Revealed in October last year, Škoda’s popular Kodiaq is now likely to make it to the Indian soil in the near future. According to a media report, the second-generation Skoda Kodiaq will make its debut in India by mid-2025. The brand is likely to bring the luxury SUV via the CKD (Completely Knocked-Down) route and locally assemble the car in India to keep its price competitive. Reports also reveal that the powertrain is likely to remain the same which will help achieve economies of scale and help Skoda streamline assembly.
While Skoda is already retailing the Kodiaq in the overseas market, sources suggest that parts and components which need to be homologated as per the latest norms in India is taking time. Compared to CBU route, the brand is able to import the entire unit easily, but attracts far more taxes making the vehicle costly for the end-user in a price sensitive market like ours. Furthermore, Skoda is having to develop new racks for the shipping containers in which parts of the right-hand drive Kodiaq would be transported to India, and this is why the brand is taking time to launch the car here, revealed reports. Currently, the Skoda Kodiaq for sale is only in the Left-Hand-Drive configuration, the Right-Hand-Drive car is under development and a few examples already being tested on Indian roads.
Powering the new Skoda Kodiaq in India is likely to be the same 2.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine. The engine produces 190 Hp of power and 320 Nm of torque. However, it is likely that only the engine will remain the same, the exteriors and interiors of the SUV will be completely new. The Kodiaq is likely to come with features such as a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment, fully-digital instrument cluster, and new rotary knobs for the climate control with 33mm display integrated with it.
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