV is definitely a big gamble. Yet, given the right price, it is just crazy enough to actually work.
The standard Vision IN could feature highlights such as a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 17-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof. It will be powered by either a 1.0-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine. These would be mated to either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. When launched, the Vision IN is likely to start around INR 10 lakh, while competing against the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Nissan Kicks.
Also Read: Zac Hollis: Skoda ANB sedan looks “absolutely fantastic”, arriving in 2021
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