It’s been over 4 years since Skoda India discontinued their diesel cars. First, Skoda stopped the production of diesel cars in India and later they stopped importing them as well. However, reports suggest that they might be thinking of bringing the diesel variant of the latest Skoda Kodiaq in India. These cars will come via the CBU route and will be imported in limited numbers.
While demand for diesel vehicles has significantly decreased in several states, Petr Janeba, the brand director for Skoda India, has noted that there is still a noticeable demand in a select areas of the nation. No more than 100–200 diesel Kodiaqs could be imported by Skoda into India in order to serve this segment of the market.
“If we bring the diesel, it will be a CBU. It is a possibility, but as you can imagine, a CBU will be probably slightly different pricing, and hence it will be much lower volume. So we are talking about 100 to 200 cars a year. But first, we will launch the locally assembled Kodiaq. And, after it touches the ground in India, we will probably experiment with the diesel as well”, Janeba said.
Overseas, the Skoda Kodiaq gets a 2.o L diesel engine. It is tuned for two trims. The one with the 4×2 drivetrain produces 150 bhp and is mated to a 7-speed DSG. The one with the 4×4 drivetrain makes 193 bhp and is mated to the same 7-speed DSG gearbox. It is likely that Skoda India will bring the top trim in limited numbers. Expect it to be priced in the INR 55-65 lakh range.
Also Read: Skoda Kodiaq L&K Review