Recent Skoda models have stretched the brand upward, with impressive customer-satisfaction and build-quality ratings elevating Skoda above VW in brand perception in some European markets. The brand has recorded substantial growth year over year in multiple countries, with its profit margins surpassing Audi during the first quarter of , Automotive News Europe notes. The Czech automaker's lineup is continuing to expand, with the large, seven-seat Kodiaq SUV viewed as a vehicle suited to the North American market.
Now we are discussing the next step for the brand," a spokesman for the automaker told Automotive News Europe. The business cases for the two are totally different," the spokesman added. The tipping point for testing the waters in North America is the VW diesel scandal , with Skoda seen by some analysts as untainted by the crisis.
The Skoda lineup is still very similar to that of Volkswagen, which started providing its platforms for Skoda cars in the early s, and the prices of Skoda vehicles have been kept in check more strictly than those of Volkswagen, models of which have repeatedly encroached on Audi's price range. Skoda will follow up with other SUVs and crossovers. I was always a little stunned every time I heard news of it possibly happening. It was the maddest thing I have heard in awhile.
One other thing. This includes multiple models in the currently popular CUVs class as well. The A. The Morning Shift. By Patrick George. Shop Early Black Friday Deals. Car Culture The Morning Shift. Neutral: Skoda In America? Would it have worked? The VW Atlas! It undercuts both the Tiguan and Tarraco, despite being bigger, and way undercuts most of its other rivals. Although the Kodiaq does get pretty pricy with options, it's still better value than the Tiguan in a lot of ways, as long as you're fine with the badge on the trunk lid and hood.
Power came from a 2. With diesel engines bowing out, even in Europe where everyone loves them, the facelifted Kodiaq swaps out the oil burner for the hp 2. More than a few modern mid-size crossovers make attempts to be fun to drive.
While some of them are very successful at it, it often means there's a tradeoff for ride comfort, not to mention your kids in the rear seats getting upset that you've gotten a bit vigorous with the family hauler.
Thanks to this push to make every SUV fun, it's nice to see some mid-sizers are geared more towards comfort and relaxation, rather than driver engagement, and the Kodiaq falls under that category as well. With the exception of the RS model, the Kodiaq is purely geared for comfort and stress-free driving, and it's very, very good at doing it.
Climb inside the Kodiaq, and you'll find an interior that However, where you lose out on style and flamboyance, you gain on layout and logic. Other than that, everything is familiar, well laid out, and easy to see and understand what it does. There's a new digital dash, a new, larger infotainment system, and climate controls.
The only thing we're unsure about is the starter button, which is mounted on the side of the steering column where the key would normally go. One of the reasons why the Kodiaq is so practical and such good value for money is that it has three-row seating. Seven seats are standard on every Kodiaq, save for the base model, where they're optional.
They're also very well designed, and can fold away to create a flat cargo floor.
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