Skoda at Frankfurt: MissionL accomplished?

If the rumours coming out of Frankfurt are anything to go by, the MissionL is a glimpse into Skoda's future. As the company gears up for an ambitious global sales target of 1.5 million cars by 2018, the concept shown in Frankfurt is said to closely resemble that of the new car that will slot in between the Fabia and Octavia. In Skoda's words, this is a 'close to production ready concept car'.

Skoda has come in for a bit of stick with the MissionL, not least on the world wide interweb where onlookers have claimed it's a little dull and somewhat of a backward step for the brand. Indeed, my friends over at MR CAR have likened the car to the SEAT Toledo and Fiat Croma.



Far be it for me to disagree with what's been said, but I'm going to anyway! For me, the MissionL is exactly what we want from Skoda. The styling is free of fuss, clutter and fancy trinkets and instead presents a clean and minimalist approach. Now I know I'm not a leading authority on styling, you've only got to look at my taste in cars to know this, but I'd be disappointed if Skoda suddenly went in a new direction.

The Octavia is already beginning to look tired, so if its replacement ended up looking like the MissionL we'd all be in for treat. One can only imagine just how good the vRS version would look. What's more, it looks streets ahead of many of the current offerings from the rest of the VAG stable. If Skoda can sort out the waiting lists for their most popular models, they could be on to a winner with the new compact car.



Skoda is becoming the king of understated goodness. The MissionL simply takes it to the next level. I approve.