MRF Markus also provides excellent dry grip levels - with a 55 profile, the tyre side roll is well-contained.

BHPian SilverSmoke recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Went to an altitude of 2400 metres & got some subzero temperatures of northern winter.

For the first time, I witnessed outside temperature warning. It first came up at 4°C, then everytime ignition was switched on for all temperatures below that. Ignition was never a problem - started in one go everytime - just waited for 5 minutes for engine to be warmed up before taking load.

Also, I am extremely pleased the way Kodiaq sticks to the road - especially while taking corners at mountain terrains. One wrong flick, & you are down into the chasm. Steering & braking are so precise - you can literally feel what's going on beneath the wheels with good feedback. Even being a large car, it goes exactly where you point it to be with minimal body roll in normal mode. MRF Markus too provide excellent dry grip levels - with 55 profile, tyre side roll is well contained. With a long trip in treacherous terrain, no punctures / bursts - was expecting atleast one, that too when tyres are nearing their end of life. Performed well in heavy rain with hailstorm too.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Car battery is fine, I can roll down all windows / sunroof with the key, stereo is working, not the usual signs of a car battery failure.

BHPian adi_petrolhead recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Some issues that cropped up over the past one week on my Sportline 2022. ODO reading at 47000 kms.

1) One fine day while driving off from a parked location on the road, the car shuddered and showed an error on the screen showing "Gearbox in Emergency mode, you can drive on". Obviously I didn't and stopped on the side safely, turned off the car and restarted it fully expecting things to go back to normal which indeed happened. Took the car next day to the workshop and they ran a test plan on the gearbox, which it passed. After that the basic setting was conducted. I happened to mention that I have been noticing the 12v battery volts to be below 12.40 on idle. They checked the battery and indeed the VAS reader said to "perform charge". Skoda technician shifted the blame for this gearbox error to a weak battery and seemed logical to me at that point. They put in a new battery and sent me off to "test" the car in typical Skoda fashion. After about 50 kms and 24 hours later, they called me that my original battery has been successfully charged and is now a "good battery". Battery was swapped again at my residence and since then that error did not pop up.

2) 400 kms post the above inchident, today when I got in to the car to leave for work, the car threw another error in red this time, "Error: Steering lock" followed by "move the steering" message. The steering is free and I can turn it with force but the ignition won't turn on, car won't start. I had gotten a "key battery low" message on the dash too last week, which I completely forgot about and I immediately thought it was due to the same reason. I tried with the spare key, same issue. I installed a new key battery, same issue. RSA was called and tried to jumpstart the car, but same issue, ignition just won't come on. Thankfully the car is at home and in its designated parking. But my Octy is blocked by the Kodiaq's presence and I am for now, car-less. Tried the key on the start button as per the manual, nothing, same error keeps coming with intermittently showing "key not detected" message. Car battery is fine, I can roll down all windows / sunroof with the key, stereo is working, not the usual signs of a car battery failure this much I know after having 15 years experience with Skodas. Now awaiting technician from showroom to come and check the car with their VAS laptop.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

If you like to be driven around go for Hycross, if you like driving yourself, invest some more & go for Kodiaq.

BHPian SilverSmoke recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Driven Innova Hycross to an intercity trip & noted following:

Better than Kodiaq:

1. ADAS works well beyond my expectations - distance calculations from front vehicle works even better but at slower speeds.

2. Space is pretty much better than Kodiaq - plenty of room everywhere.

3. 2nd row seats are way too comfortable - when fully reclined, you are free to doze off in minutes.

4. Driving position is more commanding.

5. EV mode is pure bliss - when vehicle starts to move, silence is eerie at times - you won't know when engine has ignited & engaged itself in.

6. Taillights are big & bright - gives sufficient information about vehicle size & braking distance.

7. 3rd row is actually usable - in Kodiaq it's just for kids or single lean fellow.

8. FE is easily at 16 KMPL atleast on highways.

Worse than Kodiaq:

1. Overall quality is big let down - coming from Kodiaq TSI, it feels very hollow everywhere. Crysta was way better.

2. Engine bay & hood feels necessarily bloated up to give butch looks - bay has lots of empty room inside.

3. Headlights - poor & very poor if it's raining even on high beams.

4. Engine feels breathless during strong accelerations - going back to 2.0 TSI feels like heaven.

5. Coming from DSG, shifts are smoother even at slow speeds but CVT rubber banding is evident immediately.

6. Suspension is noisy & lots of stuff gets into the cabin - Kodiaq DCC is unmatched in comfort mode.

7. Steering at times, feels disconnected from road - Kodiaq's feels so much grounded to the road.

8. Pure front wheel drive takes its toll during cornering - inspires less confidence.

9. Display unit resolution is inferior & feels cheap.

10. Horn - please upgrade.

Concluded the following:

If you like to be driven around go for Hycross, if you like driving yourself, invest some more & go for Kodiaq.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With the exception of the Tucson, this market segment is really full of "oldies"....cars that have been around for a while and which don't particularly feel modern.

