After months of teasing, the new Skoda Kodiaq SUV made its official public debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.
Available as a five- or seven-seater, the Kodiaq is the firm’s first SUV and will rival the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento when it goes on sale later this year.
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At 4.7m long, the Kodiaq is the longest vehicle to sit on VW Group’s versatile MQB platform, but weight has been kept down to less than 1.5-tonnes in front-wheel-drive petrol form.
The manufacturer says it will trump rivals on space and value – with prices expected to start at less than £25,000. For comparison, the Kia Sorento starts at £28,795.
Czech the tech
It’ll be packed with technology – including a bird’s-eye-view camera for low-speed manoeuvring, as well as semi-autonomous functions that activate in the case of a crash.
Buyers will get a choice of a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine (in 150hp or 190hp guises), along with a variety of 1.4-litre and 2.0-litre petrol units.
A six-speed manual gearbox and six or seven-speed DSG automatic ‘boxes are offered, along with the choice of front- or four-wheel drive.
An off-road mode suggests the Kodiaq will have genuine rough-terrain capability, although we’ll find out exactly how much when we test it later in the year.
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