When a brand creates a product, it is designed with an idea to understand what the consumers want and Skoda is as their tagline suggests, Simply Clever!
You are looking for luxury that is combined with power, comfort and beauty at the same time there is some sense of family element, it has to be the Skoda Kodiaq.
Yes! the Kodiaq is finally here after a long long wait. Hold on, let me add, again!
The Kodiaq is back for India and this time, with a powerful engine, rugged exteriors, luxurious interiors, uncompromising safety & comfort it is taking forward the legacy of Skoda.
The KODIAQ comes equipped with an all-new powerful yet efficient 2.0 TSI petrol engine mated to a responsive 7-speed DSG transmission sending power to all four wheels and the car is now available everywhere across the country, at a starting price of ₹ 34.99 lacs (ex-showroom, pan India).
The new ŠKODA KODIAQ is available exclusively as a seven-seater in Style, SportLine and Laurin & Klement variants.
Let’s talk about the exteriors first.
You got a new grill, a new bumper and new headlights which are now even more bold and striking. The face is still very familiar but it has been refurbished and cleaned a little to make it look different from the old Kodiaq. The headlights now have the ŠKODA Crystalline LEDs with illuminated eyelashes and dynamic turn indicators at the rear. Moreover, a new rear spoiler design optimizes the large SUV’s aerodynamics. Come to the side and you realize that the Kodiaq is big. It is long and designed for practicality and comfort of the passengers. You get 18 inch alloy wheels which look really nice and will be unique for all variants.
Under the hood, is a new Skoda 2 litre TSI engine and it is the only engine available. It is a four cylinder engine and it makes 187 BHP and produces 320 NM of torque and Skoda claims 0-100 kmph in 7.8 seconds. That’s not at all bad for a car of this size and apart from this, it gets the 7-speed DSG gearbox and we all know Skoda is known for their lovely DSG Gearbox and wait, it also gets AWD which means the power is transferred to all the four wheels improving the driving even more.
In addition, the first-in-segment Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) offered in the L&K, further adds to Kodiaq’s capabilities of 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 constantly monitors terrain and provides optimum damping characteristics to each shock absorber lending smooth and consistent ride and handling characteristics allowing a full-size SUV like the Kodiaq to pack in agile, car-like dynamics.
Get inside and you realize that like every other Skoda car, this has also maintained it’s standards because luxury and Skoda go hand in hand.
The Style and Laurin & Klement variants focus on the rear seat luxury with stone beige leather perforated upholstery for the L&K, with more chrome inside and outside while the SportLine has a more driver-oriented appeal with all black suedia interiors, a 3-spoke flat-bottom sport steering wheel, more side bolstering, integrated headrests, and expanded shoulder support sport seats for enthusiastic cornering.
You get the 12-way adjustable electric seats with in-built cooling and heating in the L&K. Carrying forward the all-new bold theme, the Kodiaq is equipped in options of a three or two-spoke steering wheel, ambient lighting along with a state-of-the-art Canton 625 W 12-speaker audio system with a subwoofer. Besides, customers can remotely open and shut windows, door mirrors and the all-new panoramic sunroof.
Connectivity has never been a problem either and you get a 20.32 cm infotainment touchscreen equipped with inbuilt navigation and full connectivity via the MyŠKODA CONNECT App. It enhances the In car connectivity even more with an array of latest-generation USB C ports accessible to the front passengers and a 12V socket for the convenience of the rear passengers, wireless charging for your phone, and 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 trims come with a fully programmable Virtual Cockpit with digital dials and a digital console that complements the 26.03 cm media interface with five themes to suit the driver’s needs and also to avoid distraction of the driver from the road. It is designed in such a way that it is easily readable while driving at the same time, you don’t lose focus from the roads.
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 Kodiaq is abundant with storage crevices, holders and luggage capacity. It comes standard with an illuminated and cooled glovebox in the front and 270 litres of boot space at the back with seven seats up. With the last row seats folded down, customers have a substantial 630 litres of storage. And in case of the third row and second row seats down, the new Kodiaq can make a whopping 2005 litres of luggage space available making the new Kodiaq the complete, luxury, all-terrain family mover.
Talk about safety and it has not been compromised either in the Kodiaq. With a total of 9 airbags standard, the Skoda Kodiaq also includes 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.
There are little but thoughtful touches which make the Kodiaq a ‘simply clever’ product like the the umbrella wet case in each front door with an umbrella itself provided for the driver. Also standard is the Virtual Pedal with the electric tailgate allowing users to open and close the rear boot with just a swing of the leg, negating the need to fish for keys or hunt for buttons when carrying luggage or shopping to be stored in the boot. For comfort in long journeys, the Kodiaq also offers a Power Nap Package with a blanket, allowing passengers to have a relaxed and comfortable experience, as the Kodiaq munches the miles. Not to be forgotten are the other usual ŠKODA AUTO enhancements like a ticket holder in the A-pillar, illuminated and cooled glovebox, dashboard storage, and the Easy Grip mat for the front bottle holder.
The Kodiaq Starts at ₹ 34.99 lacs with three trims on offer: Style, SportLine, and Laurin & Klement. This is a top notch product from Skoda as usual and it sits a level up, above it’s competitors like the Fortuner and MG Gloster.
Luxury, driving, comfort and safety, everything under one roof. What do you think of the Kodiaq? Will you prefer to chose over it’s competitors? Let us know in the comments section below and to read our previous articles, click here.