BHPian Ripcord009 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Nissan X-Trail

What you'll like:

• Handsome-looking SUV with a perfect blend of conventional & modern styling
• 1.5L turbo-petrol with variable compression is refined and offers decent performance
• Smooth CVT combined with a light steering makes the X-Trail a good urban car
• 585 litres of boot space (3rd row folded) is accomodating enough for family holiday luggage
• 3rd-row of seats gives it an advantage over 5-seater competitors
• Features such as the panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, paddle shifters, drive modes, fully digital instrument cluster, etc.
• 5-star Euro NCAP & ANCAP rating. Safety features such as 7 airbags, ESP and brake limited slip differential among others
• 210 mm of ground clearance is great for tackling bad roads

What you won't:

• Missing features in what’s pitted as a premium SUV – lacks leatherette seats, ADAS, a spare wheel, powered and ventilated seats, ambient lighting, connected car tech, hands-free tailgate, rear sunblinds, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, etc.
• 20-inch alloy wheels and shorter tyre sidewalls make the ride firm. Should’ve had smaller wheels as an option
• Since this is a direct import / CBU, the X-Trail is the most expensive in its segment. Not many people would be willing to pay big money for a Nissan
• Single variant and single powertrain on offer. No turbo-diesel, no AWD
• Cramped 3rd row has very limited usability & is best for kids. This is more of a 5+2 seater SUV than a 7-seater
• Not as engaging to drive as the Kodiaq or Tiguan
• Nissan's tiny dealership network & poor after-sales service

Review Link

Skoda Kodiaq

What you'll like:

• The ultimate “value luxury” SUV! Classy styling, solid build & superb quality
• Cabin offers space, practicality and lots of intelligent features
• Impressive 2.0L turbo-petrol is mated to a quick 7-speed DSG automatic
• Cushy ride quality in “Comfort” mode (L&K variant)
• Sorted handling & road manners in “Sport” mode. Adjustable suspension is a USP of the L&K
• 3rd-row of seats is an advantage over some 5-seater competitors
• Massive boot with 3rd seat row down. Boot is useable even with the 3rd seat row up
• Impressive kit (12-speaker Canton ICE, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, auto parking...)
• AWD available to get you out of tricky situations. Tourers will love it
• 5-star safety rating & equipment (9 airbags + a host of electronic aids)

What you won't:

• Workhorse 2.0L turbo-diesel is no longer available. Heavy users will miss its low running costs
• Single digit fuel economy of the turbo-petrol AT in the city. Drops drastically if you drive aggressively
• Its sibling, the VW Tiguan, is priced ~ 5 lakhs cheaper
• Expensive! Even with the recent discounts, it is still an expensive SUV
• Cramped 3rd row of seats is strictly for small children. A 5+2 SUV, not a 7-seater
• Styling does look Estate-ish from some angles. Doesn't have that much street cred or presence
• We feel that the “Sportline” variant should’ve been offered with the DCC & other L&K features
• Skoda’s ill-famed dealership network & after-sales horror stories
• Skoda’s patchy long-term reliability track record (including, but not limited to, the DSG)
• Silly feature deletions from older Kodiaq (rear door sills, 1 umbrella, 1 blanket, chrome tip on power window switches, removable torch in the boot, red warning lights on the front doors…)

Review Link

Jeep Meridian

What you'll like:

• Handsome unmistakably-Jeep styling & loads of character
• Robust build quality. Feels very solid, just as a Jeep should
• Classy cabin now boasts a versatile 5+2 seating configuration and better accommodation when compared to the Compass
• Competent 2.0L diesel. Good driveability in the city, quick on the open road
• Mature suspension setup, nicely-tuned EPS & rock-solid stability
• Capable AWD available, with 214 mm of ground clearance
• Feature packed: electric front seats (driver memory), panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, powered tailgate, LED projector headlights…
• Topnotch safety kit: Strong all-disc brakes, a plethora of electronic aids & 6 airbags
• Diesel AT now available without the AWD as well, thereby making it more accessible for urban dwellers (Compass Diesel AT only available with AWD, 5-lakhs more OTR)

What you won't:

• Cabin has limited width, can feel snug for larger passengers. 5th passenger (in the 2nd row) will feel unwelcome
• 3rd row is strictly for children and small adults
• Should’ve had more power for the price. Same 2.0L diesel available in SUVs from a segment below
• No petrol engine in a market that is moving to petrols in a big way. Delhiites will be disappointed
• 9-speed Automatic gearbox is competent, but not brilliant
• We’d have liked to see front parking sensors, paddle shifters, gearbox ‘sport’ mode, a sliding middle row, more connected tech features (it’s very basic currently)
• At low speeds, the firm ride quality always keeps you aware of the road quality you’re driving on
• Jeep India’s dealer & service network coverage is still limited

Review Link

Volkswagen Tiguan

First Look Link

Hyundai Tucson

What you'll like:

• A futuristic-looking, well-engineered premium SUV
• Complete urban package with comfortable suspension, light steering and a smooth automatic
• 2.0L diesel engine is not just refined, but punchy too
• 540 litres of boot space is enough to haul holiday luggage
• ADAS safety features like autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor and lane-keep assist are cool & work reasonably well
• Loaded with features like a panoramic sunroof, multi-air mode AC, ventilated and heated front seats, connected car tech, wireless charging, boss control for the front seat etc.
• 5-star Euro NCAP rating. 6 airbags, ESC, VSM, downhill brake control, TPMS, 360-degree camera & more

What you won't:

• Edgy looks & funky styling may not be to everyone's liking
• At ~43 lakhs on road for the top-end variant, the Tucson is expensive!
• Not as engaging to drive as the Kodiaq or Tiguan
• Naturally-aspirated petrol isn't as punchy as the competitors' turbo-petrol units
• Other crossovers & SUVs offer a 3rd-row of seats. Tucson is a 5-seater only
• Some missing features such as paddle shifters, rear sunblinds...
• Hyundai badge lacks the snob value that many 40-lakh rupee customers are looking for

Review Link

Citroen C5 Aircross

What you'll like:

• A superbly engineered & properly premium crossover
• Very stylish exteriors & interiors! We love the design. It's matched to solid build quality
• Good quality cabin with comfortable seats, lots of storage & fantastic insulation
• 2.0L diesel engine is quick, efficient & extremely refined
• Smooth 8-speed AT gearbox impresses
• Excellent ride comfort and mature road manners. High speed behaviour is sorted too
• Large, well-shaped 580 liter boot gobbles up holiday / airport luggage
• Loaded to the gills with features such as a panoramic sunroof, handsfree tailgate opening, customisable instrument cluster, double laminated front windows, terrain modes...
• 4-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. 3-point seatbelts for all five occupants, 6 airbags, blind spot monitoring system, ESP, hill hold, hill descent control and more

What you won't:

• Very expensive! We wish Citroen had priced-it-to-sell-it (aka penetration pricing)
• Rear legroom is strictly adequate. Two 5’10" adults can sit behind each other, but not two 6-footers
• No turbo-petrol engine (big miss), no AWD for tourers & no manual gearbox for MT fans
• Not really sporty to drive. Cars like the Compass & Tiguan are more fun
• Missing some features we expect today (connected car tech, ventilated seats, electrically adjustable passenger seat, ADAS, 360-degree camera, subwoofer…)
• The bolstering of the 3 individual rear seats is suitable for slim passengers, not heavier ones
• Audio sound quality is alright, but nothing special as you’d expect in a 40-lakh car
• Many competing crossovers & SUVs offer a 3rd-row of seats, which the C5 Aircross doesn't have
• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are still big unknowns

Review Link

Toyota Fortuner

What you'll like:

• Fantastic 2.8L diesel engine has gotten even better. More power, more responsive!
• Smooth and competent 6-speed automatic gearbox
• Contemporary styling & imposing street presence
• Tough build. Toyota body-on-frame UVs are known to have very long lives (400,000+ km is realistic)
• Smooth petrol also available, if you want more refinement and / or are from Delhi-NCR
• Features such as Quad-LED headlamps, powered tailgate, wireless smartphone charging, ventilated seats & more
• Impressive offroad capability (by big SUV standards) is superior to its direct competitors
• Top-notch safety kit. 7 airbags, ESP, TC, hill assist, ISOFIX & 3-point seatbelts for all
• Outstanding long term reliability. And you get great resale value as well
• Toyota's excellent after-sales quality, fuss-free ownership experiences, low service costs & up to 7 years of extended warranty coverage

What you won't:

• The already-expensive Fortuner has gotten even more expensive! Top variants cost 51-lakhs OTR
• Legender variant has many limitations (no MT, no petrol, no colour options, no 11-speaker sound system)
• Firm & bumpy ride quality. Bad roads in the city are prominently felt inside
• Heavy steering at low speeds will bother you
• Lots of body roll. Go easy on the curves
• Missing sunroof, lumbar adjustment, auto-wipers, TPMS, adaptive parking guidelines etc.
• 6-speaker sound system is terrible for a 40-lakh rupee car!
• Cost-cutting evident in a couple of areas; some interior plastics, ICE audio quality, camera display…
• Fortuner's petrol variant is a guzzler. We've seen merely 6 – 7 kmpl on the AT
• No longer a full-time 4x4 like the 1st-gen car. Also, 4x4 carries a Rs. 5 lakh OTR premium

Review Link

MG Gloster

What you'll like:

• Huge & imposing size! Bigger than even the likes of the Fortuner and Endeavour
• Splendid long-distance mile muncher. The Gloster is built for expressway cruising. Just set the adaptive cruise control and let the Gloster waft along
• ADAS safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor and lane change assist are cool & work well
• Suspension is tuned for comfort. Gloster owners will enjoy its ride quality
• Spacious cabin with captain seats at the back and a usable third row too!
• Interior ambience is nicer vs the competitors which are utilitarian in comparison
• Loaded with features - panoramic sunroof, 12.3" touchscreen ICE, driver seat with massage function, 360 degree camera, three zone climate control, PM 2.5 air filter etc.
• 343 liter boot even with the 3rd-row seat being used

What you won't:

• Engine and gearbox tuning are shockingly terrible inside town. Turbo lag and the gearbox's reluctance to downshift make things awful in city traffic
• Massive size can be a handicap in urban India. Quite cumbersome in tight areas
• While the interior looks premium, you know it is not as well-built as a Toyota or Ford
• Top-end Savvy variant is optimistically priced at par with the well-established Fortuner & Endeavour
• Savvy variant doesn't get the 3-seater bench option for the middle row. Captain seats = 2 occupants
• 4,000 rpm redline is too early. Engine has a very narrow powerband
• Urban fuel economy is mediocre due to the power & fat kerb weight
• Twin-turbo diesel, 8-speed AT & gizmos bring a lot of complexity. Long-term reliability is unknown (unlike the Fortuner & Endeavour)

Review Link

Isuzu MU-X

Launch Discussion

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

With the exception of the Tucson, this market segment is really full of "oldies"....cars that have been around for a while and which don't particularly feel modern.

That's why the choices remain the same. If Petrol, then the Kodiaq with that sweet 2.0L turbo petrol, DSG & adaptive suspension. If Diesel, then the Tucson which is quite the all-arounder. If Electric, I'd ditch both of these and choose the Ioniq 5 .

Honestly, there is more action & product dynamism in the 15-30 lakh SUV & Crossover segment than the 40-50 lakh one.

Here's what BHPian CentreOfGravity had to say on the matter:

My pick is the Hyundai Tucson. Second choice = Kodiaq. Here's why:

• The design is to die for. This is a rare Hyundai that impressed me on the design front in recent times, the only other ones being the i20 N-Line and Ioniq 5. Not only is it proportionate, but it also looks good from all angles IMO. Now this is "Sensuous Sportiness" done right!
• The interiors look premium and futuristic. It is also feature loaded to the brim. The Kodiaq is the only car that matches/betters the Hyundai on this front.
• CRDI + 184 bhp + 416 Nm = A blast on the highway! More than makes up for the weak performance of the 154 bhp 2.0L MPI engine. AWD is an added plus.
• Hyundai ASS is reassuring. I think it's safe to assume that issues with the car and service will be few and far between.
• My second pick = Skoda Kodiaq. I do think the Kodiaq is the better car overall and expect the votes to tip in its favour with time. Compared to the Tucson, it has better build and material quality, a 190 PS turbo-petrol engine vs the Tucson's NA unit, better ride and handling balance and the "Skoda" badge. However, it never managed to tug at my heartstrings for some reason ever since its debut in 2017.
• IMO, the Meridian and Tiguan lack the X-factor, the C5 Aircross is overpriced, the Fortuner and Gloster belong to a different segment and the X-Trail deserves a separate point - see below. And MU-X? What is that?!
• A 523 bhp BYD Seal costs around 3 lakhs less OTR Mumbai than the 163 bhp X-Trail, while offering way more features and tech. Forget the X-factor, buyers (whoever they are, a big salute from my side ) will be waiting to be (e)X-X-Trail owners. There you go, two factors of X

At the time is typing this post, there is one vote for the X-Trail. I sincerely hope the vote was cast by mistake. If not, I am dying to hear the rationale behind it from the BHPian.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The engine has a nice Swiss watch like ticking sound, similar to my C-class.

BHPian Sanidhya mukund recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test drove the Kodiaq TSI today. The demo car was a range topping L & K version. Here are a few of my observations as the owner of a W204 Mercedes C200 Avantgarde (Facelift) and a 2021 Maruti Ertiga CNG. I also sometimes use a 2021 Innova Crysta GX 2.4 BS6, which is my dad’s company car. This was the third car I test drove as I am contemplating a purchase sometime soon. Before this, I have also test driven the Hyundai Tucson Petrol and Innova Hycross. A day prior to driving the Kodiaq, I also checked out the Audi Q3.

Dealership response and experience:

I contacted Jai Auto, Safdarjung enclave on a Sunday morning and was promptly assigned a sales rep. Mr. Durvesh Kumar promptly brought the car to my place. He was responsive, knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely a 10/10 experience. The response at Mahindra and Toyota dealerships in the same area was not even in the same league.

The car:

As indicated by above posts, the dealer was confident that all MY2023 Kodiaqs are E20 compliant.

Exteriors:

• The build quality and fit and finish are top notch. The doors are heavier and more solid than the doors of my Merc. The Tucson was comparable, but the Innova isn’t even close. The 9 airbags and 5 star Euro NCAP rating leave no doubt about the fact that this is a safe car.
• It may not have the road presence of a Fortuner, but it does have a nice sophisticated vibe to it. Ground clearance is also more than an Innova and I don’t see it being a problem for 95% of Indian roads.

