[itwasntme]

A balanced comparison of the Mitsu Shogun, new Santa Fe, Kodiaq and also mentions the Alturas at the end.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mitsub...s-skoda-kodiaq

[Axe77]

Are there plans to get a diesel RS Kodiaq as well at some point to India?

[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by indusboy

Yet to experience the ASS, perhaps in the next month or so I will go for my first service. Then I can update you.

I haven't faced any issues as such.

Got a couple of warning messages. The first was for low washer liquid, I topped it up with my Ford washing liquid pouch that I had at home.

The second was for low engine oil, which I had to do some research on. Topped up with a liter of oil and it went away, I mentioned this in my post here (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post4454761 (Skoda Kodiaq : Official Review))

Originally Posted by indusboy

Cars considered/ignored:

Endeavour: Loved the new Endeavour, the 3.2 is powerful and has all the gadgets. But it has IMHO badly designed interiors. A car that is bigger from the outside has such paucity of seating inside! unbelievable. It is tight inside and big outside. My preference is the exact opposite. And the sun/moon roof is also like a small addition, especially compared to the Kodiaq.

Fortuner: Loved the new Fortuner. More modern looks. The interiors with its wood inserts had almost a retro look (not in a good way though). And the small windscreen with a high dashboard is not to my liking. Plus, the ride was still bumpy.

Hexa: We test drove the Hexa and liked it. For a Tata product, it is really nice. None of us disliked it. We did seriously consider buying one, breaking one of my older axioms - never buy a new Tata or Mahindra product till it is in the second iteration of the product life cycle - no recalls and initial customers are treated as guinea pigs and they will launch a V2 with the fixes!

Our requirements: Mostly 4 adults on board, but a few long trips a year with 6 adults + a child on board. So, needed a 5+2 option. Plus have an option of going off road. It had to be a SUV. And did I mention Sun Roof. Wifey wanted a sun roof, so that got added to our must haves. I still think it is an underserved segment of the market in India. Is Hyundai listening - get us the LWB Santa Fe (https://www.hyundaiusa.com/santa-fe/comparison.aspx)

Fast forward 2018. Beginning of this year someone mentioned Skoda Kodiaq. And I was like, “Skoda with it's bad service reputations and finicky electronics”. Yup, the same one. Was not really interested.

Then one day saw the official review of the Kodiaq up and read through the whole thing on one sitting. And could not help but admire the gushing review, almost read like a couple of fanboys writing up on their favourite brand/toy. A little research unearthed that there is a small minority in India that swears by Skoda.

Plus, I guess age caught up with me to the surprise of a few of my fellow SUV owners who accused me of softening up. While I loved sitting high up I had begun to crave for a decent ride and some creature comforts.

Skoda Kodiaq:

Read the TBHP review, registered my interest on the Skoda site, got a call in one day. In Bangalore there is only one test drive car, so had to wait for a week. Took a test drive and decided to buy the car.

The whole car felt just right. To give you an analogy it felt like moving from a Blackberry to an apple iPhone. An upgrade from my old Endy. The third row is tight, I would rate it similar to the new Endeavour, but given the low height of the Kodiaq it is not that painful to get in.

Went with the nearest dealership, in my case TAFE Access. I was satisfied with the whole sales process. Very professional. They agreed to all my normal asks - my own insurance, PDI. No discounts though (remember this was Jan'18)

There was the usual car sales man talk of heavy demand, long waiting periods and an imminent price rise. I smiled and went ahead with my booking without compromising on the colour choice – Black. The car was delivered in 2 weeks.

Thanks for the inputs Indus! Great comparo as well. I am slowly beginning to look at the kodiaq as a front runner. Since i have some time, I will keep bugging you and other owners for feedback before I take the decision by mid/late next year. Hopefully I can find some additional budget as this is going to be a stretch.

How is the fuel efficiency in the city and highways? With the rising fuel costs, i want to make sure this does not burn my pockets . Also what are the recommended service intervals? 10K/1 year?

Also, anyone seen the L&K edition in person? Seems like a good option

[indusboy]

Originally Posted by DoneAndDusted

How is the fuel efficiency in the city and highways? With the rising fuel costs, i want to make sure this does not burn my pockets . Also what are the recommended service intervals? 10K/1 year?

Outstanding FE, especially after driving the Endy. In the city I get 9-10 KMPL and on the highway depending on how fast I drive anywhere between 12-16 KMPL.

The recommended service is 15K/1 year.

