The next Skoda Roomster, artistic impression

[eykmak]

Just seen this artistic impression of the next Roomster, looking a bit like the current Volkswagen Touran!

[Hughp]

Looks good, hope it gets sunroof !

[stratosg]

I wrote before it and I will write it again. The new Roomster is not a Roomster in my eyes. It is a totally new car thus should have a new name, just like Citigo, a brand new car with a brand new name. New Fabias (as presented above) and new (2013) Octavias is the "logical coninuation" of their ancestors. And yet the new Octavia in my opinion is a bit pushed closer to Superb's class since Rapid is very similar with MK1 Octavia due to the new modular platform which is just a bit longer than the MK1 Octavia.

But not the Roomster. This is something else, and has nothing in common with current Roomster. Current Roomster is a unique car with a distinctive character, it is the most ungly beautiful car of the group. It is the only car that makes the heads to turn. It is the most unique coctail of Fabia and Octavia.

I am not saying that the new Roomster as presented above is not a beautiful car. It is way more beuatiful than current one. But it is not a unique design. It is a clone of Touran.

And this has to do with MQB and MLB platforms, VW invented lately in order to keep production cost even lower. But I do not really think that this cost reduction will ever reach our pockets, since the prices will be (in my opinion always) at least the same as today. Ok to be fair maybe new cars will have one or two electronic gadgets than current ones, but not the serious ones.

I am fan of the exelixis. Exelixis keeps us walking forward and be innovative and makes our lives better (generally speaking). It's nice that Skoda keeps going forward and a Touran like car was missing from Skoda just like Rapid is placed between Fabia and Octavia. But I don't think that must replace the current small MPV.

[fabia55]

The new roomster should be based on the new Fabia front end in keeping with the same as what the current roomster is.

[bill7437]

How disappointing !!!!!!!!!!!! VW are going back to the old days of British Leyland, all the cars being virtually the same of any

group brand but with a different badge. The current Roomster ( I have an SE ) is an excellent vehicle allbeit slightly strange in

looks but at the very least it is certainly NOT the same as anything else. No doubt it will be overpriced too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shame on you VW.

[Lorenzo]

Simply said, it's a rebadged Touran

[RandomSkodaperson]

Simply said, it's a rebadged Touran

I thought it was a Touran too.

[Jonny5ive]

It'll probably be a good seller though, as the one (IMHO) vehicle sadly lacking in the Skoda line up is a 7 seat MPV.

I'd have bought one rather than a Touran if Skoda did one

[lfc958]

Skoda - are becoming Eurobox cars, which is what cars were 20 years ago.

This is dissapointing.

[Crushed ice]

How disappointing !!!!!!!!!!!! VW are going back to the old days of British Leyland, all the cars being virtually the same of any

group brand but with a different badge. The current Roomster ( I have an SE ) is an excellent vehicle allbeit slightly strange in

looks but at the very least it is certainly NOT the same as anything else. No doubt it will be overpriced too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shame on you VW.

Roomies aren't 'strange' they are different, unique, thats their appeal, to some of us I agree with with your comparison though, BL previosly BMC and Rootes Group were known for their badge engineering, and VAG are doing just that. Then again, what about the recent past, all of the Italdesign - giugiaro clone cars that we saw, VW, Seat, Audi, Fiat, DeLorean, all looking much of a muchness. I guess thats what happens when the banks break the markets and run off with all the development money unfortunately.

Edited 19 February, 2013 by Crushed ice

[Alex B]

The reason we bought a Roomster that it was different to the normal mini people carrier and it's interior was well designed, was ineffect a sitting room and driving space. As others have said a dissapointing development also I bet the price will be more expencive than the present range. Skoda will lose many of their loyal customers if the models they produce are a clone of VW with just a front grill and a badge to differenciate betewn VW, Skoda, Seat and Audi, shame and look what hapened to BL.

[paully]

We bought one for the same reasons...it was different and made great use of the available space, especially the facility to take the back seats out and turn it into a van ....But as always these days, economies of scale, are to the front and a parts bin they can use throughout all the marques is what they want. As for the Touran `lookalike` VeeDub probably have loads of bodyshells left, they dont know what to do with as the Touran was never a great success for them, and didnt have a great reputation for reliability either

[keystonedriving]

Bigger is not always better. I don't need 7 seats but I do like the fact that the Roomster is narrower as it works well in the lanes. My main reason for buying the Roomster was that it gave me good legroom in the back without going to a bigger vehicle. In that respect it's pretty much unique. I suspect that if this is the way it's going the only way is Yeti!

[The PM]

Bigger is not always better.

I can't see anything saying it's going to be bigger so are there some assumptions being made before we know the facts? As long as it's pretty much the same size as the existing one then that's fine, after all it's competition is currently the likes of the Meriva, so no real need to expand...

More important to me is the interior, the reason I had the Roomie last time was due the flexibility of the interior, not it's looks, so as long as they keep the present one then fine. I really miss those seats in the back of the Roomie, an estate just isn't as good...

