One plus for the Kodiaq - If you see our other report, we took it to places where roads barely existed in Spiti - except for an AC failure in one car. All 6 cars made it back. I wonder if the BMW would have managed the extreme stuff.

All depends on your usage!

Since you are considering Kodiaq, i will assume that you are keen on a diesel car. So based on this assumption my personal opinion will be like this:

1. If i am spending upwards of 50L for a luxury car, i will give high priority to the luxury experience which strongly includes REFINEMENT. So i will go for 6 cylinder diesels (not just for more power but refinement also) instead of a 4 pot diesel and X3 doesnt have it yet in India. So i will go for a X3 with 4 pot petrol or buy a Kodiaq - fulfill my needs and save 20 L in the process.

2. If i must buy a BMW to fulfill my dreams, i will strech a little bit more and go for X5 instead if it has great discounts (15-20L) as some posts here suggest.

Test driving on Saturday. This is not going to end well though. I dont think I can stretch for the X5, as good a deal as it is, and it just seems too much for us. Also, I dont think it will age well.

I test drove the Kodiaq again today, after quite a few months (L&K this time). It felt a bit underpowered even compared to the Jetta in D mode. S mode drives better than the Jetta though. The RS really is the way to go on this, heres to hoping it comes.

I'm not getting the colours I want on the X3 30i, and I would rather wait for the RS version of the Kodiaq, so the decision is likely to be pushed out by a few months.

The only decision that needs to be taken quickly is the X5 (seems like an overkill to both me and my wife).

Well, the newer ones will definitely be different on interiors and features, have a look here at the new 3.



https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/inter...nveiled-6.html (The next-gen BMW 3-Series (G20). EDIT: Now unveiled)

But these will be expensive, I picked the current generation one in 2016 @ 74 Lac Ex-Showroom and the car does not have digital MDI, No- CarPlay either But it does not ride any different from what they sell today so I am happy with the Headup display

Remember, the same will happen with you on the X3, buying a BMW in India early on with fewer discounts is always a loss.

Did you tried a different dealer ?
Sometimes they play around to clear their old stock.

X3 30i was having very less stock from Oct. But they supposed to run one more production in Dec.
I was lucky and all credit goes to @ Sumain who helped / updated me & I could book car of my choice.

Brdgs
Sail

The X5 will age really quickly, but the X3 has at least 5-6 years in it in the looks department. Apart from that, the main and the only thing I will miss is Android Auto, which will HAVE come to the BMWs in the next year or two. All the other driver tech doesnt matter, in my view.

There are X3 discounts, and they arent bad, BTW. So if someone is interested, they can easily get 6-7 lakhs (part of it insurance).

Tried both in Mumbai and the one that deals with Aurangabad, Pune and Goa, across all three cities. No luck.

Its indeed tough to upgrade from the 20L rupee Jetta, it offers so much at that price point! My 4 yr Co. lease on the Jetta is over and it is still as good as new at 46K clicks - giving me no excuse to replace... But I am watching the market and threads like yours!

The 3rd row on the Kodiaq is a joke... any specific reason for rejecting the Tiguan besides the non leather seats?

Just curious, what are the net discounted on road prices of kodiaq, x3 30i, x3 30d and x5 30d? Approximate figures will do. Thanks.

Good timing! Autoexpress UK reviews the Kodiaq vRS:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/...rs-2019-review

Verdict: 3/5
After years of speculation Skoda has finally built a hot SUV and stuck its fabled vRS badge on it. The Kodiaq vRS certainly looks the part inside and out and offers fast performance, wrapped up in practical SUV body with a well-made interior, just like any other Kodiaq. Trouble is, it doesn’t feel quick or special enough to justify its price and it isn’t enough of a step on from the ‘warm’ Kodiaq Sportline model.

Extract: The vRS should be the perfect car with a practical interior, an SUV body and subtle sporty styling. In many respects it is but the car’s big problem is how much Skoda is charging for it. It’s just shy of £43,000, which puts the vRS right up against cars like the Land Rover Discovery Sport and BMW X3; they’re not as well equipped but have a different, more premium appeal that’s hard to ignore at this price point.

Honestly, I don't think this should be the deciding factor. The 2.0 litre engines on the VAG cars 2016 onwards seem to be tuned differently to not give that boost kind of acceleration that is there on the Jetta and in the earlier Gen 2 Superbs. I can say this as we replaced our 2011 Gen 2 Superb with the 2016 Superb and the difference was evident immediately.

I am guessing this has got something to do with the DieselGate issue. I had given my Jetta to VW for the software update and the boost was toned down big time. It is post this that I decided to remap the car and it made a world of a difference.

I hence suggest to look at the Kodiaq and get the engine remapped. This way you will get to enjoy a 7-seater SUV with close to BMW X3 power. You will save 20 lakhs and cost of ownership will be easier on your pocket too. I still don't understand why it costs me 50k+ to service my Mercedes GLC and just around 17k to service my Jetta & Superb respectively when all engines are 2.0 litres. Oh wait, that's because it a Mercedes!

I am saying all this only because the badge isn't important to you.

Sounds like a great idea, Epic! Only fly in the ointment is that one loses nearly all standard warranty as soon as Skoda discovers the remap. Engine and tranny are gone anyway as is suspension, electricals they will find some excuse leaving little else . OR can one hide the remap effectively enough?

Would you take a chance like this with a brand new 44L vehicle? I personally would be in 2 minds.

I have done it on my 2015 Jetta and it is still under warranty till next year. The remap hasn't been detected by VW (yet) or may be it has and no one cares until something goes wrong. I don't know. But yes it is a risk for sure.

Maybe use a piggy back system which can be removed when the car is given to the service centre.

The 3rd row in Kodiaq is a joke for adults, but not for a 9 and 6 year old, at least not for the next few years. The Kodiaq is undoubtedly more spacious and well-equipped than the Tiguan. Also, even more than the Kodiaq, the Tiguan felt like I was driving the Jetta all over again.

Respectively 43, 63, 64 (20d, there's no 30d) and around 70.

The comparison above is with the Sportline 190 hp, in which case it might not be much of an upgrade. Compared to the 150hp version available here, it will unquestionably be better.


Like itwasntme says, If someone had done it before with the Kodiaq, and the warranty wasnt at risk, I could have thought about it. I'm not keen to be the pioneer on this one.

Hi Ajmat,
I just sold my X5, did 3 Raid-de-Himalaya in it (as an official). It went to Spiti 3 times (including 1 in March this year when the roads were officially not open), Leh, Zanskar and some extreme stretches of Kashmir valley. Love the car, replaced it with another X5 few weeks ago for obvious reasons (discounts).

My personal opinion - between 64 lakh and 70 lakh a larger X5 with 3.0 engine is honestly a hands down no brainer.