Senin, 06 Februari 2017

Bye Bye Tiguan: The Skoda Kodiaq in Test

Tags

"A Skoda is becoming a bit more car," says Dieter Seemann, Director of Procurement at Skoda, and has thereby a broad smile on his face. The reason for the good mood is outside the parking lot at Palma Airport: the new Skoda Kodiaq. The first SUV of the brand seems to create a good mood internally. Right? We have tested the new and largest SUV of the compact class. And yes, not only the attractive price will make fun in the future.



Optical combi more than SUVs
time for a first optical stocktaking: The Kodiaq has bipartite superimposed headlights that are doing well. In contrast to the octavia, which has just been lanced, carrying its two-part front lights side by side. The rear is reminiscent of a higher version of the Skoda Superb Combi. Only somehow more massive. Although the Kodiaq has an outside length of 4.70 meters (thus it is more than 20 centimeters longer than a Tiguan), it is based as the smaller product of VW on the modular cross-section box (MQB). Sounds like a big chunk, does not it? But in fact it is only four centimeters longer than an Octavia Combi and significantly shorter than a Superb Combi. A competitive product? The Land Rover Discovery Sport. Only that this looks less like a higher-set wagon and looks more like an off-road vehicle.



Phenomenal space
Why still offers the Disco Sport as compared vehicle? Because it is in this hitch segment between compact and mid-range SUV to the start and just like the Kodiaq with up to seven seats is available. Seven seats? In a car, not much bigger than an Octavia Combi? Yes, the arguments against it make sense. However, there are two points that speak against the it-sure-close-in-the-fund theory. Firstly, the second row can be moved by 18 centimeters longitudinally, and secondly, in the case of the I-must-now-all-squares-case, not all of your friends and acquaintances have the same size, right? Thus, in the variable interior, everyone should find a seat that fits and is also comfortable. And when the ride is busy, there is still enough space for up to 270 liters of luggage behind the third row. Do you need a cargoversion? Then, depending on the equipment, you can take a cheaper five-seater variant of 750 to 890 euros. Thus the trunk grows to a volume of 650 to 2,065 liters. A drawback: After folding the seats, there is no level loading floor.



Simply clever, right? 
Still sounds like a pretty practical car, do not you think? But because we are sitting in a Skoda, a tiny extra extra is added to Cleverness. You know, "Simply Clever" and so. 32 of these details are total. In addition to other features such as the umbrellas in the doors, the obligatory ice scraper in the fuel filler flap and numerous storage and lashing possibilities in the interior, there is a flashlight in the trunk and when the doors are opened approximately 15 cm long hard plastic strips are placed around the door handles. Practically when you were once again too slow with "children, please be careful when getting off". In addition, the funds may be equipped with so-called sleeping head restraints with upholstery parts, which can be folded out to the left and right and stabilize the head, so that it does not bounce to the disc when hooking. In addition, there are practical folding tables and the possibility to charge the Smarthphone wirelessly.



Simple, but very well connected
Speaking Smartphone: The Skoda-typical cockpit (a passerby who risked a glance in a parking lot, describes the interior with: "All very clearly laid out, no Pipifax"), it has, despite the simplicity quite in themselves. The Kodiaq is always online on request - free of charge in the first year - and shows, for example, gasoline prices from the surrounding service stations or provides live traffic information. And it can also generate a WLAN hotspot. Behind the steering wheel, however, it remains only once with classic round instruments. In the center console, on the other hand, the new eight-inch touchscreen can be ordered, which will also be available in the golf course next year. How this large and glass technique temple can be used? Simply wonderful and he feels as good as the rest of the cleanly processed interior. Also interesting is the "Skoda Connect App". With it, the remaining distance or the parking place can be called up via the smartphone. Or you can plan your travel route comfortably on the sofa and then send the route to the navi in ​​the car.



