The Chinese market was a highly competitive one and all the major car-makers tried to get more of it.
Skoda even tried to get it with a special vehicle: the 2018 Kodiaq GT, an SUV built especially for China.

The Czech brand Skoda started its journey under the Volkswagen umbrella with just one model back in the ’90s. By 2018 it already had a very wide range, from the supermini citigo to the big Kodiaq SUV. The latter was built on the same MQB platform, which made it very easy to adapt to various configurations. For the SUV-coupe market, most of the offers were made by the premium car-manufacturers. In China, there were few special models and Skoda added another one to the list: the Kodiaq GT. It was unveiled in November 2018.

From the front to the A-pillars, the car looked most like any other Kodiaq from the Chinese market. The car featured a new front bumper with more aggressive styling, especially on its sides. A new badge was inserted on the front fenders, behind the wheels. From the side, the car was the same up to the A-pillars, but an arched roofline and sloped end made the car look different.

Inside, there were some modifications to the car, depending on the trim level. The top version featured sport-bucket seats with a hole under the headrest that mimicked a pass-through racing harness. The virtual cockpit for the instrument cluster was featured as standard. The infotainment unit was a carryover from the Kodiaq model as well.

The Kodiaq GT was offered with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine. It was offered with two levels of power: 186 CP and 220 CP. The former was available with front-wheel-drive while the latter was offered only with a 7-speed gearbox and all-wheel-drive.

Skoda refreshed the Kodiaq SUV in 2021, after four years and 600,000 units sold globally.
The Kodiaq was a gamechanger for the Czech carmaker Skoda. It was a mid-size SUV with room for seven offered with various powerplants and drivetrains that placed it at the same level as other European brands. It was built on an extended Volkswagen MQB platform, the same used for the Tiguan Allspace.

With the 2021 range, Skoda introduced a new set of slimmer Matrix LED headlights on its biggest SUV on the market. They were standard features on the full-options trim level L&K (Laurin&Klement) and on the sportiest version, the RS. Its more upright grille made the car looks rougher than before, able to cope with difficult off-road situations even though it was more of a mall-roader than an off-roader. On its sides, the black moldings around the wheel-arches added more protection for the bodywork. The carmaker introduced a new set of 20” light-alloy wheels on the options list.

Inside, the Kodiak featured new upholstery options and contrast stitchings for specific versions on the seats and dashboard. Depending on the trim level, two or three-spoke steering wheels were fitted as standard. The carmaker offered a ten-speaker Canton sound system as standard on the L&K trim level or optional for the rest of the range. Its infotainment unit was equipped with a standard 8” touch-screen with an option for a 9.2” display. Skoda included a 10.25” TFT display for the instrument cluster as an option.

Under the hood, the carmaker introduced two turbo-diesel and three gasoline options, all turbocharged. The entry-level 1.5-liter gasoline was the only available with a front-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual, while the rest of the powerplants were paired to a seven-speed (dual-clutch) gearbox and all-wheel-drive.

Launched at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, the Kodiaq RS is the first ever Skoda SUV to wear the coveted RS initials, while also sporting the most powerful diesel engine in the history of the Czech car manufacturer.
Before launching the model on the market, Skoda took the time to test its fastest SUV on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, even though probably none of its customers will ever take their family car on the track. With a best time of 9 minutes and 29.84 seconds, the Skoda Kodiaq RS now holds the lap record for the fastest seven-seater SUV on the famed German track.

Thanks to a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter TDI engine that develops 240 PS and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, which is paired to a 7-speed DSG gearbox and all-wheel-drive, the sporty SUV can hit 100 kph (62 mph) in 7 seconds flat and has a top speed of 220 kph (137 mph). Not the most impressive numbers for a Nurburgring record-breaking car but impressive enough for a seven-seater. Another premiere for a Skoda model is the so-called Dynamic Sound Boost technology, which is fitted as standard on the Kodiaq RS. In short, it augments the standard engine note with an artificial one, which can be heard in the cabin through the audio system.

Who would have thought that Skoda could actually produce a large SUV to compete even with the Land Rover Discovery? Not many of you, I bet.
The large family SUV was practical, economical and simply desirable. The Skoda Kodiaq was based on the Volkswagen’s MQB platform.

While the majority of the large SUVs at the time offered seating for 7, the Kodiaq needed to keep up to stand out in the crowd. While the base Kodiaq could accommodate up to 5 occupants, the upper trim levels added 2 rear seats behind the 2nd row.

Adding the 3rd row of seats compromised the cargo area, thus sometimes it was either friends or luggages.

Otherwise, the Kodiaq’s cabin was roomy with great legroom and headroom available for the passengers in the 2nd row. With the high center console in the back, the 3rd seat was mostly suitable for children and the same applied for the 3rd row that offered limited headroom.

We consider the Kodiaq’s interior the nicest Skoda ever made. While most of the models in their catalogue had a well-made interior, they were not the most attractive.

The quality materials used throughout the cabin gave a luxury feeling and the range topping model featured even ambient lighting.

The cabin was well insulated, offering a quiet ride without any engine noise or tire roll.

An extensive list of powerplants was available, from a 1.4-liter gasoline to a 2.0-liter diesel unit. The diesel units were very punchy and all engines were refined.