2021 Skoda Kodiaq facelift revealed
The Skoda Kodiaq has been a hot seller for the Czech brand ever since its inception. For the 2021 model year, it gets more aggressive styling and five trim levels are offered internationally, namely — Ambition, Style, Laurin & Klement, SportLine and RS. With a choice of five different engines from the VW Group, the sporty Kodiaq RS now gets a 2.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine and for the first time, optional Matrix headlights.
Skoda Kodiaq facelift design
In terms of styling, at the front, the 2021 Skoda Kodiaq gets a sportier bonnet with more sculpted lines, below it lies the new hexagonal grille which is more upright and wider. The grille is flanked by a pair of restyled headlights that are now slimmer and can be had with optional Matrix LED setup. The new headlights are split into two parts which creates what Skoda calls a ‘four-eyed look’. The front also gets a revised bumper with the performance oriented RS model getting a more aggressive looking one.
2021 Skoda Kodiaq interior
Inside the cabin of the new Skoda Kodiaq we can see new additions and an updated look. New for 2021 are the optional ergonomic seats which can be adjusted electrically and feature massage and ventilation functions. The dashboard houses a 10.15-inch digital instrument cluster with Virtual Cockpit system and a 9.2-inch infotainment touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The interior also gets a new two-spoke steering wheel, identical to what we saw in the Octavia first, LED ambient lighting and an updated Canton surround sound system with 12 speakers instead of the outgoing models 10. RS models get specific single-piece bucket seats at the front, a three spoke steering wheel, RS stitching on the upholstery and an additional 'Sport' layout in the Virtual Cockpit system. The Ambition and Style trims offer the option of seat upholstery made from recycled materials.
New Skoda Kodiaq engine
The 2021 Skoda Kodiaq is made available internationally with a choice of two diesel and three petrol engines that have been borrowed from VW's EVO family.
The pair of 2-litre diesels make 146bhp and 196bhp respectively. Both will be mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission with optional AWD. The petrol range consists of the 1.5-litre and two 2-litre TSI engines. The smaller 1.5-litre TSI will be FWD only with 146bhp on tap, it will be coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission. The bigger 2.0-litre TSI on the other hand will have a peak output of 186bhp and that’s the engine that will make it to our shores. The 2-litre TSI also powers the likes of the VW Tiguan Allspace, Skoda Superb, Audi Q2 and it’s the current staple among luxury VW Group cars.
The third choice of petrol engine is available in the top-end RS variant, which does away with the old 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel. It now gets the 2-litre TSl engine producing 241bhp. Other than being 4bhp more powerful, this engine is more than 60kg lighter. That combined with 5.2 kg more weight savings coming from the new 7-speed DSG transmission, this powerplant's performance is claimed to be marginally stronger.
New Skoda Kodiaq price
Zach Hollis, Director of Sales, Service & Marketing, Skoda Auto India confirmed that the new Kodiaq will make its way to India in the third quarter of 2021. Upon arrival it will be all set to go against the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner, and the MG Gloster. The 2021 Skoda Kodiaq will be the brand’s third launch planned for this year in India. Skoda will launch the fourth-gen Octavia towards the end of this month, which will be followed by the Kushaq mid-sized SUV in June. The 2021 Kodiaq is expected to arrive at our shores sometime in the second half of this year and we expect it to be priced between Rs 30-35 lakh, ex-showroom.
