To enjoy a drive in Mumbai, the nighttime is the right time. The good folk at Skoda also seem to be thinking the same way because they’ve organized the new gen Kodiaq’s drive in the after-hours.
Over this video, you’ll see a lot of Mumbai’s highlights and a lot of the new Skoda Kodiaq. In a nutshell, the Kodiaq is Skoda’s relatively large three-row SUV. It’s a big deal for Skoda, with the first gen model selling over 900,000 units worldwide, 10,000 of which went to buyers in India.
Skoda Kodiaq Design and styling
Skoda wants to add significantly to the tally with this gen two model. The new Kodiaq is easily identifiable as a Kodiaq, at least when viewed head-on. Styling upfront is an evolution with a modern treatment to individual elements.
The bonnet is more sculpted and adds visual volume to the front, while you’ll also find a larger interpretation of Skoda’s traditional octagonal grille, this time around embellished with an LED light strip that flows into the headlight DRLs.
The headlights sport a split look here too, with the main cluster up top beautifully detailed. Effective LED lighting is standard, but interestingly, matrix LEDs with more precise light control could be offered in the future.
Lower down, there’s a neat air intake flanked by air curtains that are among many elements that have helped aerodynamics. I do wish the quest for enhanced aero didn’t extend to the wheels.
The 18-inch wheels have a concealed look and appear unexciting. Squared-out wheel arches are a link to the original model, but it’s actually in profile that the Kodiaq’s design and styling evolution is most apparent.
Where the last one was all about crisp creases and straight lines, the new Kodiaq surfacing is an interplay of soft contours and well-defined elements. While the 2791 millimeter wheelbase is common to gen one and gen two Kodiaqs, overall length is up 59 millimeters.
The length increase, concentrated at the rear overhang, gives the new model an elongated look. And the upswept rear quarter glass that sits flush with a contrast dark chrome panel on the D-pillar is a very clear point of distinction too.
White taillamps with a C-shaped LED light signature define the tail end. Interestingly, while the lights are linked, the middle section doesn’t illuminate. Worth highlighting is that the Kodiaq will be available in two flavors.
With us is the top-end L&K in the new Bronx Gold metallic paint shade. There’s also the option of a sportline trim that trades many chrome details for gloss black, wears different 18-inch rims, and also features a blacked out D-pillar that collectively lend the Skoda a sportier vibe.
Sportline versions have a different interior treatment as well, which I’ll get to in a bit. Do you like what you see? Let me know in the comments below.
And if you haven’t already, please do subscribe to the Autocar India channel and hit the bell icon to be notified every time we have a new video up. Open the Kodiaq’s doors and you’ll like the carpet of light that welcomes you onboard.
And while not all too apparent in the dark, you’ll appreciate the presence of door edge protectors that pop out to keep your Kodiaq scratch-free in tight parkings. Inside, you’ll like what you see.
Skoda Kodiaq Interior quality
On the inside, you feel like you’re sitting in a proper European market Skoda. Now, there’s a certain premiumness to this cabin which is really, really likable, and that premiumness comes through from, um, a lot of different elements, like the padded materials on the dashtop, the knurled dials over here, the knurled finish for the AC controls, and just the keen attention to detail.
It all adds up to a lot. All touchpoints on the steering, doors, and dash feel upmarket, and the overall ambience inside gives the feel of money well spent, and that counts for a lot. The wing dashboard is nicely turned out too.
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Tech features Of Skoda Kodiaq
On to the screens. The full digital dials are a nice upgrade, and they also have a full-width map view. The only thing is that it doesn’t relay the feed from Google Maps and only shows the onboard navigation maps.
But it’s this 13-inch touchscreen that really delivers that big screen experience. Now, it is a large screen, but it is one of the best of the kind. Now, it packs in a lot of shortcuts within easy access and a lot of the icons inside are also of a good size, so you really won’t have a lot of trouble navigating through this system.
There’s Apple CarPlay, Android Auto with wireless connectivity, so you’re well taken care of there as well. But what makes all the difference is that not all of the features are bundled onto the touchscreen.
Now, the interesting thing is that your climate control is via these controllers, but the center controller can also be programmed for different features. So right now, press it once and you get volume control, press it another time and you move to the drive mode selector, press it another time you get blower control, and press it a fourth time and you get the air conditioning settings.
