Skoda Kodiaq revealed; India launch next year

Skoda has officially taken the veil off its full-size SUV - the Kodiaq, at an event in Berlin. The Kodiaq is Skoda's biggest SUV till date, and is also the company's first ever 7-seater car. The Kodiaq is expected to be launched in India in September 2017.

The Kodiaq is essentially a production version of the VisionS concept that was showcased at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in March this year. The production model is quite similar to the concept in terms of design. It gets a boxy look with multiple cuts and creases flowing all over the body panels. At 4.7 metres, it is longer than the Audi Q5.

The Kodiaq is based on the Volkswagen Group's MQB platform, which also underpins its siblings like the Superb and Octavia. The front fascia gets a new butterfly grille, which is surrounded by two high placed LED headlights. The front bumper gets a wide air dam, while the fog lights have been placed higher up than the conventional position. The side profile features large, squarish wheel arches, and a slightly sloping roof line. The rear gets an angular treatment to the tailgate, while the tail lights are similar to the units found in the new Superb.

On the inside, the Kodiaq adorns an upright dashboard design that is expected to be carried forward in future Skoda SUV models as well. The AC vents have been placed in a vertical orientation and are surrounded by a subtle chrome lining. The Kodiaq comes in 5-seater or 7-seater configurations. In the 7-seater version, the boot capacity can be increased from 720 litres to 2,065 litres by folding the rear seats. The second row seats can also split in 60:40 ratio, and can even slide and recline to optimize the space.

The Kodiaq comes with a Skoda Connect touchscreen infotainment system with its onboard Wi-Fi and Google Earth, and is also compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The car gets 360-degree cameras as well. Skoda has also designed an app that lets the owner know the status of the vehicle from the phone.

An emergency assist SOS function is provided that calls an ambulance automatically in case of an accident. Skoda has also added various features under the 'Simply Clever' title. This includes a magnetic flashlight that can stick to the car's bodywork in case of a breakdown. The doors get rubber beading on the edge that pops out when the door is opened in order to avoid the edges being scraped. It also comes with the Skoda umbrella, which is found on the Superb sedan.

Other features include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, driver alert system, trailer control assist, travel assist, and traffic sign recognition.

The Kodiaq gets three petrol and two diesel engine options. The three TSI petrol units include two 1.4-litre mills that generate 123 BHP, 200 Nm and 148 BHP, 250 Nm, while the larger 2.0-litre TSI unit develops 177 BHP and 320 Nm. The diesel engine on offer is a 2.0-litre TDI engine, available in two states of tune: 148 BHP & 340 Nm, and 188 BHP and 400 Nm.

Depending on the engine, the Kodiaq is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed / 7-speed DSG automatic transmissions.

Skoda will be showcasing the Kodiaq at the Paris Motor Show in October, while production will commence later in 2016.