Extensive assistance deal
Then while the navigation system their destination, can be assisted by several assistants to go. 24 are the total. Because even at the press conference, Skoda only decides to list the most important ones, so we do not go beyond the limits and limit ourselves to the most sensible ones. Practical are the parking assistant with 360-degree panoramic view, the adaptive cruise control and the reliable working track assist. The two last helpers drive the Kodiaq autonomously in a traffic jam (up to 60 km / h). And if you want to get a trailer from time to time, the appropriate assistant provides a remedy for all untrained tractors.



Engines: Three gasoline, two diesel
but we talk finally about the points that make a car a car: the drives. The Kodiaq has three petrol engines and two diesel engines with 125 to 190 hp. You also have the choice between a manual six-speed transmission, a six-speed and a seven-speed DSG. Firstly, we will take the small two-horsepower diesel with 150 hp and 340 newtonmeter of torque on a test round. The acoustically always right-hand engine is fast decelerated in the upper speed range. This is due not only to the engine, but also to the fact that the Kodiaq with diesel and the optional all-wheel drive is no longer the actual lightweight but weighs more than 1.7 tonnes.



The 1.4-liter gasoline engine with 150 hp is the key
if you do not necessarily need to hang loads of more than two tons of the automatically extending towbar, also reaches the 150 horsepower gasoline engine with 1.4 liter displacement, with 250 Newtonmeter slightly less torque and an active cylinder cut-off. Leave now the four-wheel drive away (the front drive also works great with the Kodiaq) and you have already saved about 150 kilograms. In addition, the quiet, agile and sparkling engine with six-speed DSG is still about 3,000 euros cheaper than the small all-wheel-drive diesel with shift. And with the test consumption, we land at around 8.5 liters of diesel or super per 100 kilometers for both units.



The chassis: Better than the Tiguan? 
Overall, the driving behavior is satisfactory, but not particularly fun. The steering does not react very directly and you can drive precisely around corners without much effort. In addition to this is the rich road, which is much better than the Tiguan. Here the VW Passat wheelbase (2.79 meters) makes the difference. If the optional DCC suspension is activated on board and the sports mode, there is hardly any movement in fast corners. In the case of poor road conditions, however, it can be too fast for a comfort-conscious SUV driver and one should switch back to Comfort. Really necessary is the adaptive system (there are still the modes Eco as well as Individual and also Snow as well as Offroad with the four-wheel models) but not, because also the conventional chassis without damper control makes a good and balanced job. The Kodiaq has only to fight with a sudden cross-hatch or small slouching, and the shocks are passed on a bit to the interior. Nevertheless, he is supposed to create "a bit of uneven ground" with almost 19 centimeters of ground clearance, "says Skoda.



Order start, launch, prices
can be ordered immediately. The launch of the market and the first deliveries will then begin on March 4, 2017. We will start at 25,490 euros. However, this entry price only applies to the 125-hp gasoline Kodiaq with front-wheel drive, six-speed transmission and relatively lean basic equipment. The models driven by us (the 1.4-liter gasoline with 150 hp, six-speed DSG and the front-wheel drive and the two-liter diesel with 150 hp, six-speed shift and four-wheel drive), however, hit 33,390 and 33,840 euros respectively. Where the gasoline is already in the highest equipment line "Style" and the diesel is equipped in the middle line "Ambition". The top model is the two-horsepower diesel with 190 hp, seven-speed DSG and all-wheel drive for 39,440 euros. A clearly smaller Tiguan is pricewise, by the way, relatively identical. The entry mentioned Land Rover Discovery Sport is available from 33.250 Euro in the catalog.



Quo vadis Skodi ... er ... Kodiaq? 
Can the Kodiaq be dangerous to the VW Tiguan? What shall we say? This model could be the great litter for the Czech car maker. "If the enthusiasm of our dealers is reflected in the enthusiasm of our customers, we will have a lot of fun with this car," says Frank Jürgens, CEO of Skoda Deutschland. In Germany, according to initial estimates, at least as many vehicles will be sold as from the Superb. It is no wonder that a potentially important car will profit relatively quickly from innovations in the Group in the future. After the Superb was eventually electrified, the Kodiaq will quickly follow in its footsteps (probably not before 2019) and also a pure electric model would be conceivable. Thanks MQB. 




EmoticonEmoticon