So it’s really nicely done. Uh, it’s really tactile to use this feature. You don’t have to rely on the touchscreen for everyday functions, and that makes such a big difference to the way you interface with your car.
The screen is your display for the decent 360-degree camera and control for functions such as ambient lighting, colors, and themes. There’s an autopark feature too that will find a suitable parking and steer your car into place.
New Skoda Kodiaq Storage
The Kodiaq’s cabin is also very well thought out, with storage spaces for all manners of odds and ends.
Now, the center console in particular is very handy, and that’s because there’s no gear lever here, there’s a gear selector behind the steering wheel, and this means you get a lot of space here. So, two USB slots over there.
Move this back and you get two wireless charging pads here. Roll this back and you get not two, but as many as four cupholders. Skoda has also thoughtfully included a cleaner to wipe away those smudges from your touchscreen.
People with OCD will really appreciate this. Then there’s another box between the front seats. It’s nice and deep and can hold quite a bit. You get two glove compartments, and I love that the door pockets are French lined, it gives that premiumness to the interior. And there’s also a small dustbin that’s been packed in.
Front seat comfort
Comfort is well taken care of too. The Kodiaq’s front seats go really well on comfort. They’re large and supportive, even for a healthier framed occupant like myself.
There’s adjustable thigh support. The seats are powered, they get memory functions. There’s also seat ventilation for those hot summer days. There’s seat heating for those cold winter nights, and there’s a massage function as well. And I can tell you, the massage feature works really well.
Other feature highlights include a panoramic sunroof and a nice-sounding 13-speaker Canton sound system. Here’s a quick recap of all the comfort features on board the Kodiaq.
Sportline versions are predominantly black inside and feature leatherette and suede upholstery. A three-spoke steering and sporty front seats with integrated headrests are also unique to the Sportline.
Skoda Kodiaq Middle row
A 360-degree camera and autopark are some feature exclusions though. Back to the L&K and onto the middle row seats. You’ll be more than content with the Kodiaq’s middle row experience.
Now, the front seat is set to my driving position, I’m just under six feet tall, and I am very comfortable on knee room. Now, talking knee room, you have the option to slide the seat forward and backward, and that is to adjust space for the third row of passengers.
Currently it’s set at its rearmost setting. I’m pretty well taken care of on knee room. Headroom is just about adequate for someone of my height. Average-sized, uh, individuals will be pretty comfortable.
There is enough space for three. The seat is comfortable, and it also gets you adjustability in terms of the backrest angle. For times when the middle seat isn’t occupied, you can fold down the center armrest.
It’s positioned at a nice height and also packs in cupholders. You also have the option of an accessory storage bay. Now, this mounts onto the center tunnel and gets you an additional two cupholders as well as more storage.
If you think about it, Skoda has actually packed in a lot of storage areas. So you get large bottle holders on the doors, you get door pockets, there’s another pouch for your phone, which is handy, and you also get a mount for a tablet or a phone, which is a nice way to kill time when you have a long commute.
Of the other amenities at the back, you get manual sunshades, uh, there’s a dedicated zone for the climate control system, there are two USB charging sockets, as well as a 12 volt charging socket. Unfortunately, the headrest neck support extensions of the last Kodiaq haven’t made it to the new model.
Moving to the back. The Kodiaq is offered in India in seven-seat configuration, but access to the third row is inconvenient, and space at the very back is tight for large adults.
However, sit size-wise and it’s possible to work out a compromise for short intra-city commutes.
Skoda Kodiaq Luggage space
Remember the longer rear overhang I mentioned earlier? You see the benefit of that when you open the powered and gesture-controlled tailgate.
With all seats up, there’s 281 liters of luggage space, up 11 liters on the older Kodiaq. The 50/50 split third row seats fold flat to free up to 786 liters of luggage room, while the second row seats split 40/20/40 and fold flat to unlock a massive 1976 liters.
Again, the boot area is well thought out, and include holders to keep your luggage in place. Before you ask, there’s an enclosure for a space-saver spare tire packaged under the boot floor too.