[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by indusboy

Outstanding FE, especially after driving the Endy. In the city I get 9-10 KMPL and on the highway depending on how fast I drive anywhere between 12-16 KMPL.

The recommended service is 15K/1 year.

Thanks Indus! FE seems to be pretty good and am happy to hear about the Service intervals. 15K/1year will prevent frequent trips to the Service station saving precious time and costs.
I saw from the official review that it comes with a 4 year warranty, but no extended warranty option. Any chance SKoda have provided an extended warranty option now?

[indusboy]

Originally Posted by DoneAndDusted

Any chance SKoda have provided an extended warranty option now?

Not that I am aware of.

But I did take the 4 year maintenance package - http://www.skoda-auto.co.in/other-of...enance-package

[vinay_ss]

Originally Posted by DoneAndDusted

Also, anyone seen the L&K edition in person? Seems like a good option

I did check the L&K. Visually apart from the badging and a but of chrome, there is very little difference. Features wise, 360 camera was good and of utility. The virtual cockpit is futuristic and adds a feel good factor. However, considering the 2 lacs premium on the version and the almost 2 lacs discount on Style, it was working out to almost 4 lacs of price differential which didnt make sense to me. In addition, we were sold on the Red shade which doesn't come in the L&K. So the decision finally was simple for us.

[itwasntme]

Even if you can't do a proper photoshoot, please post some random pictures of your amazing Corrida Red!

[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Even if you can't do a proper photoshoot, please post some random pictures of your amazing Corrida Red!

I love the red as well (always preferred black in SUV's but the red does look good on the kodiaq). would be great if you can post some pics!
Also the official review show the GC figures as laden ground clearance is 140 mm (188 mm unladen). Isn't this a bit low for our roads and much lower than all the competition (all are 220mm+)? Have you guys experienced any issues with this?

[itwasntme]

I have some pictures shared by my Skoda contact.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by vinay_ss

My bear has arrived home and it feels wonderful

It’s a beautiful red. Like the Corrida red of the Yeti.
It’s a great car this Kodiaq. If your need is for comfy seating for a larger number of family members.
And this vehicle is very well put together indeed. Feels solid.
Looks good. What’s not to like?
Expensive pricing yes, but it seems like every make of car is extremely high priced these days anyway!

[vinay_ss]

So a correction. I checked with the invoice and the shade is called velvet red and not corrida red. I am planning to get a paint protection film from 3m since i realised in a week's time that it is going to be really tough to maintain the Red in all its glory.

So far, the car has been delightful to drive. Peppy enough in the city. A drive on the ECR was also enjoyable. Like someone mentioned earlier, it doesn't push you back in your seats with the acceleration, but it's definately not a slouch and neither does it feel underpowered. My Abarth was raw power and it needed to be tamed with a particular driving style that could get stressful in the city. My A6 is an absolute delight and extremely refined while it pushes me back into my seat. The Kodiaq is just the fine balance of power and driveability. I would have loved some more horses ( for the money I paid) but it's not getting me to a point even close to complaining. Its a practical car.


Here are a few pictures taken in the first week of ownership.

[sreejinair]

Question for Kodiaq owners, do you guys take it off road? Travel long distances with all seats occupied at least the 2nd row? In both the cases did you ever feel that its lacking ground clearance?

[pramods]

Originally Posted by sreejinair

Question for Kodiaq owners, do you guys take it off road? Travel long distances with all seats occupied at least the 2nd row? In both the cases did you ever feel that its lacking ground clearance?

Have take full load 6 passenger with luggage for 1K+ kms on all sort of road, did face any problem of ground clearance. Would I do it again, no the last row seat is not for long ride, its very uncomfortable, good only for short rides.
Overall its been a great 1 year with Kodiaq, its gone for 1st Service done 10K kms. There is a battery replacement (soft recall) for Kodiaq, owners should be getting a call from thier respective service center.

Newer battery are supposed to be more powerful than the older one, the question is why are they changing it, what was the problem with the old one and why after a year?


-Pramod

[indusboy]

Originally Posted by sreejinair

Question for Kodiaq owners, do you guys take it off road? Travel long distances with all seats occupied at least the 2nd row? In both the cases did you ever feel that its lacking ground clearance?

Yes, we have traveled with all seats occupied for around 2K KMS. It was a very comfortable road trip. The last seat can be a little tight for long trips, so we rotated the passengers...and everyone seemed satisfied.

I have also done some offroading in the wild. No issues with the ground clearance whatsoever.