Skoda India Begins Local Production Of Facelifted Kodiaq

The full-size Skoda SUV is being built at the VW Group’s plant in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

• The facelifted Kodiaq will be a petrol-only offering.

• It gets mild updates to the exterior and interior.

• Feature additions include ventilated seats, updated sound system and ambient lighting.

• The launch is scheduled for Jan, 2022.

• We expect it to be priced at Rs 33 lakh (ex-showroom).

Skoda India has confirmed that production of the facelifted Kodiaq SUV is underway at its facility in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The SUV was previously discontinued in April 2020, following the implementation of the BS6 emission norms in India. The SUV is being brought in line with the VW Group’s petrol-only offensive for the Indian market.

Under the bonnet, the Kodiaq will come with a 2-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 190PS and 320Nm. A 7-speed DSG (dual clutch automatic) will be the only transmission offered, and will send power to all four wheels via an AWD system.

To freshen things up, Skoda has made slight design changes to the Kodiaq while the overall stance of the car remains the same as before. The headlights, taillights, bumpers, grille and even the alloys have been updated.  The interior is mostly unchanged, except for the new two-spoke steering wheel, which we have seen on other Skoda cars as well. We do expect Skoda to offer updated upholstery options with the facelifted Kodiaq.

In terms of features, the facelifted Kodiaq will offer ventilated seats, an updated 12-speaker sound system and 10-colour ambient lighting over the previous model. It will continue to get a panoramic sunroof, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a fully digital instrument cluster. The Kodiaq will also come equipped with front and rear parking sensors, multiple airbags, traction control, ESP and hill-assist. The facelifted Skoda Kodiaq will take on the Toyota Fortuner and MG Gloster once it’s launched in India early next year. We expect it to be priced around Rs 33 lakh (ex-showroom).