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-   -   The Skoda Kodiaq. EDIT: Now launched at Rs 34.49 lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/178741-skoda-kodiaq-edit-now-launched-rs-34-49-lakhs.html)

Mod Note: Our Kodiaq Report has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!



The VisionS Concept was revealed at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show & formed the base for the forthcoming Kodiaq SUV. The management of Skoda had mentioned that the model was nearer to production than you would think. Now, it has been confirmed that the Kodiaq will be revealed at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show. Pilot production will commence in October 2016 with an eye on an early 2017 market launch.



Team-BHP was invited to participate in a preview of the car prior to the actual Paris reveal. No photography was permitted. We had to surrender both, our cameras and phones, before entering the hall. A lot was discussed, but minimal data was supplied in the press material. Hence, you will need to rely on my far-from-eidetic memory for most points.

Brand Positioning:

The Kodiaq is a part of Skoda's Strategy 2025. At present, Skoda offers six different models – CitiGo, Fabia, Rapid, Octavia, Superb and Yeti. These six models have 40 variants in terms of body styles and engines. High hopes are placed in the Kodiaq as it is slated to improve margins tremendously. It enters a 4.7 million strong growth market for SUVs. The Yeti has been well received (internationally, not in India where it's a flop) and accounts for 10% of Skoda's sales. This takes Skoda into the large SUV segment. They have high hopes in China, where owning an SUV projects presence and freedom.

Skoda claims its USPs are superior space, safety and value (in terms of interior equipment). Sounds familiar? Yep, it's the 'Skoda Superb' formula with an SUV body style. If priced well, it can lick all the 40 lakh SUVs. Can be a game-changer just like the Superb was. The Kodiaq sits in between traditional model segments to offer more car compared to other rivals. After this overview, the Kodiaq was revealed to us. Before I provide my observations, let's have a look at the car's dimensions.

Dimensions:

It has presence, despite being only 4 cm longer than the Octavia. The Kodiaq has the largest boot in its segment at over 2,000 litres with the seats folded down.
Length - 4,697 mm
Wheelbase - 2,791 mm (103 mm longer than the Octavia, but 50 mm shorter than the Superb)
Width - 1,882 mm
Front headroom - 1,059 mm
Rear headroom - 1,015 mm
Weight (1.4 TSI) - 1,550 kg
Weight (2.0 TDI) - 1,660 kg
Drag coefficient - 0.331

Boot space:

With all 7 seats up, the Kodiaq has slightly more boot space compared to a Fabia. It is similar to an Innova Crysta, but a lot more than an XUV500.



Some points to note:

• 5-seater version comes with a full size spare in the boot floor. 7-seater version comes with a space saver
• Boot floor is well designed with special recesses to store the retractable luggage cover mechanism
• All seat folding functions are manual, no electric motors
• Boot is released by waving your leg

Note: Images of Skoda Kodiaq test mules provided by Skoda.

Engines and Transmissions:



So, what happened to the beloved 1.8 TSI? Well, that has been withdrawn and replaced by the 2.0 TSI with a revised combustion chamber for better emissions. Another reason is the 1.4 TSI 155 PS coming closer to the 1.8.

My speculation is that we might get a 1.4 TSI for the volume price point as well as the 2.0 TSI and 2.0 TDI on higher variants. The version we saw was a diesel complete with an AdBlue system. No hybrid has been planned for now. We were not allowed to look under the bonnet as it was a pre-production "mess".

The 4x4 system is a hydraulic, multiplate inter-axle system. Yes, it is Haldex, but now BorgWarner has acquired Haldex, so the name is no longer used.

Chassis and Driving Modes:

The chassis will come in 2 variants - Conventional and Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) with Comfort, Sport & Normal modes. In simpler terms, one will be a stock suspension, the other will have adjustable dampers.

The driving modes will be Eco, Comfort (DCC), Normal (DCC), Sport (DCC) as well as Individual - the steering, suspension and throttle responses are configured to your taste. There is also a Snow mode which dumbs down throttle response and restricts gear ratios.

