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Refreshed 2021 Skoda Kodiaq SUV Prototype Is Hidden in Plain Sight

It seems like a lifetime ago, but the Skoda Kodiaq seven-seat SUV was only unveiled less than four years ago, in late 2016, as the Czech carmaker’s first foray into the apparently lucrative niche of crossover/SUVs with a family vibe.
2021 Skoda Kodiaq facelift 16 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
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With its name and imposing size inspired by the largest brown bear on the planet, which lives on the island of the same name off the coast of Alaska, the Kodiaq is one of the largest mid-size crossover/SUVs despite being based on a compact FWD platform.

Its MQB A2 architecture is shared with other cars from the Volkswagen Group, including the latest Audi Q3 and Volkswagen Tiguan, and it’s the largest and most space-efficient crossover of the bunch.

The Canadian town of Kodiak was renamed Kodiaq for a day as part of the model’s marketing launch, which is ironic since the last time a Skoda ever hit Canadian lands officially was back in 1989.

Even more amusing is the fact that the Kodiaq in RS guise is currently the fastest seven-seat SUV to go around the Nürburgring, an odd but yet uncontested record.

We are now in 2021, and Skoda has finally started public testing of the SUV’s mid-cycle facelift, with a pre-production prototype having been spotted on the road recently.

While at first glance it looks like it has absolutely no camouflage, its appearance is deceiving. Both the headlights and the taillights feature cleverly disguising stickers, which are probably hiding new cluster designs and new LED technology.

The headlights are expected to get an optional Matrix LED technology, while the taillights will have a different shape altogether.

Inside we should find the latest VAG infotainment system in its Skoda guise, while the engine lineup is expected to receive some new units as well.

There have been rumors that the Kodiaq RS, which is also Skoda’s flagship model at the moment, will lose the twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel in favor of a plug-in hybrid 2.0 TSI gasoline engine, while most of the gasoline lineup will get mild-hybrid technology.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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