Interiors, space and comfort:

• The cabin Quality, fit and finish are absolutely top notch. The dash top is entirely made up of soft-touch leather like material. Even the door pads have a mix of hard plastic and soft touch padding.
• The steering wheel, stalks and switches also feel several notches above the Hycross and in the same league as my C-class.
• Close the heavy doors and you will be impressed with the sound deadening. The car insulates you really well from whatever is going on outside. The Innova is not at all comparable.
• Equipment levels are excellent. 360 camera, memory seats, headlight washers, foot operated electric tailgate, a Canton sound system etc. Misses out on the ADAS stuff though. I did kinda miss the blind spot assist at roundabouts.
• The seats are made up of nice and dense foam. They hold you really well and won’t be an issue even on 10 hour plus drives. Front seats are heated, ventilated and even have Lumbar adjustment. Another thing I noticed was that the the memory seats adjust to the presets on a single touch of the button. In my W204 Merc, you have to keep the button pressed until it attains its desired position. The headrests aren’t electrically adjustable though, unlike my C-class.
• The space on offer is quite good for a car of this size. The middle row is definitely more spacious than the Audi Q3, although the Innova Hycross may have an upper hand here. As others have mentioned before, the third row is not meant for adults. It is set very low and the backrest is upright. May be alright for short journeys, but I would keep them folded.
• Excellent luggage space. Even with the third row up, you could fit a medium sized suitcase along with a small one. With the third row down, you get a cavernous space that can swallow pretty much everything one could think about transporting in a personal car. (Including washing machines and small refrigerators).

Driving the Kodiaq:

• Start it up and you immediately realise that it isn’t as quiet as the Japanese cars, but the heavy sound insulation easily keeps that in check. The engine has a nice Swiss watch like ticking sound, similar to my C-class.
• The pick-up is absolutely mind blowing. A gentle flick of your right foot and the car just flies! I drove it in the city, so did not get a chance to check its cruising capabilities, but at the short empty stretches I came across where I could push the car, I could attain triple digit speeds with no effort. It surely feels faster than the Tucson petrol, but was comparable to my C200 and the Innova Hycross in EV mode.
• The dynamic chassis ensures that the ride and handling balance is really good. The car feels sure footed and glued to the road. At no point of time does it feel like a big fat SUV. U-turns are sedan like and the body roll is well contained. The Innova and Tucson also have that heavy feel, but this giant dances better than those two.
• This car has excellent speed masking capabilities. Before you realise it, it is already time to slow down. And when you do have to shed some speed, the brakes do an excellent job.
• To conclude, I have no doubt about the fact that this is an excellent car. The L & K has just had a price cut, and can now be had for 45 odd lakhs, On-road, Delhi. I also have a feeling that there is still room for negotiation.
• It has everything you would expect from a long distance tourer. The best part is that it is a fine balance between durable and luxury, something which none of the others in this price bracket can do as finely. They are either utility biased (Fortuner) or too less SUV-like (GLA, X1 etc.).

Am I sold?

Well, this was certainly the most impressive car among the three I test drove. It is the only one that feels like a proper upgrade from my W204 C-class. However, I am still going to decide after I drive the Toyota Fortuner. This is undoubtedly the better car to drive, but the 40 lakh rupee question is, is it easy to live with?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Only request to prospective buyers, get the L&K please. DCC is worth paying extra for.

BHPian nerd1200 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Spent a day with the "fun" Kodiaq!

TL;DR: Skoda gave me a Kodiaq to drive for a day.

Prelude:

Ever since I sold the Yeti, it has been making its absence felt. The sensible size with a potent 2.0 TDI oil burner mated to a slick 6 speed manual and power transmitted to all four wheels is the DREAM. Therefore, when a social media campaign was directed my way to see if I were interested to take the new Kodiaq out for a spin – that too for a day, I quickly signed up without giving it much thought. Couple weeks later, at a point where I had completely forgotten about it, I get a call from TAFE Access, Bangalore, confirming the schedule of this drive. Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I enquired if 23rd (Thanksgiving Day) was feasible to which they replied in affirmative. I heard - “It’s a Date!”

Busy few weeks pass again without any banter about it, almost making me presume that it must’ve been a hoax or something. Too good to be true. The good folks at TAFE might’ve realized it and called me on the 21st to remind me of our “date”.

Okay, not a hoax.

The Drive:

Being a holiday in the States, I had an open-ish calendar, and it seemed fair to utilize the opportunity to be thankful for something. Although there was no limitation on the distance driven, I had to ensure I’m handing the car back to it’s rightful owners by sundown. I still had some commitments until noon, therefore leaving me with limited options to venture out to.

My wife and I have been meaning to drive towards Anantapur, AP for a while to have some authentic Korean food at a highly rated joint near the KIA plant. I happened to hear about a good driving road in the vicinity and thought of heading that way. Afterall, what’s Thanksgiving without some delectable food?!

Mr. Manjunath from TAFE coordinated the schedule with me in the morning and their driver, Mr. Gopal, was at my residence on time.

I got into the car, a familiar steering wheel, albeit a missing spoke. Everything where it’s supposed to be and falling into place. Simply clever touches like the retractable door guards, split headrests for the rear passengers, clever stowage slots and a few more features were appreciated. We started off towards the newly opened section of STRR connecting Hoskote to Devanahalli and that’s where I got the first opportunity to stretch her legs and boy was I impressed. Coming from the last generation of VW turbo petrols (the 1.8 EA888-2) this drivetrain felt different. Very linear and may I say, docile, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong, the power is there, in oodles. It’s just that the way the horses sprint would not scare your family.