Offroading Capability:

The Kodiaq has a strong road bias, with the 4x4 mode being only for mildly rough patches. No, this isn't a rock climber like a Land Rover.

It comes with a ground clearance of 190 mm and a wading depth of 300 mm. The car's approach angle is 22 degrees, ramp angle is 19.7 degrees and exit angle is 23.1 degrees.

Towing Capacity:

• 2.5 tonnes
• Electrically retractable tow bar
• Trailer park assist is provided

The "Simply Clever" ideas from Skoda :D :

The Kodiaq comes with some new, simple (the "why the hell did I not think of that") ideas.

• Retractable door edge protectors - These swing out and cover the door edges as the door opens. These edges are spring-loaded, and are pulled back in by a cable + rod system (actuated by a plunger) when pushed against the door pillar
• Sleep headrests – Remember that U-shaped neck pillow you take on a bus ride? Similar to that, the headrest has two wings which fold out to locate your head
• Variable boot floor height. The boot floor panel can also be used as a divider
• Detachable, magnetic boot light which doubles up as a torch. This can be mounted on the bonnet, over the wheel arch, etc.
• Electric rear door child locks
• Driver's microphone picks up driver's voice and broadcasts that to the rear speakers – no need to shout at your kids. I am not sure what happens when you whisper sweet nothings to your wife though :)!
• Heated steering wheel (we really don't need that...in India, it's a standard feature on all cars)
• Of course, the door-mounted umbrellas are a given as well as the one-hand bottle opener as seen in the Superb

Safety Equipment:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind spot detection
• Area view – cameras mounted on the front nose, door mirrors and rear
• Tow assist – to assist in parking
• Front assist + City emergency brake + multi-collision braking (similar to Volvos)

Observations:

The Kodiaq is a proper Skoda. Imagine the VisionS concept with elements of the Superb grafted on it, and you get the picture. It has some elements of the Tiguan, but the detailing sets it apart (the spy shots of the recently revealed Tiguan XL point to a possibly shared floorpan). You can tell that some Audi design elements exist, but these are very subtle. You are in no doubt that this is the Superb's beefier, taller brother. The disguised prototypes make the Kodiaq to be perceived as frumpy. This is not the case in reality.

The Front:

Headlights are a little deeper and look less evil. LED lights will be an option. The innermost segment controls the high beam, the outer one controls the low beam. The high-set driving lights are there, but the contoured scoops are toned down:


The grille retains the chrome surround, but the "Mahindra grin" is subdued. The teeth are in a matte finish. The middle three sets are fused into a block and form the radar sensor:




Side Profile:

The side profile is exactly as the VisionS and has a nice slope to reduce the bulk. While headroom at the front is 1,059 mm, it is reduced to 1,015 mm for the rearmost passengers:


The bumpers look bulky in the picture below. In reality, they are far better integrated:


The Rear:

The rear lights are a little larger to accommodate the traditional C pattern. They retain the crystalline edges. These will be LED for all models:


The "deconstructed" C will not make it to production, nor will the red reflector band below the bumper. The bumper will be a more simple evolution without any exhaust embellishments:


Interiors:

• Fronts seats provide a wide range of adjustment options (similar to the Superb)
• The middle row seat slides forward and back. Legroom is good, but not up to the standard of the Superb. It more than matches the Mercedes GLC. The middle passenger's seat is flat, narrow and lacks contours. The rear center console contains a single-zone climate control unit and it limits legroom slightly. The transmission hump means you need to sit in a splayed stance
• I managed to sit in the rearmost seats. The seats are mounted on the rear axle, hence a six footer sits in a squatted stance. There is very little thigh support and limited legroom. Headroom is okay, despite a lower roof line. These seats are fine to go for a quick ride to the movies, but for a long journey, they're best for kids only. Getting out of the third row requires a lot of balance. I refused the kind hand of the Skoda PRO to ease myself out and found it required a bit of skill
• The boot is well shaped and contains various cubbyholes on the side. The seat release is mechanical. The spare wheel is buried deep below. It beats the Q7 nonsense

All I can say is that Auto Bild's artist impressions are pretty close.

