Skoda to launch a large new SUV by 2016

Skoda has decided to launch yet another competitor in the SUV segment in India after the Skoda Yeti. The company’s chief Winfried Vahland has confirmed to Autocar UK, their plans of launching a large SUV by 2016. It is been seen as a rival to Hyundai’s new flagship, the Santa Fe SUV.

Earlier during the year, Skoda had revealed plans of extending its SUV range to include an all-new seven-seater and Citigo-based small SUV. So it seems the time for the first of the two has arrived. The unnamed Skoda SUV will be a class up from the VW Tiguan and insiders suggest it will measure around 4.6m in length. It will be offered with five-seat and seven-seat configurations and with front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive. Welsch said engine capacity is likely to be capped at 2.0-litre, four-cylinder units, with diesel-electric hybrid technology set to be offered. A 1.6-litre turbodiesel will be the base unit.

The new model is based on the largest version of the Volkswagen Group's MQB platform and is set to be a version of VW’s own CrossBlue SUV, due to be launched in 2015. Skoda design chief Josef Kaban said: “Larger Skodas like this will employ bolder, more provocative styling - slightly different from the mainstream.”

In India, we are expecting the Yeti facelift to debut at the Auto Expo in February and go on sale by mid- 2014.