More than the power, I was eager to test out the DCC or Dynamic Chassis Control, which brings electronically adaptive dampers onboard and let me TLDR-it to say that it did not disappoint. The difference is not just evident but is quite glaring – especially if you’re switching from Sport to Comfort or vice-versa. Sport mode is where you’d want to be on twisties or when generally driving fast. You feel the car stick to the road like it’s on rails, every apprehensible contour and imperfection of the tarmac is perceived inside the cabin, again not in a bad way. But effectively making your mind trick you into thinking that you’re driving a lowered sedan. To complement this experience, the gearbox is transferred to “S”, throttle response is sharper, and steering is made heavier. From there you switch to Comfort and suddenly you’re in a different car, so to speak. The stiffness has given way to a surprisingly flat and buttery smooth ride as if the road surface has suddenly become as smooth as a runway. The larger bumps and undulations are still felt, but even those are rounded off well and has no clunkiness to it. In Comfort however, the throttle response and gear shifts are dulled down, and you’re expected to drive in a leisurely manner. I could not appreciate it for more than a few minutes and slotted the transmission into Sports mode which helped quite a bit. The next time we stopped, I quickly started fiddling with the DCC settings and personalized the Individual setting. DCC in Comfort, Steering in Normal and Drive in Sports. That ought to do it! I drove in that setting for the most part, however I think DCC was switching to Normal whenever the car was restarted. Coming to that, Normal strikes a nice balance between the two modes and would be used and appreciated by most owners.

Clean lines, typical of a German car but with some Czech flair.

The front end is not intimidating by a long shot, but is sleek and smart.

Hyderabad highway was a boon to drive on except for higher than usual traffic and a few morons racing towards you in the wrong direction.

We left the highway after a while and navigated through some narrow and crowded lanes to find our way, even reversed the car in a bustling marketplace at some point, all without breaking a sweat, thanks to the 360 degrees of surveillance coverage – both visual and audio based, a welcome addition indeed.

Some helpful locals provided me the right directions, and I found just the place I was looking for – Twisties!! A lovely set of them. At that point switching to Sports was muscle memory. The next 10 minutes up the hill was, to summarize, exhilarating and blissful at the same time. The first negative point about the car came to light, it desperately needs better tyres. Once at the top, we scouted for some spots to photograph the Kodiaq at and spent some time behind the lens.

Continue reading BHPian nerd1200's review for more insights and information.

While closing the passenger side front door, there was an uncomfortable crunch as opposed to the expected solid thud.

BHPian Old Dude recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The second niggle in my 7 months of otherwise delightful ownership of my Kodiaq.

Niggle -1: Noisy wiper blades judder and leaving streaks - addressed in June by realigning wipers.

Niggle -2: Happened yesterday afternoon: Skoda Logo projector on front passenger side come off:

While closing the passenger side front door, there was an uncomfortable crunch as opposed to the expected solid thud. Much to my dismay, found the Skoda Logo projector lamp has come out of its socket below the door pad and was dangling about 10 mm below, and a tell tale scrape / cut in the door sill rubber beading. Surprising as I’ve been always gentle with my vehicle over rough patches of road, and am positive of no external physical forces ( I clean my car personally, so I will know if a cleaning rag caught the edge and yanked off).

Took my car to Raja Skoda service Center promptly - The technician examined and took a picture showing the plastic snap lock (holding the logo projector lamp) has snapped ( pun intended). I asked for replacement under warranty. As it was closing time and a long weekend ahead, they asked me if I can come back on Tuesday morning for them to raise a warranty claim and order for the part, and they will inform me when the part has reached for me to come back and get it fitted. Meanwhile, to prevent further damage to the door sill beading, they unplugged and removed the projector off the socket and handed over to me.

The experience was generally good so far, except for a nagging feeling the lead Service advisor was examining and asking questions about PPF application and running his fingers beneath the door feeling for for PPF edge, as if he was hunting for a reason to deny for my request to replace the part under warranty. Hopefully, it was just me being paranoid reading too much about horror stories of Skoda customer service, but he almost looked disappointed when I told him there was no PPF applied on the car except bumpers ( and hence implied there was never a reason for the door pads to be removed by any 3rd party, for him to deny my request for replacement under warranty).

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The ride was comfortable at the back too, with parents relaxing and enjoying the sense of space.

BHPian Fun_to_drive recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Yesterday we did a round-trip journey of Delhi-Dehradun-Delhi on the best of highways our country has to offer. We were four adults , my 4 year old daughter sitting comfortably in her car seat in 3rd row, 2 cabin and 2 duffel bags in the boot onboard . Here are some of the observations.