Dashboard and Console:

• The instruments come out of the Superb. In this case however, Skoda have gone the Mercedes way and added a separate stalk for the cruise control
• The center console gains vertical grab handles, much like those seen in a Range Rover
• The front armrest is not height-adjustable, but it does slide forward. It contains a small compartment below
• Around the gearshift (DSG) is a series of buttons for the offroad modes (similar to the GLC)
• Ahead of the gearshift console is the inductive charging box for a smartphone
• A row of switches for the stop/start override, hazard warning lights etc. These are push buttons, but housed in a similar manner to the central toggle switches of the Mini
• The A/C controls come straight out of the Superb and form the next tier
• Above this sits the infotainment system
• The passenger side of the dashboard has twin gloveboxes, including a top portion that flips up. No cooling facility was observed
• Fit and finish look good, but there were plenty of hard plastics. Again, we were advised that this was a pre-production model. Expect the quality of the Superb in the final car

Skoda Infotainment Center:

• MirrorLink
• Includes Google Earth 3D views
• Top variants get a wireless hotspot
• Skoda Connect - very similar to GM's OnStar Support. Add to this, the car can send diagnostic information to dealers and owners will receive notifications if a service is due
• Inductive smartphone charging (wireless)
• You swipe the screen like the Tinder app to go to the required menu. However, when you exit that mode, it goes straight to the homepage and you've got to start all over again. Much better than the Comand system of Mercedes

Trim Levels:

Initial versions will be Ambition and Active. Expect Scout and Sport versions later on. L&K variant is yet to be decided on.

Two notable quotes:

• "MQB has been a gift to us, since we can develop new variants quickly and it gives us the flexibility in production"
• "Design for function, function for design"

Like Maruti dominates the automotive scene in India, Skoda dominates the car market in the Czech Republic & neighbouring countries. There is very little reason to look outside the model range, unless you want something more exciting or exclusive. One finds relatively fewer Mercs, BMWs and not too many Audis. Most of the more fancy brands are in plenty in Prague (like in most capital cities). The Czech countryside has mainly Skodas, with the odd French or Japanese car. One sees a lot of older 1990s cars which came in before the Octavia was introduced. Except at the Skoda museum (separate report coming up later), we never saw any older rear-engined Skodas on the road. We did see plenty of clapped out Felicias though. I was back in the country after a gap of 25 years. Back then, it used to be only Skoda Estelles with the odd VW Golf / Jetta / Passat and quite a few Mercedes W124s.

In the Czech Republic, Skoda has 3 factories:

• Mladá Boleslav - Skoda's HQ - Manufactures the Fabia, Rapid (Hall 1) and Octavia (Hall 2), as well as the engines (EA 211 - 3-cylinder) and gearboxes. Additionally, components for various VW engines are made here
• Kvasiny - Manufactures the Superb and Yeti. The forthcoming Kodiaq will also be built here
• Vrchalabi - The famous DQ 200 DSG transmissions are made here!! It was used for making the Skoda Octavia, once the Octavia II entered production

Mladá Boleslav has two final assembly halls. One assembles the Fabia and Rapid, the other assembles the Octavia. As a new facelifted Octavia is undergoing pilot production, visitors were not permitted inside. All of us had to don bright yellow vests and eye protection. That's me jet lagged after an 11 hour flight and a 3 hour walkabout in Prague!


The factory is located about 70 km from Prague. Mladá Boleslav has a population of merely 40,000 people. 25,000 of them are employed by Skoda (they get a 10% discount on Skoda cars or very attractive lease plans). Their pay is competitive, although rising property prices are a major challenge (don't we know it?) for them.

