Skoda revives its old recipe for success: the new Kodiaq SUV is based on the Tiguan from sister brand VW, but offers a lot more space for less money. The new flagship of the Czechs will be launched in early 2017.
At 4,70 meters, the Kodiaq is around 20 centimeters longer than the Tiguan, with which it shares large parts of the technology. In contrast to the VW, there is also an optional third row of seats for the Skoda. In the group portfolio, the new dimensions are most likely based on the Audi Q5, outside the models are Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander or Kia Sorento. However, the Kodiaq wants to surpass all of the above in terms of space, both in terms of space for passengers and in terms of trunk size. The Kodiaq holds a maximum of 2.065 liters, thanks to the foldable passenger seat, objects up to 2,80 meters long can be stowed away, and a sliding rear bench allows you to vary between rear knee room and maximum load volume.
Not only size and variability should ensure suitability for everyday use, but also a few practical details. In addition to familiar things such as the boot lid that swings open when you step on it or the rear seat backrests that fold down at the push of a button, there are also new features such as sleep headrests or the door edge protection, which was previously only offered by Ford, which extends automatically when the door is opened. A brand flagship also needs modern assistants. For the first time, Skoda is therefore offering a traffic jam assistant that takes over the wheel in slow traffic up to 65 km / h. There is also the well-known maneuvering assistant for towing a trailer, lane keeping, distance and blind spot warning or an emergency braking assistant with pedestrian detection.
When driving the Kodiaq relies on the proven Group technology. First, there are three turbo gasoline and two diesel to choose from. The gasoline engines have 1,4 and 2,0 liter displacement as well as 92 kW / 125 horsepower, 110 kW / 150 horsepower and 132 kW / 180 horsepower, the 2,0-liter diesels come on 110 kW / 150 PS and 140 kW / 190 PS. All-wheel drive is standard in the two most powerful engines, with the other he can be booked. The exception is the base gasoline, which is only available with front-wheel drive. Depending on the variant, either a six-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch transmission with six or seven gears ensures power transmission.
The Kodiaq celebrates its premiere at the Paris Motor Show (1.-16, October) and will hit the market early next year. The price starts at around 25.000 Euro. For comparison, the cheapest Tiguan 1.000 Euro is more expensive.