• During the onward journey car was mostly driven is sports mode, and honestly this should be the default mode in Kodiaq. The car is such a pleasure to drive with plenty of power and quick acceleration on offer. I use sports mode in combination with paddle shifters. Whenever i feel that the car is holding on to a gear for longer than desired, i manually upshift using the paddles to improve fuel economy. During the journey of 280 kms , which included an uphill climb of about 35 kms the car returned a FE of 11kmpl by MID.
• On the return journey i was a little mindful of the Mileage , and drove in sports mode for only about 30% of the distance and the rest in Normal/ECO mode. I was able to achieve a respectable FE of 15.2KMPL. But you can achieve such numbers only if you are driving with that intent.
• The ride was comfortable at the back too, with parents relaxing and enjoying the sense of Space.
• As i tried all seats, i realized that music quality and sound stage is amazing in front, okayish in 2nd and virtually non-existent in 3rd row. The dolby feature only seem to work in the front row.

Overall a great experience and i am able to put Kodiaq to its best use, which is to spend quality time together with my family doing long road trips. This is exactly what i envisioned before putting my 45lacs on buying a comfortable, good quality and a reliable car.

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Tyres are super noisy, hate the sound, can even hear it with the music on while coasting so its really a botheration.

BHPian adi_petrolhead recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

3rd Oil Change Service completed @ 31000 Kms:

As I keep the service intervals under 12K kms, it was time to carry out the oil change service this month. In this stint of 12K kms the car required about 100 ml oil and 150 ml of coolant top up. During the service, the coolant was topped up again. There are no leaks observed hence the consumption is still puzzling. There are no errors, etc. either.

Along with the engine oil, oil filter, pollen filter, I also got the front brake pads and brake fluid replaced. Front pads had some margin but it would mean I would have to come back after a month or so to carry out this change, so went ahead and completed the replacement. Rear pads still have about 6-7K kms left in them, will change it around Diwali days.

Total amount paid with labour and taxes was INR 21K. What I find strange is that the service calculator suggests the Haldex oil needs to be replaced every 2 years or 30K kms. I was prepared to get that job done as well but service advisor told me not to go for it, as its based on the time period which is 2 years. Left it for now but I am not sure about the replacement condition. Need to do some research on forums to find out when other people have been carrying out the differential oil service.

Service experience was good, I reached the centre quite late around 11:00 am still the technicians assigned completed all the tasks by 1:30 pm. The brake pad change at front was a good call as the bite has improved and the slow speed pad clamping noise has gone. Other than that I have a dashboard rattle from the passenger side which I have decided to live with, since I dont want them to open up the dashboard to resolve this, its easily subsided with music on.

Overall FE past 5000 Kms has been in the range of 11-12 KMPL. Sedate highway cruise (<90 km/h) results in FE of over 16 KMPL. Where as my daily commute of 15 kms results in 6.5-10 KMPL depending on time of day, traffic and my mood after work

Drivability is same across the 31K kms, I dont see any major improvements in performance, efficiency, NVH, etc. It drives just the way it did on day 1 of ownership. Strict XP95 diet, never had a drop of any fuel lower than this in it ever, although used a tank of XP100 and it made me sad, because the difference with XP100 was evident and now makes me feel poor for not being able to fill XP100 regularly only because its 65% more expensive, and availability is not that great outside of metros. But its a must try for all owners to have at least 1 tank full XP100 some time.

Tyres are super noisy, hate the sound, can even hear it with the music on while coasting so its really a botheration. Replacement option Vredestien Ultrac Vorti in stock size is easily available, will carry out the change in Jan 2024 or 45K kms which ever is sooner. No issues with alignment / road force balancing done at Hunter equipped centre in Ahmedabad.

Yet to carry out any beautification treatment for the paint, white is extremely forgiving colour but I know the metallic bits in Moon White paint by Skoda can really pop after a nice DA Polisher session and applying Collinite 845. Will be doing that post monsoons, before Diwali.

No issues with headlight throw / brightness. Only the vibrating LED module issue persists, did not want to push the SA too much on this as while on the move its not noticeable and performance won't change by getting new headlights under warranty. I do notice the DRL is not as white / bright as the delivery day. Seeing slightest yellow tinge in it. These days high end Bimmers sport yellow DRL colour (iXM, M4C), but I much prefer a modern white and bright set of DRLs. Will keep an eye on the eyes. Sceptical on getting sound dampening done, not many professional installers for it in Ahmedabad whom I can trust with not breaking any door card clips while installation. The CANTON setup has such deep bass and loudness over Bluetooth, the passenger door card makes a vibrating racket. Then I realise why I bought this car, because it was everything I wanted, without the stratospheric prices of the X1, Q3 and GLA.

I do wish I had DCC in the Sportline, the suspension is supremely stiff for low speed drives on bad roads, and everyone in the car has a good body shake whenever car comes across huge potholes or rutted uneven roads. Something the DCC's comfort mode would have helped with. But happy to make the compromise for the black interior, blacked out exterior bits, sports seats, and excellent wheel design. Next report at 43K kms.

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What finally swayed my decision to go for this Ulgo Glass coating was the better resistance to hard water spotting.

BHPian old_dude recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Body coating for my Kodiaq - A bit of an unconventional route:

Protecting the new car gloss and feel is something most Team BHP members identify with, unlike my wife who gives me a hard time for me spending unending hours taking care of my car. So the research for the right protection started even before I booked my new car.

