The Skoda Kodiaq has been given a fairly comprehensive update. Improved inside and out, but most importantly, this three-row SUV from the Czech manufacturer now also has a new price point—Rs 39.99 lakh for an entry-level model. While a version with active driving aids will set you back a bit, the top variant that also features more automation and ventilated seats, the “Selection L&K” variant, is now at Rs 46.99 lakh ex-showroom.
The Kodiaq has been around for a while as the flagship offering from Skoda. It is a pity since I really liked their sedans, which were the Octavia and the Superb. But in an era where we see the increasing SUV-fication of the automotive market, and not just in India, this is par for the course.
I don’t mind SUVs; indeed, when you’re driving around on flooded roads in the monsoons, the increased ground clearance is a plus, and longer shock absorbers help deal with hidden dangers such as potholes. But SUVs can be a bit boring to drive.
Why Kodiaq is a pleasant surprise
The Kodiaq is not that; in fact, when you put it through the paces, as I did recently on the CoASTT performance test track near Coimbatore, it was an eye-opener. A vehicle that feels like a large, luxurious barge on city roads and on India’s deceptively straight new expressways is quite the track monster. Surprisingly sharp and agile around the corners of this tight circuit co-developed by race-car driver (and local boy) Narain Karthikeyan. The car almost has a split personality, much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and I mean that in a positive way, not the way author Robert Louis Stevenson intended.
After testing the car both on city roads and expressways, I returned to the track and drove another variant of the Kodiaq. Unlike the ones above, this one comes imported as a fully built unit from Czechia. And it doesn’t even pretend to be Dr Jekyll. Smart, suave, and sleek, the latest model is unapologetically Mr Hyde—the Kodiaq RS. It is hunkered down with larger wheels that barely hide the massive brake callipers. Its bright red exterior colour hints at something special. And it is.
The RS has the same two-litre turbocharged petrol engine that the regular version has, but while the latter produces 201 horsepower, the former has an astonishing 265 horsepower. Quite remarkable from a smaller two-litre engine. Despite its size, the car flies down the road in a straight line, smooth as butter.
However, almost anything and anybody can go fast in a straight line. It is how a vehicle brakes and goes around corners that really makes it stand apart. And truth be told, this vehicle went around corners like a pro. Even the sharp negative camber turns, where the road slopes away, the Kodiaq RS drove comfortably at speeds that would have been suicidal in other vehicles. Around the track, this was a monster.
Also Read: Sri Lanka has embraced plug-in hybrids. Should India follow?
Surprise on surprise
A week ago, I got the Kodiaq RS over a weekend in the city, and well, forget what I said about this being an unadulterated version of Mr Hyde. It was a pleasure to drive even in traffic. It was Dr Hyde, but with a flamboyant personality. The lowered look and bright red colour make it stand out.
Now, the Kodiaq RS is only being brought in limited volumes to India, just 50 units, and they’ve all been sold out already. Even though they’re priced at a steep-ish Rs 66.99 lakh. And the obvious question is why choose a Kodiaq RS when Skoda also makes the Octavia RS, which, being a sedan, is better in most respects.
As I said, there has been the SUV-fication of the automotive market, and there is seemingly a demand for performance-oriented SUVs. BMW India also just launched the X6 M60i with a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 engine producing 523 horsepower, although it costs three times as much as the Kodiaq. The Kodiaq RS can deal with rough roads and potholes while being absolutely bonkers to drive when you set it loose on the open road.
But since it is sold out, let me assure you that the regular Kodiaq is no slouch, even if the RS is quite special indeed.
Kushan Mitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets @kushanmitra. Views are personal.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)