Body Assembly Plant:
(Photographs were not permitted)

• It is fully automated. Robots assemble and weld the inner structure. Each robot costs around 20,000 Euros. The shop uses 720 robots
• The welding robots clean themselves after every 500 welds
• Each inner structure goes through a 700 point automated dimension check. A robot measures each assembly, while a camera oversees the robot's calibration
• Every now and then, an inner structure assembly is selected and put through destructive testing. A worker attempts to break the welds with a hammer. If nothing happens, the assembly is returned to production
• The outer stamped body panels are then welded onto the core structure. Placement and welding are done robotically. The panels are colour coded - white for Octavia, dark grey for Rapid and light grey for Fabia
• The rear C-pillar sections and the drainage channels are laser-welded to the assembly (great indicator when looking for crash damage on a Skoda!)
• The completed shell meets its door assemblies and goes on for primer application and painting
• The newly painted shells appear at the top of the final assembly factory
• The doors are removed for sub-assembly and also for ease of the car's final assembly

The body shells make their way backwards. First, the wiring harnesses and seatbelts are fitted in. Some items are produced on the shop floor. There is a vacuum forming machine that makes the black plastic roof panel (located right next to the production line). It is fitted automatically depending on the specification:


A lot of components are assembled outside and brought in as modules. I saw painted front bumpers, complete with grilles and lights coming in as modules. Seats are assembled next door and come in overhead:


Over here, you see the dashboard being inserted. The dashboard sub-assembly:


The dashboard being attached by a multipurpose jig that fits & attaches the unit in one process:


Dash fitted, the shells move to the next lane (in batches of two):


Everything is fine tuned - each specific variant gets the right component at the right time, in the right colour. Each vehicle has an individual spec sheet which is stamped by each worker at every stage. This helps trace faults to an individual level.

Batteries - they are normally fitted after the powertrain is married to the body. In the case below (Rapid diesel), these are fitted in the boot:


Lithe women are used for installing internal fittings. They have a specially suspended chair that allows them to swing into the car, complete the tasks while moving with the car and swing out:


Team leaders wear green, while normal production workers wear white:


Workers have excellent rest areas - complete with lockers and a kitchenette:


Once the interior is fitted, the powertrain is mounted onto the chassis. The cars are lifted to the top level for various quality checks before dispatch.

Unfortunately, as our movements were limited, there are no further pictures.

To know how a car is built, you can view these threads:

• Ford's Chennai Factory
• Jaguar's Castle Bromwich (UK) Factory
• Eicher Polaris factory in Kukas, Rajasthan
• Maruti Suzuki Factory in Manesar
• Tata Motors Factory
• Hyundai's Chennai Factory
• AMG Factory Visit

Some Snippets:

• It takes 26 hours to make a Skoda. The stamping and body assembly takes 12 hours, while final assembly takes 10 hours. The remaining time is taken up by quality checks and the like
• Mladá Boleslav rolls out 2,600 cars per day. That's half of all the Rapids, Ventos and Polos sold in India every month
• How do Skoda prepare the CKD / SKD units for export? Do they pick and make kits? No. The car is built, then dismantled and crated!

After the Kodiaq workshop, we returned looking for our assigned Superbs, but found 2 Octavia vRS' awaiting us instead clap:. We were to drive these to our hotel:


2.0 TSI (230 PS) engine combined with a 6-speed DSG gearbox, top speed - 250 km/h, 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds:


There was some bad news and some good news...
Bad news - Our hotel was only 15 minutes away
Good news - Skoda created a 90 km route for us clap:
Bad news - The weather was pretty bad
Good news - We could sample the traction control!!

While getting familiar with both, the roads and the car, we nursed her out of Mladá Boleslav and onto the motorway. It accelerated seamlessly to 120 km/h (speed limit). The car was rock stable - you cannot expect anything less from a vRS. As we exited the motorway, I started pushing the car confidently and underestimated the turn-in, which was sharper than expected. I lifted off the throttle, yet the neutral stance of the vRS and a hint of understeer kept it in check. The rear stuck to the road. Moving onto country roads, the suspension was firm, but far from annoying despite the 19" wheels. Czech country roads equate to our national highways, I need not say more. We did go on some rural roads and some bump-thump was experienced, although none of that was a deal breaker.

