Here’s the all-new Skoda Kodiaq! Sketches set the scene for a full premiere next week

Skoda’s next-generation family SUV is only a week away from its official launch

With only a week to go until its official unveiling, sketches of the second-generation Skoda Kodiaq SUV have been released. Having already seen its high-tech new interior, driven pre-production prototypes and learned all about its new and more efficient range of engines, its exterior styling is the last piece of the puzzle that we’re now finally getting a sense of. 

Evident in these new sketches is the Kodiaq’s evolutionary design that combines traditional Skoda design cues, such as the scalloped bonnet and vertical grille vanes, with a new curved character line just above the sills and sharper LED lighting. While we’ll have to see how accurately these sketches translate in the metal, they do preview the new car’s cleaner and more sophisticated body. 

• Large SUV of the Year 2023: Skoda Kodiaq

The Kodiaq’s most substantial design changes look to be focused around the rear, with slim rear lights and a darkened D-pillar that gives the effect of a semi-floating roof. This will help give the Skoda a distinct silhouette, creating more visual distinction between it and Volkswagen’s new Tiguan, which shares many of its fundamental powertrain and chassis elements. 

Interior and tech

This new exterior design will sit outside of the recently revealed interior that will introduce new configurable dials, sustainable materials and the Czech brand’s signature ‘Simply Clever’ touches within a design that builds on the current model. 

At the heart of the new Kodiaq interior is a 13-inch free-standing touchscreen, below which you’ll find the Skoda’s new ‘Smart Dials’ that are also going to feature in the latest Skoda Superb.

Each dial houses a 32 millimetre display, with the outer two dedicated to cabin temperature, plus heating and cooling for the driver and front passenger seat. Meanwhile the central dial can be used to adjust the volume, fan speed, or even the drive mode.

Other new additions for forthcoming Kodiaq include a 10-inch Virtual Cockpit driver’s display that can be complemented with a head-up display. The gear selector has also been moved from the centre console to the steering column, with its usual spot now taken up by a wireless charging pad large enough for two smartphones, according to Skoda.

The next Kodiaq will also feature an umbrella and handy ice scraper in the driver’s door, and like the Enyaq will be offered with a choice of interior design schemes: Loft, Lounge, or ecoSuite in Black or Cognac. The textiles used on selector models will be made from 100 per cent recycled polyester, while the leather in others is to be produced using an eco-friendly tanning process.

Powertrains and chassis

Although the outgoing Kodiaq was launched way back in 2016, it’s still one of our favourite family cars, with the seven-seat SUV garnering popularity for its practicality and strong range of powertrains.

The range of powertrains is set to expand with the new Kodiaq, however, as it’ll be available with plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid power. In terms of practicality, the new car will be slightly longer than the out-going model and have a larger boot, too – 910 litres compared to 835 litres. We’ve also learned that you will be able to get the new Kodiaq with seven seats, although the extra row of seating eats up a little bit of boot space, shrinking it to 845 litres.

• New Skoda Kodiaq 2024 prototype review

These upgrades, along with the new tech and some fresh styling, should allow the Kodiaq to continue rivalling key competitors in the large SUV class, such as the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe – heavily updated versions of which have been unveiled. Other rivals include the Nissan X-Trail, VW Tiguan Allspace and SEAT Taracco.

The big changes for the Kodiaq will be focused on its underpinnings. The current Kodiaq sits on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A2 platform – the same used by all the group’s family SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and SEAT Tarraco. However, we expect the next-generation model to move onto the more recent MQB Evo platform, which is used by the current VW Golf, Cupra Formentor, and Skoda Octavia, as well as the upcoming third-generation Tiguan.

The new Kodiaq will be available with mild-hybrid assistance from launch, with the Kodiaq PHEV expected to join the range in Spring 2024. The plug-in hybrid versions will use a 25.7kWh battery for a pure-electric driving range of over 62 miles.

The two electrified versions will be offered alongside conventional diesel and petrol engines, but a full-electric variant is off the cards because the MQB Evo platform does not support pure-EV powertrains. Skoda is working on an all-electric seven-seat SUV that’s due on sale in 2026, based on the Vision 7S concept from last year.

The new Kodiaq will almost certainly be the last offered with regular petrol and diesel engines, as the VW Group, like the entire industry, prepares for widespread electrification.

Skoda says we can expect a full reveal of the new Kodiaq in early October 2023, while the upcoming fourth-generation Superb is on track to make its world debut in November. Both models will share the same production line in Kvasiny, Czech Republic. The current Kodiaq starts from £34,760 and we expect a slight increase on pricing for the second-generation model.

Now check out our list of the best family cars to buy now…

Source: Read Full Article