Photo: Skoda
Not long now, the Skoda flagships - the Superb sedan and wagon plus the Kodiaq mid-size crossover SUV will welcome their new generations. But before that happens, it seems like the latter is closer to the boiling point than we imagined.
A recent report from across the rumor mill stated the complete redesigns – the fourth iteration of the Superb and second generation Kodiaq – would arrive from behind the curtain sometime this fall as 2024 models. Well, there's no telling if Skoda will follow suit with a double ensemble presentation like the 2024 Lexus TX and GX superstar SUVs for the North American market because so far, only the next Kodiaq got its time on the red carpet to shine its technical specifications under the spotlight.
The Skoda Kodiaq was introduced in 2016 as the flag-bearer not just of a new design language but also of the crossover hostilities. Frankly, to me, it felt like the beginning of the end for my understanding of the CUV range as the company started ushering one K-named crossover after another – The Karoq compact SUV in 2017, the smaller Kamiq subcompact CUV in 2019, and recently also the Kushaq for emerging markets from 2021. And don't say the Enyaq is an exception because it's still too hard to make it out from the pack, despite the slightly different name and the lack of local polluting emissions.
Anyway, now Skoda is trying to shed some light on the second-generation Kodiaq that will arrive soon on the market with "increased interior space," powertrain outputs from 110 kW (150 ps/148 hp) to 150 kW (204 ps/201 hp), plus an all-new plug-in hybrid option rocking "an electric range of more than 62 miles (100 kilometers)." Of course, that is not the end of the highlights list, which also includes stuff like the "new interior concept" with a 12.9-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system "and well-organized center console," more Simply Clever features than ever before, and second-gen full LED Matrix headlights plus additional high-tech assistance systems.
Skoda is not the one to give up on diesel power, so there are two gasoline TSI and two diesel TDI options – the base 1.5 TSI will feature mild-hybrid tech while the 2.0 TDI has 142 kW (193 ps/190 hp) and the first-ever Kodiaq iV tops the range with 201 hp and the promised EV range of over 100 km/62 miles. Don't expect that kind of mileage in real-world situations, but the greater WLTP rating will probably yield impressive results in everyday traffic as well.
The successful Kodiaq – "the model that kickstarted Skoda's (current) SUV campaign" has sold close to 800k units worldwide to date, so it's safe to say that it may be an essential model introduction for the Czech brand. So, the seven-seater CUV has grown by six centimeters to offer more space inside the cabin, has more headroom (+15 mm), and the luggage capacity has surged by 75 liters to a total of 910 liters, according to preliminary data.
What you shouldn't expect, at least by the looks of this camouflaged prototype, is a design revolution. Instead, the company goes after good-ol' tradition and will give you a Skoda-flavored CUV that's easy to mistake for a VW, given the technical combinations of 1.5 and 2.0 TSI, 2.0 TDI, and six- or seven-speed DSG with or without 4x4 combinations.
The Skoda Kodiaq was introduced in 2016 as the flag-bearer not just of a new design language but also of the crossover hostilities. Frankly, to me, it felt like the beginning of the end for my understanding of the CUV range as the company started ushering one K-named crossover after another – The Karoq compact SUV in 2017, the smaller Kamiq subcompact CUV in 2019, and recently also the Kushaq for emerging markets from 2021. And don't say the Enyaq is an exception because it's still too hard to make it out from the pack, despite the slightly different name and the lack of local polluting emissions.
Anyway, now Skoda is trying to shed some light on the second-generation Kodiaq that will arrive soon on the market with "increased interior space," powertrain outputs from 110 kW (150 ps/148 hp) to 150 kW (204 ps/201 hp), plus an all-new plug-in hybrid option rocking "an electric range of more than 62 miles (100 kilometers)." Of course, that is not the end of the highlights list, which also includes stuff like the "new interior concept" with a 12.9-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system "and well-organized center console," more Simply Clever features than ever before, and second-gen full LED Matrix headlights plus additional high-tech assistance systems.
Skoda is not the one to give up on diesel power, so there are two gasoline TSI and two diesel TDI options – the base 1.5 TSI will feature mild-hybrid tech while the 2.0 TDI has 142 kW (193 ps/190 hp) and the first-ever Kodiaq iV tops the range with 201 hp and the promised EV range of over 100 km/62 miles. Don't expect that kind of mileage in real-world situations, but the greater WLTP rating will probably yield impressive results in everyday traffic as well.
The successful Kodiaq – "the model that kickstarted Skoda's (current) SUV campaign" has sold close to 800k units worldwide to date, so it's safe to say that it may be an essential model introduction for the Czech brand. So, the seven-seater CUV has grown by six centimeters to offer more space inside the cabin, has more headroom (+15 mm), and the luggage capacity has surged by 75 liters to a total of 910 liters, according to preliminary data.
What you shouldn't expect, at least by the looks of this camouflaged prototype, is a design revolution. Instead, the company goes after good-ol' tradition and will give you a Skoda-flavored CUV that's easy to mistake for a VW, given the technical combinations of 1.5 and 2.0 TSI, 2.0 TDI, and six- or seven-speed DSG with or without 4x4 combinations.
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