The vRS is a fast family car. It does roll slightly while cornering hard. Anything stiffer would make the ride uncompromising. The steering dispatched fast bends accurately, although it was lacking in feedback. The turn-in is neutral as opposed to being enthusiastic. It does not beg you or challenge you, it merely undertakes the task. The engine is very linear in delivery and there is very little lag. Frankly, my beloved cantankerous Octavia vRS Mk1 was more fun, as you could feel the power kicking in (the turbo whoooosh). The vRS' engine note at low speeds sounds rather flat. It gets raspy at higher speeds. What is enjoyable is how the engine crackles and pops between gear changes like a hot-rod. I am not sure whether the noise was artificially piped in through the speakers like the BMWs. Whatever it is, the sound is addictive. Speed limits range from 90-120 km/h. We were passing through different villages, where the limit was 50 km/h. We had a lot of fun accelerating hard out of these zones. The vRS does not feel fast, but my co-driver watching the speedo begged to differ. The snap, crackle and pop became addictive - I was making use of every opportunity to mash down the throttle.

The DSG box was eager to shift up, but needed a little prodding to shift down. I then flipped the lever to S and used the paddle shifters. I also pressed the vRS button which made the car more aggressive and much more intuitive to my inputs. My only grouse was the indecisiveness of the DSG when slowing down at junctions and pulling out. The engine almost stalled, since the fuel cut off, assuming we had slowed down.

The brakes are effective and bite well; on the flip side, their feel is limited. We unwittingly explored their limits, when we suddenly saw the police flagging us down. The speed peeled away while braking and the car stopped without drama. The next drama was, "why did the police stop us?" It was merely due to the fact that a crate of fish had emptied itself on the road and the police were warning us about the slippery conditions. Never in India would you see something like this!

We then stopped for a short break in a village:




200 shades of grey - this one has 18" rims. It is a vRS 200 manual. The grey grows on you as you look at it:


My red number was shod with 19" Xtreme wheels and powerful brakes. The red calipers complemented the car well:




Break over, we resumed our drive and encountered a short rainstorm. Here the vRS excelled. The car puts its power down well and we could make quick progress in the wet. We did trigger the traction control while accelerating hard on some wet roads. Having become familiar and confident, we began pushing the car as hard as was legally possible. It suffices to say that the grey car lost us and got lost in the process.

We made it back to the hotel and the sun was out for some parting shots outside the Chateau.

Seats are snug and grippy without hindering access:




The hot seat - everything is logically laid out. Navigation system is pretty clear. The vRS button near the gear console is lit up:


The view most mortals will get of the vRS 230. The black spoiler, door mirrors and 19" wheels distinguish it from the "normal" vRS 200:


A final shot before handing it over:


The vRS is coming to India. The problem is price and homologation costs. It costs around Rs. 28,00,000 in the UK, implying that it will be in the mid-30 lakh range here. Those 19" wheels will not survive India, as also the fuel quality.

Disclaimer: Skoda invited Team-BHP to the Czech Republic. They covered all the travel expenses for this event.

Wow! Good to see Team Bhp being invited to pre production media drives, and a great report as usual. Specially liked the part about the vRS. Both these cars are very relevant for the Indian market since they both are getting launched in 2017.

Coming to the Kodiaq, I was initially doubtful about the positioning of this SUV since the sweet spot was right against the Fortuner and that did not leave much space above the Superb. But, with the Innova moving much higher up the range, I believe Fortuner will be a 40L+ OTR car in its new avatar, hence leaving enough room for Skoda to bring in a value proposition like what the Superb did to that segment not so long ago.

It's mentioned that Autobild's impressions are correct, and if that is the case- we have a very handsome and mature looking SUV in the Kodiaq that should appeal to both the masses and the enthusiasts. Glad that the "Mahindra grin :D" has been changed to matte black. The stance reminds me a lot of the new Audi Q7, but the reduced length helps it look more like an SUV than the tall estate looks of the flagship Q. In comparison, the new Fortuner is too 'Asian' and bling for my taste, while Endeavor is almost there, but not as elegant as the Kodiaq.

