Skoda 100 EV concept hints at all-electric, rear-wheel-drive Superb
Skoda has released a digital render of its redefined 100 concept, hinting at a future all-electric version of its award-winning Superb.
Produced from 1969 to 1977 and powered by a 1.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the original rear-wheel drive Skoda 100[1] was the Czech manufacturer's first car to surpass a million units. Using Skoda's new 'Modern Solid' design language and drawing on the proportions of the current Superb, this new take on the Skoda 100 has been reimagined as an EV and is part of Skoda's 'Icons Get a Makeover' series. 
Icons Get a Makeover was introduced in 2021 and sees iconic models from Skoda's back catalogue revived for the modern day. This year Skoda celebrated its 130th birthday, and to mark the occasion, it introduced a line of all-electric concepts based on models from the past, including the Favorit[2], the 110 R[3], and MBX Coupe[4]. The Skoda 100 is the latest in the series.
Explaining why he chose to reinterpret the 100 as an EV, Skoda designer Martin Paclt pointed to the original's popularity as an affordable people's car in communist-era Czechoslovakia, and its fuss-free design. "I wanted to work with a car that people know well--and that many once owned themselves. The Skoda 100 appealed to me with its clean, timeless lines, which resonate strongly with the current Modern Solid design direction," he said. "I drew from the proportions of the Superb, and the resulting concept turned out slightly larger."
While keen not to pen a "retro-styled" pastiche and avoid any visual connections to the Skoda Vision O concept[5], Paclt says that the Skoda 100 EV's "body behind the back doors" was inspired by the shapes of its predecessor's "almost interchangeable" front and rear windows. This approach allowed the designer to eliminate the rear window and follow the original's "everything in the back" layout.
The rear section of the car houses its cooling system and rear-mounted electric motor. "I wanted to create a concept with a certain degree of realism," Paclt continues. "Even an electric vehicle requires cooling, so the intake on the roof looks cool and effectively directs air to the technical components located behind the cabin. It made sense to maintain the original Skoda 100's rear-engine philosophy."
The Skoda 100 EV's RWD layout means that its primary storage compartment is a large frunk, with a smaller, secondary space at the rear. Unfortunately, Skoda has no plans to put any of its EV icons into production, but could the concept of this large battery-powered saloon hint at an all-electric Superb during the coming years?
If anyone from Skoda is reading here, please make it happen...