Complete Guide to Buying a Skoda Kodiaq

The Skoda Kodiaq is the Czech carmakers halo product in the Indian market, and also serves as its largest SUV sold globally. It has been on showroom floors for quite a few years now, and while it was originally available with a diesel engine, it now offers a petrol engine only. In its segment, it competes with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster, and even the Jeep Meridian and Citroen C5 Aircross. This premium SUV caters to those who prefer to be chauffeur-driven but don’t mind getting behind the wheel themselves.

Why should you consider the Skoda Kodiaq?

The Skoda Kodiaq exists in a segment of SUVs that encompasses various types and models.  The good and the bad thing about this segment is that no two SUVs share the same key traits, making them distinctly different from one another. Therefore, chances are that what you are looking for in an SUV might not exist in any other vehicle in the segment, and that’s why if you are shopping for an SUV in a price bracket upwards of Rs 35 lakh, you should definitely check out the Skoda Kodiaq before making a final decision.

Road Presence

When people go out to buy SUVs, one of the prerequisites is that it should have road presence. The Skoda Kodiaq ticks that box and how. It is tall, wide and commands respect on the road with its stance. Skoda has quite beautifully balanced this aspect of the Kodiaq, with the cuts and creases on the SUV’s body making it stand out, while maintaining an elegant and timeless design. This is one area where the Czech carmaker comes out on top in this entire segment of SUVs, marrying a butch presence with timeless elegance, something that a lot of buyers who do not like ostentatious displays of wealth actually prefer. To put it in simpler words, the Skoda Kodiaq has the ability to stand out and be subtle – two opposites of a spectrum – at the same time.

Performance

Packing a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that makes 190 PS of maximum power and 320 Nm of peak torque, the Kodiaq is one of the quickest SUVs in its segment. In fact, Skoda claims that it can do the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in just 7.8 seconds, which is fully believable as the SUV packs in a launch control feature and all-wheel drive for superior grip. And, let’s not forget the 7-speed dual clutch transmission that is part of the standard equipment on the SUV, allowing for lightning quick gear changes when you put the pedal to the metal. When you put the Kodiaq in the right driving mode, it stiffens up the chassis and allows the SUV to corner harder, and while that might not be something most owners prefer, it is always reassuring to know that when the twisties come around, the Skoda Kodiaq will only continue to impress with it dynamic abilities.

Comfort

The Skoda Kodiaq, as mentioned earlier, packs in driving modes and while one of those might quicken things up, the Comfort setting dials things back a notch. It softens up the suspension and lightens the steering feel allowing for a relaxed drive. It almost makes the Kodiaq feel car-like to drive and that is saying something for an SUV that weighs well over two tonnes with a full passenger load. Over potholes, the suspension has the ability to almost make the surface feel flat and the refinement means that most of its ill-effects such as suspension noise are hardly felt inside the cabin of the Kodiaq. Skoda also offers some of the best seats in the business that keep you cocooned over long drives, and the nap package on offer in second row allows rear seat occupants to enjoy a nap without being rudely awakened as the car goes around a corner.

Safety

Skoda’s name has always been synonymous with safety in India and the Kodiaq is the leading example of that. While Global NCAP, the independent body responsible for testing cars sold in India is yet to test the Kodiaq, the SUV was tested by Euro NCAP (a body that is known for equally, if not more, stringent crash tests) in 2017 and it achieved a 5-star safety rating at the time. The SUV has gone through updates since then but underneath the body, the structural shell remains the same, so it is safe to say that the latest model of the SUV will perform similarly when put to the test. Apart from the safety rating, the Skoda Kodiaq comes equipped with nine airbags. That is the most number of airbags that are present in any mass market car sold in India. The Kodiaq also packs in a host of active safety features listed in the table above and most of them are standard on all variants of the SUV.

Why should you not consider the Skoda Kodiaq?

Fuel Efficiency

While the Skoda Kodiaq has many positive points in its favour, it is also susceptible to a few chinks in its armour. In fact, of them is the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that offers exhilarating performance, for if not driven with a light foot, it returns a lowly single digit fuel efficiency that might dip down to as low as 5 km/l. Now Skoda does employ a method to mitigate such issues such as the auto start/stop feature which switches off the engine when the car comes to a halt, or the coasting feature which temporarily decouples the transmission when the SUV is being driving at a constant, sedate speed, but these only help out ever so little. The fact is that the Kodiaq is not a fuel efficient SUV and only on highway drives will you see its fuel efficiency figure creep into the double digits, that too with a lot of restraint of your right foot.

Not A True 7 Seater

The Skoda Kodiaq might be a three row SUV but it is by no means a true seven seater. That means, it cannot seat seven adults comfortably. First of all, the access to the third row is quite limited as the middle row doesn’t fully fold down. Secondly, the seat back in the third row of the Kodiaq is quite upright and such an angle can be quite uncomfortable even for short journeys. Lastly, you will end up sitting in quite a knees-up position with hardly any leg space and even for kids, a highway journey in the last row of the Skoda Kodiaq remains out of the question. The only flip side to this is that if you fold down the third row of seats, you get a huge boot space with a capacity of 2005 litres.

Best Skoda Kodiaq Variant to buy?

Skoda only offers the Kodiaq in three variants and with the difference between the base and top variant being less than Rs 4 lakh, it hardly makes sense to try and find a value pick among its variants. In fact, in the price range that the Kodiaq is priced at, most buyers won’t mind splurging the extra money to opt for the top variant, which is the most handsomely equipped. In fact, the top-spec L&K variant is the one we too recommend as it allows one to experience the Skoda Kodiaq with all the luxury and amenities it has to offer, which make it what it really is – a premium SUV.

Skoda Kodiaq Warranty and Service Cost

Skoda offers the Kodiaq with a standard warranty of 4 years or 1,00,000 kilometres, whichever comes first. There is a Skoda Assist program too which allows the 3rd and 4th year warranty to go on for an unlimited number of kilometres. Lastly, Skoda also offers a 4 years or 60,000 kilometres service package which is applicable for service intervals of 1 year or 15,000 kilometre intervals. The latest prices for these can be enquired at any Skoda dealership.

Summary

The Skoda Kodiaq is one of the more elegant SUVs in its class, and while it might be limited in terms of powertrain and variant options, Skoda is targeting a select niche of customers with it. It’s the right SUV for those who have owned previous Skoda vehicles and are familiar with the ins and outs of the brand and truly enjoy the Skoda experience. As far as the experience goes, the Kodiaq offers one of a higher-priced SUV, and if comfort matters to you more than the value of a badge, the Kodiaq will be the perfect fit for you.