Regarding shape, if that improves it's CD then that will be a plus, having driven our old one all over Europe it would be nice to have one that uses a little less fuel at high speed...

[Lorenzo]

Hope Skoda is not doing to the Roomster what Fiat did to the Multipla, i.e. killing one of the smartest car projects of the latest years.

As to being ugly or not, we could discuss for ages. To put it briefly, the original 2CV, R4, 500, Uno, Mini, Ka, Espace or Twingo were not beauties in the strict sense of their age, but they were undoubtedly smart cars and this is what made them pleasant.

[The PM]

'Smart' does not have to look weird, though... The original Mini was hardly ground breaking looks-wise but made great use of it's space inside. That's something the Roomster does well, though I feel many potential buyers are put off by it's looks and have gone elsewhere instead, something Skoda feels need to address. I'd suggest that the last thing a car manufacturer needs is a "marmite" car as it can only reduce sales, unfortunately in it's present guise that's exactly what the Roomie is...

Now if they keep al the practical parts of the existing Roomie such as variable and removable seats, higher rear seats, wider rear track, etc. and give it a smoother body then they could be on to a winner, even if some of you won't like it's looks more people would... As I've said it's the practicality that attracts me to it, not it's looks...

I think some of you need to remember that Skoda are in it to sell cars, if a design doesn't sell as well as it should due to "quirky" looks then they'll change it simply to stay in business...

[paully]

You are right PM, if it doesnt pay they`ll change it. Although I think the existing one maybe sells better than we think, especially in Europe. There is presently quite a long delay on factory orders.

[Lorenzo]

Well, if you judge the roomster from a strictly functionalist point of view, there are only few things out of place. I am talking of the curved line in the lower part of the front windows frame, which steals a bit of visibility. Or the upper sharp edge of the front doors, which can be dangerous (I know 2 or 3 people having been 'scratched' by it) and inconvenient in tight spaces.

As to the rest, the whole roomster project seems to be a statement of cost optimization and functionality.

The most evident feature, i.e. being split in two parts, car in the front and van in the back, is just rational because brings space where it is really needed, without useless air (and weight) in the driver's area. Not to mention cost savings for sharing parts with Fabia, Octavia, etc. etc.

On the other side, the car market is crowded with 'toy cars' that are also examples of 'tormented' design, they sell fairly well, nonetheless. Just think Juke, a patchwork of Coupé upper on a SUV lower body, big outside and narrow inside....a triumph of fashion and marketing. I like good car design (Pininfarina, Bertone, Giugiaro, De Silva...) and think Juke is one of the ugliest cars I have ever seen.

The problem with the Roomster is that you cannot judge it by looks only, you need to try it, drive it, carry family and things, and so on. It is a perfect family and hobby car. Maybe people are not looking for a simple honest car, nowadays. They try to buy dreams and psychological security, so sell them tall body-builded vehicles, with disproportioned wheels and muscle-like bodies, so they can feel like nothing can hurt them inside them.

Or sell them nostalgia of the good old days, and that is another side of the same matter.

Edited 28 June, 2013 by Lorenzo

[ednaclowdz]

Shame new Roomster will look like bland and soul-less like the VW Touran ... or the new Citroen C3 Picasso ... or the new shape Seat/Peugeot/everyone else's offerings. As Paully said, VW didn't knock the public off its feet with the Touran. Google this year's Telegraph Driver Power Survey (worst 20 cars section) and you'll see the Touran came 99th out of 100. In 2012 it was 66th. That's the opinion of 46,000 car owners.

[@Lee]

It'll probably be a good seller though, as the one (IMHO) vehicle sadly lacking in the Skoda line up is a 7 seat MPV.

I'd have bought one rather than a Touran if Skoda did one

I was only talking about this to MannyO and I think Colin on sunday, that maybe they could do a LWB Yeti a'la Volvo XC90/ Landy LWB

[gadgetman]

Is there any idea when this is being built?

[greenstripe]

[gadgetman]

So it's a sharan rebadge?

[P6bJOHN]

If that's it, it is just a soulless generic family holdall. How sad.

Edited 2 August, 2013 by P6bJOHN

[grr666]

It just needs the J5 treatment that's all.

They could have used a better colour for the promo shot.

Looking at the roof line, it does look more aerodynamic.

I'd like to see the rear quarter view.

It looks smart, premium and grown up which is the image Skoda  

is trying to portray just of late. This could be a big car for them but they  

have to compete directly with the likes of the Citroen C3, Seat Altea,

and C-Max.It's a massive sector of the market, the roomy load lugger

family friendly workhorse.

So quirky looks aren't going to shift units. It's hard enough 

to get some buyers to consider a Skoda period. So an odd/quirky one  

simply will not generate the sales as the current Roomster has proven to date.  

Call it boring if you like but I'd have a fiver that over the same amount of

time as the first incarnation has been available,that Skoda sell more of  

this type. Bottom line is, Skoda exist to sell cars. So this will be the prime

consideration when designing this version of the Roomster.