Saar:  The Czech carmaker envisions future RS models with plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Skoda Auto has officially taken the wraps off the Vision RS concept. It has been designed to showcase where the Czech carmaker is heading with its future RS models. As you can see, the Vision RS is a hot hatch. Are we looking at the new Fabia RS? We can speculate on that all day. What’s more important is how the Vision RS concept captures Skoda’s aim of making a go-fast car with responsible production practices.

Let’s start with the engine. Instead of housing a mill with a huge displacement and a couple of turbochargers for good measure, the Vision RS concept has a 1.5-litre TSI motor. That, all on it own, can produce 150PS of power. To get that extra bit of oomph, Skoda has mated the engine with an electric motor that produces 102PS of power. The total system output is 245PS. As per the company’s claims, the Vision RS concept can hit 100kmph in 7.1 seconds and reach 210kmph at full stretch. Even with those performance figures to boast about, the model emits only 33g of CO2 per kilometre. No other RS-marked model has ever been so low down on emissions.

No points for guessing, that has been made possible because of the electric motor which can alone power the car for a range up to 70km. It is boosted by a lithium-ion battery pack which has a 13kWh capacity. It can either be charged in about 2.5 hours using a cable or can be replenished while driving using energy recovery. The car will use only electric power if the EV driving mode is engaged. That is one of the three driving modes available, the other two being – Normal and Sport. The former uses the best possible combination of petrol drive and the electric engine. The latter can be used to get the most amount of power out of the hybrid power plant.

In terms of design, concept vehicles mostly flaunt the kind of stuff which never really makes it to the production line. But the Vision RS concept tries to keep things realistic. The sculpted silhouette of the bonnet is accompanied by a Skoda logo and a front grille, both of which are illuminated. There is a fair use of carbon fibre too, with the grille slats, side air outlets, air inlets and front spoiler all finished in the same high-tech material.

On the side, the concept car boasts frameless, tinted windows, recessed door handles, 20-inch alloy wheels, carbon fibre wing mirrors and small Czech flags on the carbon-fibre sills. The rear of the Vision RS flaunts a diffuser, a roof spoiler and rear air outlets, all of which are carved from carbon fibre. And, to continue the tradition of a balanced design, the Skoda logo at the tailgate is also illuminated. In terms of dimensions, the Vision RS concept measures 4,356mm in length, 1,810mm in width, 1,431mm in height and it has a wheelbase of 2,650mm.

As far as interiors of the Vision RS concept are concerned, they have been derived from the Skoda Vision X, which broke cover at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The generous use of carbon fibre continues in the cabin as well. The centre console, for instance, is made from it. Apart from that, there are decorative trims made of crystal glass, which are illuminated and animated in sync with the infotainment system’s display. The sports seats with floating backrests and special door pull straps further accentuate the sporty character of the car.

There’s also a digital instrument cluster and a high-resolution touchscreen infotainment display which rises upwards at the push of a button to reveal a charging and docking station for smartphones. The mobile phone’s internet connection is used to keep the car connected to Skoda Connect mobile online services. And to make things easier, Amazon Alexa integration is part of the package too.

It is unclear at the moment as to when we’ll see the production version of the Vision RS. Mind you, we are still waiting to see the same for the Vision X from earlier this year.