Skoda reveals all-new India-bound seven-seater Kodiaq SUV

Skoda unveiled the new Kodiaq SUV in Berlin yesterday evening. The new Kodiaq SUV will come to India by September 2017. Here's all you need to know.  

Skoda has produced SUVs before like the Yeti but it has never done a seven-seater before. This is the first one in the company’s 120-plus-year history and that’s a big moment for the Czech brand. It’s named after an Alaskan bear, the Kodiak, and fittingly, it looks quite rugged. But Skoda says it’s not an all-out off-roader, but rather a family car that can traverse rough terrain.

No wonder then that it’s based on the Vokswagen Group’s MQB platform that also underpins the Skoda Superb and Octavia in different guises. It is stretched and raised for its duties as a seven-seat SUV, and top-spec versions get the latest version of the VW Group’s transverse-engine AWD system, supplied by Haldex/BorgWarner, though front-wheel-drive is what you get on lower versions.

International markets will get a 1.4-litre TSI petrol motor that makes 125hp, but this is unlikely to come to India. What we will get is a 2.0-litre TDI diesel that produces either 150hp or 190hp (and 340 and 400Nm respectively) which will be allied to either a six-speed manual or a DSG dual-clutch automatic. There’s also the likelihood of the company’s new 2.0-litre TSI petrol, which produces 180hp and 320Nm, but that may join in later

Good looker, and compact too

Skoda’s head of design Jozef Kabaň has really nailed it with the Kodiaq’s exterior. It manages to look imposing enough thanks to its aggressive grille and headlamp treatment, large wheel arches and hefty stance, but also somewhat sporty with a gently tapering roof line and optional 20-inch wheels. It borrows a lot of cues from the Skoda Superb, including a thick shoulder line, heavy sculpting on the boot, and intricate, angular LED headlamps and tail-lamps inspired by Czech crystal. The manner in which the LED fog lamps sit in angular recesses just below the headlamps is really smart. 

It may look imposing at first glance, but look a bit longer and you’ll soon realise that’s all down to clever styling cues; it’s not really that big. With a length of 4,697mm, width of 1,882mm and a wheelbase of 2.7m (the base, 2WD petrol version also weighs just 1,550kg) it’s actually relatively compact, and that’s something Skoda is proud of, because that should make it easier to live with as a family car. It gets 190mm of ground clearance and can wade through 300mm of water, which again, is not proper off-roader stuff, but will suffice for most.

The Kodiaq gets a more upright dash design that will define all future Skoda SUVs. It features a huge slab of trim (it could be wood grain, faux metal or other textures) running through the centre that opens as a second glovebox on the passenger side. The chrome-ringed AC vents are vertically oriented and give it a more macho look, which was the intention. There are lots of shared parts in the cabin, but overall, the look is far removed from what you get in Skoda’s sedans.

Tech-laden SUV

While radar-based features like adaptive cruise control and auto emergency braking won’t come to India, there’s loads else that could. The latest Skoda Connect touchscreen has on-board Wi-Fi, Google Earth, an app that lets you check the car’s status from your phone and of course, the de-rigeur Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are 360-degree cameras, hands-free tailgate operation, and even a robust Emergency Assist SOS function, much like in Ford’s models. There are also what Skoda calls ‘Simply Clever’ features (and they are), like a magnetic flashlight to stick on the bodywork when you have a breakdown, rubber beading that pops out from the doors when you open them to protect their edges from scuffs, and umbrellas in the doors, like the Superb.

Flexible interior

There are a pair of generously sculpted electric front seats, but the real highlight is the second row that splits 60:40, reclines and slides with quite a lot of travel. It also gets ‘sleeping headrests’ which basically have supportive, fold-out ‘wings’ that prevent your head from rolling off the cushion. You get a decent 270-litre boot with all rows in place, and with the third row folded flat, it jumps to 630, and finally 2,065 with all seats down. The seven-seat version only gets a space-saver spare while the five-seater (unlikely for India) gets a full-size one, but it’s still better than none at all.

The Kodiaq’s compact dimensions and that tapering roof have meant that the third row is not very spacious by modern standards. You’ll really have to make some compromises with the slide and recline of the middle row to fit anyone back here, and even once you have, it is very tight for adults. The huge wheel arch intrusions seriously limit the width and the seat itself is thin, low-set and with a very small squab. As a result, you sit very ‘knees-up’, there’s no thigh support and your legs will constantly brush against the middle row. Even headroom is seriously tight. So yes, while this is a seven-seater, the last row is best reserved for children, or folded away.

Skoda will showcase the new Kodiaq at the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October. Thereafter, production will begin by the end of this year, and it will be introduced in Europe only in 2017. At this point, even the spec for India has not been finalised, and given how long model introductions typically take in India, don’t expect to see the Kodiaq in a Skoda showroom in your city before September 2017. As for how much it will cost, Skoda plans to keep it quite aggressive, in line with its ‘value luxury’ brand philosophy. So expect prices to fit in the Rs 25-30 lakh (ex-showroom) bracket, when the car is launched in India.

Recommended: Skoda Kodiaq to kick-start five-strong SUV family