Restyle Skoda Kodiaq: will the Czech be more at ease in Russia?

The updated model of the Czech crossover Skoda Kodiaq appeared on the European market in April 2021 and has just reached our car dealerships (not all stocks of old models have been sold yet, they are holding). The restyling refreshed the design, in addition, the developers brought in a package of technologies that make it easier to manage. Rumor has it that not all vehicle configurations will be available to Russian motorists. For this reason, the question remains relevant - "Was it necessary?". In a word, will Skoda go ahead with restyling, or will sales completely “wither”.

Historical background on sales in Russia

To understand whether Czech car manufacturers want to increase their profits from sales of Kodiak in Russia, let's see how they generally did with this brand. Last year, our compatriots bought this car 20 times (we are talking about new cars, of course). This is the third intra-brand position, where, by the way, there is competition - Karoq. So, in 578, when sales of the brand new Skoda Kodiaq just started in May, just 2017 times fewer cars were sold (to be exact, 10).



And this year, sales figures as of September 1 amounted to 13. That is, the growth dynamics, if there were, is insignificant. And then there is the "swing" with semiconductors. So certain hopes were pinned on restyling, of course. I think maintaining the level of last year's sales in such conditions would be a cool result. Yes, in the salons of the updated Kodiak, you still have to look - just the usual model. But we are not here for this, but to evaluate, albeit remotely, what is new there?

Expressiveness and originality

The first thing that will be remembered from a meeting with a restyled model is a slightly changed exterior style. A new hexagonal grille with double stiffening ribs in gloss black is installed at the front, the hood has become slightly higher.
In the style of the converted Kodiaq, the accents of the brutal SUV are enhanced. A wide aluminized air intake is proof of this. And the bumpers received an L-shaped outline from below, and the rear one visually expands the proportions of the body, making the Kodiak more detailed, or something. The upgraded design of the rear LED-stops outwardly changed slightly, but it has become narrower.

Optics

Narrowed headlights come standard with Full LED optics. In higher-end versions, first-class LED matrix headlights are available.



Turning lights work in automatic mode, ideally illuminating the road without blinding oncoming drivers. The headlights adjust their work to driving in the city, on a country road, in rain or fog.

Rollers

The profile outlines of the model are more impressive when the car is equipped with branded alloy wheels in sizes from 17 to 20 inches. Model Aero further improve the aerodynamic properties of the Kodiaq.



The RS version comes with 20-inch wheels from Sagitarius with special plastic caps to reduce air resistance. Standard models offer 18-inch Askella, 19-inch Cursa or XNUMX-inch Merope wheels. This solution allows the owner to get the desired look of the car immediately upon purchase, and not to engage in additional acquisitions during operation.

Comfort first

Changes Kodiaq, albeit slightly, but affected the design of the cabin, which was already spacious and comfortable.



To place new accents, the designers used the original contrasting stitching and atmospheric LED lighting - a trifle, but very effective. The new seat upholstery and interior trim elements depend, as before, on the selected equipment:

• ✅ Ambition - contains polished aluminum inserts
  
• ✅ Style - diamond-shaped upholstery structure
  
• ✅ Laurin & Klement - chrome elements, including door handles
  
• ✅ RS - sports seats with better support are installed.
  

Inside, the Kodiak has definitely become more expressive and fresher - it turned out quite well for a restyled model.

Banners

In the restyled model, the multimedia complex with a touch-screen display remained the same. The Style package includes a 10,25-inch virtual instrument panel with a choice of four instrument display options. Sportline and RS modifications have a special sport mode setting.



In Bolero, Amundsen and Columbus multimedia systems, owners can control the operation of the equipment through a mobile application or entrust control to the Laura digital assistant, which understands fifteen languages.



Modifications equipped with a Canton audio system with a subwoofer are additionally equipped with two speakers (for a total of 12), with improved sound quality.

Active safety measures

The safety and convenience of using the car is ensured by adaptive cruise control, which does not turn off up to 210 km / h. The emergency braking system recognizes pedestrians, cyclists and other obstacles on the road. Additional sensors monitor blind spots and dangerous approach from behind. Already in the basic configuration, you can install (DOPs):

• ✅ Driver fatigue sensor
  
• ✅ Side rear airbags
  
• ✅ AirBag to protect the driver's knees
  
• ✅ Lane control
  
• ✅ Assistant when starting uphill
  

The functions are useful, but how much they will make the cost of the car heavier remains a mystery.

Motors

The base engine (model 1,5 TSI) with a power of 150 “horses” is now used with a 6-speed robotic gearbox (previously only manual transmission). For four-cylinder TDIs with the same gearbox and performance characteristics, all-wheel drive is available as an additional option. An all-wheel drive transmission with a seven-speed DSG gearbox and a choice of one of the motors is also offered:

• ✅ TDI - 200 l. With.
  
• ✅ TSI - 190 l. With.
  

The RS version deserves special attention - a gasoline turbo engine with a power of under 245 hp is installed here. With. At the same time, the unit uses composite materials and has become 60 kg lighter. To match it, a lightweight transmission model (by 5,2 kg) is installed. At the same time, two-liter units are currently not available. Analysts attribute this to the difficulties in the semiconductor market.

when we expect to enter the Russian market and prices

The mass appearance of the car on sale in car dealerships in the Russian Federation is predicted at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022. In the meantime, there are only isolated cases and attempts to manipulate pre-orders.

The starting price of the updated Kodiak in the simplest version of Active (assembly in the Czech Republic) will be approximately 2760000 rubles. The price for domestic assembly will be more attractive - a little less than 2 million rubles. The cost in the top will exceed 3 million rubles. At the same time, it is not possible to predict how these figures will change by the end of the year in the current conditions of the car market. Whether Skoda Kodiaq will be able to improve its position in the market - time will tell. But there is no doubt that the restyling made the model much more attractive.
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