A Kodiaq moment – The Hindu BusinessLine

The new Skoda Kodiaq scores really well on everyday driving
| Photo Credit:
Shreyansh Chatterjee

The hugely revered Skoda Kodiaq is back in an all-new avatar. It looks smarter, comes with new features, sits on Volkswagen’s MQB evo platform, and has a cabin that is miles ahead of its predecessor. It promises to live up to the high standards set by Skoda cars of the past and to see whether it delivers on that claim, we take the latest iteration out for a spin in Mumbai.

As you enter the new Kodiaq’s cabin, the first thing that becomes apparent is that it’s undergone an evolutionary refresh. This sounds promising because we’ve loved Skoda interiors of the past, their usualsimply clever touches and, of course, how well-engineered those cars felt. The new Kodiaq appears to be made keeping in mind an overall minimalist approach, without losing out on charm or quality. The chunky gear selector of the previous car has made way for a neat toggle switch on the steering column. It takes away some tactility, no doubt, but it also opens up space on the centre console, now taken up by a dual wireless charging pad setup.

Mix of modernity and opulence

We got to sample the feature-loaded Laurin & Klement trim, but the Skoda Kodiaq is also made available in a Sportline variant. L&K’s cabin is a great mix of modernity and opulence. The large 12.9-inch touchscreen entertainment is bound to grab all your attention as you look around in the cabin. It feels quite snappy in terms of performance, and its smartphone-inspired user interface makes operating it quite easy, too. The all-digital instrument panel looks good, and the two-spoke steering wheel right in front of it solidifies Skoda’s signature design.

There’s no shortage of features, as we said earlier. The seats are power-adjustable and come with a memory function, there’s an onboard 360-degree camera, its expansive sunroof makes the three-row cabin feel even bigger, and it doesn’t miss out on multiple driving modes, either. Skoda has made the seats more comfortable and supportive, and while space in the first two rows is great, the third row is best left for occasional use. You can fold the third row down, and it opens up quite a lot of boot space, making the Kodiaq practical as a five-seat car. The automatic door-edge protectors are still present, and you also get a built-in screen cleaning cloth with the Kodiaq. It’s always things like these —and the attention to detail — that made Skodas of the past feel a touch better than the rivals, and we can confirm that the Kodiaq continues the tradition.

The overall design tweaks made to the Kodiaq haven’t turned it into a radically different-looking SUV, but they’re quite effective and make the SUV stand out. You wouldn’t want to walk away from it without giving it another glance; it’s that good. The grille up front is now illuminated and, despite being finished in black, it makes a lasting impression. The revised rear quarter has made the Kodiaq distinctly more muscular and the taillights seem more prominent than earlier.

On the move, the Kodiaq feels like a surprise; despite its size, it is approachable and quite nimble, too. It sits on Volkswagen’s MQB evo platform, which gives the Kodiaq respectable tautness without compromising on comfort. From crawling city traffic to endless highways, it seems equipped to handle everything modern motoring throws at it. The steering felt light but accurate, making city runs quite effortless. The electronic parking brake felt to be too abrupt for an otherwise well-polished car but apart from that, the Kodiaq never failed to impress.

It is powered by a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 201 bhp and 32.63 kg-m, both extremely respectable figures, and unsurprisingly, as a result, the Kodiaq always felt eager but never short on refinement. The ‘DSG’ branding from the gear selector might’ve gone, but the car still uses a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox which, paired with an all-wheel drive system, makes the Kodiaq feel quite brisk on the move.

Select the Kodiaq’s Sport mode, and the rapid acceleration becomes more noticeable — it makes the throttle response sharper and the gearbox upshifts a little later than usual, so that you make the most of the powerband. For something that has acres of space inside, the Kodiaq moves with unmatched grace. It doesn’t pretend to be a hot hatchback but doesn’t feel too heavy, either. It exhibits no unnecessary drama, the overall body roll is well-contained, and bad roads and potholes are handled quite well, too.

Fuel efficiency

While it wasn’t a full-fledged test per se, we witnessed the real-time fuel efficiency marker to be in the range of 14-17 km/l, which isn’t bad for a petrol SUV. We’ll need to drive the car for longer to see how it fares but on the whole, the Kodiaq clearly seems to offer a good balance between fun and practicality. It undercuts the new Tiguan R-Line by a few lakhs and is a great package for those who want a premium SUV with a lot of space without compromising on vehicle dynamics.

Earlier this year, at the Bharat Mobility Expo, Skoda showcased a diesel-powered iteration of the SUV, so the hopes are still high for one. Although even without a diesel engine or a VRS badge (which I believe could be a huge favourite among enthusiasts), I think it’s hard not to find this Skoda appealing.

The new Skoda Kodiaq scores really well on everyday driving but without taking away the ability to bring a smile to your face as you depress the accelerator pedal. It drives well, looks quite modern, and with its thoroughly updated cabin, it is ready to compete with cars that are much more expensive.

Yours for ₹46.89 lakh onwards, ex-showroom. Not too bad, isn’t it?