Engine and Performance
The new-gen Kodiaq comes built on the VW Group’s MQB Evo platform and has been launched in India with a 2.0-liter turbo petrol engine in 204 horsepower and 320 Newton meter state of tune.
For reference, the older Kodiaq used the engine in 190 horsepower and 320 Newton meter state. Also in consideration for India is the Kodiaq RS with a 265 HP version of the same petrol engine, and a 2.0-liter diesel, yes, diesel, is a possibility too. However, those are stories for another day.
Let’s focus on the version you can buy today. The news is good. Now, the Kodiaq is a pretty large SUV, but this 2.0-liter TSI engine, it makes the Kodiaq feel a lot more alert, a lot more alive, and makes it feel smaller than it actually is.
The engine is energetic and it makes the Kodiaq feel light on its feet. Press down a bit harder on the accelerator and it’s ready with a nice dose of power. The Kodiaq wastes no time to build speed and performance is actually very satisfying.
It sounds quite nice while at it. It has this sort of gravelly note, uh, at lower revs, but when you build up speed, that note gets a bit throaty and it does make for a pretty nice soundtrack.You see the Kodiaq in its best light on open roads, but slow-moving traffic can reveal some rough edges.
The gearbox does tend to feel a bit clunky at low speeds, and that’s something we’ve noted on a whole lot of dual clutch transmissions. But things do smoothen out as you build speed. The gear selector position behind the steering is easy to get used to.
There’s a sport mode and you also get paddle shifters for times when you want to take manual control. The Kodiaq comes across as a car that will do the everyday grind with a smile on its face.
It’ll do the weekend trip happily, and when you want to indulge in a bit of fun, it’ll give you company in that as well. The handling, like any VW Group car, is neat and tidy and safe and secure. All-wheel drive is standard and will be a safety net in poor weather.
What the system enables in off-road ability is something we’ll test when we get the Kodiaq for the longer duration. The Kodiaq offers 155 millimeters of laden ground clearance, that is with a full load of passengers, so you won’t have issues on big speed breakers.
As for ride comfort, there is a firmness to the suspension setup and it doesn’t quite smoothen out u- uneven surfaces. But is it a reason for complaint? I wouldn’t think so. A thing to bring up is that the new gen Kodiaq doesn’t get damper control and you can feel the difference when you’re driving at higher speeds.
There’s a bit more vertical movement and it doesn’t feel quite as tied down as the last gen one did. At lower city speeds, you’ll appreciate the steering’s weight. The light steering also makes the Kodiaq feel quite maneuverable, and as a result, easy to live with in the city.
The Skoda Kodiaq delivers an ARAI-tested fuel economy of 14.86 KPL. It’s an improvement over the last model’s 12.78 KPL official figure, but fact is, you’d be lucky to see double-digit figures in congested city driving. Then again, that’s true for most SUVs with large turbo petrol engines.
Skoda Kodiaq Safety features
The Skoda Kodiaq has not been rated by Bharat NCAP or Global NCAP as yet, but there’s comfort in knowing it’s a Euro NCAP five-star rated car. In terms of safety kit, the Skoda Kodiaq for India packs in nine airbags, including one between the front passengers. There’s ESC, hill descent control, Isofix child seat mounts, and more.
Unfortunately, there’s no advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, at least for the moment. The Volkswagen Group is working on ADAS for India, but a timeline for rollout of these features hasn’t been announced.
Price and verdict
Skoda hadn’t released prices for the Kodiaq at the time of recording this video, but we expect the Sportline to come in at around 45 lakhs with the L&K priced dearer at 48 lakhs ex-showroom.
There’s not only been a substantial price jump over the last gen model, but it’s going to be significantly pricier than the Hyundai Tucson, which is the go-to model in this segment.
However, the Kodiaq does go one up on the Tucson, as well as its recently launched cousin, the new gen Volkswagen Tiguan, with a third row of seats. The third row isn’t great, but brings in a seating flexibility that many buyers will value.
The bigger draw is the premium experience the Kodiaq delivers. Talk interior quality or drive experience, the Skoda feels like an expensive European vehicle. In fact, objectively speaking, the Kodiaq is a more wholesome package than the entry luxury SUV offerings from Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. See it in this light and you’ll find a compelling proposition in the new gen Skoda Kodiaq.