I have always taken pride in being known as the guy with one of the best maintained cars in my circles, through my 25 years of car ownership across the different cars I have owned since 1996. The last one I owned ( and still own) is my 2009 pre facelift Honda Civic VMT in Harbenero Red, which I still personally maintain. (My wife gives me a hard time for personally cleaning my car daily before the apartment guy shows up and essentially paying him monthly to NOT touch my car, unless for a full wash after a rain. With the hard water in our area, I found the finish gets dull very fast with regular wash, not to mention dried up water marks turning to scales in all the crevices.) I bought this Civic pre-worshipped in 2012, with 24K Kms on board and as of today, it has done 1.3L KM still giving me a grin behind the wheel every time I take her out for a drive, and has been an absolutely lovely, reliable car to own and is still a delight to drive. Anyway, to cut the story short, I got the paint correction done from 3M when I bought this in 2012 and has been maintaining myself using regular wax polishing using Meguair’s ultimate wax polish ( once in 4-6 weeks) and ProKlear waterless car wash daily ( after dusting with the original California car duster / Jopasu). About two years back, I switched to Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic paste wax from the Meguair, which I found lasts longer and have since reduced the waxing frequency to once in 3 months, and the ProKlear waterless wash almost daily.

By 2023, PPF films, Ceramic Coatings and Graphene coatings have become household names and the default choice for anyone buying a new car ( the buzzword was Teflon coating when I bought my Civic in 2012, which I did not do). Reading through the threads on Team BHP, watching umpteen videos on YouTube, checking out user experience within my friends and colleagues circle, and visiting many ceramic coating / PPF applicators across Bangalore - my research was deep, and had decided to go for graphene coating for the body and PPF only for the bumpers. That was when I stumbled upon a wild card entry called Ulgo Glass Coating on YouTube, reviews locally only by a Kannada YouTuber. There were few other short videos on this product, mostly from Malaysia and Japan, with limited information. More Google research followed and at the first glance, it seemed it’s the same as Ceramic coating having SiO2 as the infused compound, with a different name. However, a deeper search and a day long visit to the applicator Dabler Auto in Bangalore revealed the following key differences - The Ceramic coat cross links and bonds chemically with the clear coat, while the Glass coating bonds physically through an adhesive compound mixed in the coating. Ceramic coating provides a deeper colour shade, whereas the Glass coating not so much. Glass coating is better resistant to water spots than Ceramic, and hydrophobic nature is similar. Ceramic coating cures at elevated temperatures, whereas the Glass coating is room temperature curing. Longevity of the coating seemed to be better with the Glass coating ( claimed 5 years with annual maintenance spray coat). What finally swayed my decision to go for this Ulgo Glass coating was the better resistance to hard water spotting, given the water quality in our area and seeing cars that had done this coating 3 years back and speaking to those owners, and helped by the passionate and patient approach of the father-son duo who run Dabler Auto.

It’s been 4 months and 15 days since I got the Kodiaq coated with Ulgo glass coating, PPF (Shieldpro, with 10 year dealer warranty) on the bumpers and piano black parts including interiors. Below are my observations and comparison to my maintenance experience of my uncoated Civic.

Pros:

• The coating has held up good and don’t see any degradation in the mirror like gloss or hasn’t developed any swirl marks in the past four and half months of daily cleaning.
• Water beading is still very good.
• It is easier to clean than my uncoated Civic.
• Hard water marks are easy to get rid of ( though haven’t let a dried in mark stay for more than a day) - Have been getting quite a few daily as I have to drive through metro construction area where water from construction drops from overhead construction areas.

Cons:

• Only one - I have a nagging feeling the colour after coating is not as deep as the ones with Ceramic coating, though I never got to compare another lava blue vehicle next to mine and lava blue is one colour that looks vastly different in different ambient lighting.

My cleaning routine:

Daily: Blow off the dust using an electric blower first, followed by dusting with the Jopasu / California duster. ( Average time: 10 mins)

Once in 2-3 days: ( Average time: 30 mins on week days, 1 hour on weekends) After dusting as above, Spray Meguiars hybrid Ceramic detailer on to a soft micro fiber cloth and gently wipe down one panel at a time and gently buff off with a 600 gsm micro fiber cloth.

Monthly once: ( Average time: 2 hours) Pressure wash ( cordless one from Amazon) and shampoo once a month, dry off with Shinepro micro fiber drying cloth and use a blower to blow any residual water from all the crevices to avoid forming hard water stains.

Will provide another update after one year of use in how this coating holds up.

On a related note, doing PPF on the piano black is an absolute must - and do not dry wipe - The same ceramic detailer works magic on PPF too. Not a single swirl mark on the exterior spoiler / Door B / C pillar area inserts, or interior door inserts and dash board storage lid. The installers recommended not to do PPF on the console area around the gear shifter as there are electrical switches and water will get in during PPF installation, so applied the same glass coating on this console piano black inserts - so far been able to keep it swirl mark / micro scratch free.

Posting some pics of my Uncoated 2009 Civic with 1.3L Km and the Glass coated Kodiaq for your reference.

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