Production-Ready Skoda Kodiaq spotted in India ahead of launch

Ahead of its official launch slated for later this year, a production-ready test mule of the Skoda Kodiaq has been spotted in India with all its badges in place. The vehicle seems all set to go on sale in India, thus marking the Czech carmaker's entry in the seven-seater SUV space.

The Kodiaq name takes its inspiration from Alaska's 'Kodiak' bear. The carmaker claims that the new SUV represents the strengths of the Czech brand. It has been designed keeping many factors in mind like extra-ordinary space for occupants, practical intelligence and innovative technology. It will be targeted at large families, business professionals and off-road enthusiasts.

Skoda might offer the petrol Kodiaq in India with a 155bhp 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The diesel model is expected to get the 190bhp 2.0-litre TDI mill. Both these variants might come with a DSG automatic gearbox as standard, while the diesel also benefitting from an AWD system with Skoda’s Adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control.

The Skoda Kodiaq premiered at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show as the VisionS Concept, which formed the base for this upcoming SUV. From then, not much has changed as the management of Skoda had mentioned that the model was nearer to production than you would think. When it goes on sale in India towards the end of this year, it will compete with the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and other seven-seater SUVs.

Skoda Kodiaq