Skoda launches refreshed Kodiaq at Rs 34.99 lakh

Four years after it launched the Kodiaq in India, Skoda Auto Volkswagen has launched a refreshed  version of the  SUV. The vehicle will retail at an ex-showroom  price starting  Rs 34.99 lakh, all India. The vehicle is the first of six launches planned for this calendar.

The new Kodiaq comes, for the first time, with an all-new 2.0 TSI petrol engine mated to a responsive 7-speed DSG transmission.  In addition, the first-in-segment Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) offered in the L&K, further adds to its capabilities on-road and all-terrain dynamics. DCC allows the driver to select between Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sports, Snow and Individual driving modes. At the heart of the DCC are dual-shell, gas-liquid shock absorbers mated to an electronic control unit that monitors terrain and provides optimum damping characteristics to each shock absorber lending smooth and consistent ride, the company added

Zac Hollis, Brand Director, said, “With several segment leading features and uncompromising safety, Skoda Kodiaq is a complete luxury package for the family, whether it is everyday driving or off-road adventures.” The SUV is available as a seven-seater in Style, SportLine and Laurin & Klement variants.

The SUV comes with 9 airbags apart from other features including  adaptive front headlights, automatic dimming exterior mirror (on driver side) and defogging across all transparent surfaces, electronic, mechanical and hydraulic brake assist, stability control, multi-collision braking and park assist with handsfree parking among others. In addition, the flagship L&K packs in hill descent control and a 360-degree camera as standard.

In terms of storage and comfort , the vehicle is a 40:20:40 split of second-row seats and a 50-50 split third-row backrest that completely folds down. The SUV also features double dashboard storage, under steering storage and a front centre armrest storage. Besides being a full-size seven-seater, the new SUV has storage crevices, holders and luggage capacity. It comes standard with an illuminated and cooled glovebox in the front and 270 liters of boot space at the back with seven seats up. With the last row seats folded down, the storage area can be increased to 630-liters. If all five seats at the rear are folded down, the car can offer 2005 liters of luggage space. The differently-styled alloys for the 45.72cm (R18) wheels will be unique for all variants, the company said.

Connectivity & infotainment
The SUV has been fitted with a 20.32 cm infotainment touch screen equipped with inbuilt navigation and full connectivity via an App. Further enhancing in-car connectivity are an array of latest-generation USB C ports for the front passenger, and a 12V socket for those at the back, as well as support for wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Style variant comes with 4 analogue dials and digital readouts displaying essential information to the driver. The SportLine and L&K trim come with a fully-programmable Virtual Cockpit with digital dials and a digital console that complements the 26.03 cm media interface.

Skoda Auto recently announced that it sold 23,858 vehicles in 2021, and hopes to treble this to over 71,000 units 2022, and further scale it up to 1,00,000 units by 2025.