I'd reserve my comments on the vRS till the actual Indian specs are confirmed. There is a high chance we will never get the actual version, but only their lookalikes!

Even if it's a lookalike, I hope we get the more practical and better looking 18inch wheels. The 19ers are an eyesore, and reminds me of a flower (The second time I'm having the same feeling today, but with two different cars. Who designs such wheels on sporty cars!). And talking of the lower variant- I even like the body colored boot spoiler more than the one on the red.

PS- Good choice in selecting ajmat for the review as he covered the earlier preview as well and hence made some keen observations about the design that others could have easily missed. :thumbs up

Lucky Boys!
Ajmat - what fun!
Great to read the reviews!
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Did you see any Yeti's? :)

I guess you meant to say 4 inches longer than the Octavia and has over 2000 cubic centimeters of boot space?

As always, enjoyed reading the thread and looking forward to see the product being launched in India!

Great report and thanks for providing all those initial impressions.

Interesting to note that the 1.8TSI is being replaced - is this with reference to the 3rd gen EA888 motor currently doing duty in cars with the MQB platform (Octavia, Superb etc)?. If that is the case, would that mean cars like Octavia, Superb, A3, Q3, A4, A6 - all will have their current 1.8TSI motors replaced with the 2.0TSI engines? At least for the Indian market, VAG would find it better to use only one engine throughout their CKD lineup, which currently for the petrol variants of the above cars being 1.8 TSI, apart from the 1.4TSI engines used in the entry level models. Homologation costs could then be shared across the models.My wishful thinking is towards the fact the new vRS will have the proper 2.0TSI engine it has abroad and not the watered down version we received earlier.

Nope you read it here - 4 cm

I have corrected the boot space to litres

The octagons in the alloys are sticking out and look gaudy. I think they literally forced the "Octavia" on the alloys, just for the sake of it.:D

On a tangential note, the Polo GTI with 1.4TSI is making sense now. :thumbs up


I think here you meant 'compromising' and not uncompromising.

Fantastic review and great to see team-bhp invited to pre-launch events which shows the respect team-bhp has started to command and also shows that Skoda is trying to up their game around here. Coupled with a recent report I read that Skoda would be investing Rs. 100 cr in improving Service and after Sales, we can be rest assured there are better things ahead from Skoda.

I own a 2012 Laura TSI and I am itching for another car - the Octavia vRS comes the closest to what I would want and that's saying a lot!

Unfortunately, the 1.4L is the more mainstream engine. Even the premium Audi A4 is coming with this small 1.4L, not 2.0L. Takes a (relatively) yawn-inducing 9 seconds for the 0 - 100 - link.

Nope, he meant uncompromising.

Even I was quite excited at being part of an exclusive crowd. We had teams from UK, Russia and the Netherlands, a total of 20 people. Very professional, it was like entering a movie hall. Media equipment politely relieved off you. Entering an access controlled door, Approximately 10 islands composing of 4 chairs each awaited us. One corner served tea and later lunch. The covered car was mounted on a turntable and revealed during the presentation.

The senior project managers presented and could answer whatever we asked. It was as if they had the entire vehicle data embedded in their brain. They were pretty proud of the car. They spent more time mingling with us and engaging in conversation as opposed to sitting on the side waiting to be approached.



If you dial down the bling in those artist impressions, you are nearly there. The 19" wheels look better in motion.

As for observations - I usually document via camera and phone, I hate notes as I can't read my writing. I spent most of the weekend decrypting my notes. I do love remembering conversations. Thats what I remember most and brought the content to you all


You would have loved the Czech countryside. My IST clock saw me doing a nice early morning walk in the woods. I saw a few more Yeti's compared to in the Himalayas, starting from the one that guided my flight while taxiing in.