2017 Skoda Kodiaq new details released

Three months out from its official unveiling at the Paris Motor Show, Skoda has released video and exclusive images of its Kodiaq seven-seater SUV, in a bid to whet would-be buyers’ appetites.

Details released by Skoda reveal the Kodiaq will be the first in the line-up to use a surround camera system and will boast 2065 litres of luggage capacity — a figure Skoda calls class leading. The new version will be offered with either front- or all-wheel drive options.

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Utilising parent company Volkswagen Group’s modular engine platform, the Kodiaq is likely to be offered with a choice of up to five different powerplants; two turbo diesel options as well as three turbo petrol variants. And while selectable drive modes – including an off-road mode for the All-Wheel-Drive version – and dynamic chassis control will be offered, Skoda has only confirmed one powerplant thus far; a 2.0L petrol engine capable of 132kW.

The SUV’s infotainment system will also come from Volkswagen, with a smartphone-like touchscreen up to eight inches wide, internet connectivity including a WiFi hotspot, as well as having Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibly.

Albeit wrapped in checkerboard-patterned vinyl intended to camouflage the car’s final presentation until its official unveil, the seven-minute video and high-resolution images reveal the firm’s first seven-seat three-row SUV adopts its styling cues from Skoda’s Vision S concept SUV which debuted at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The slim headlights — which Skoda says are inspired by Czech crystal glass art, and will form part of the brand’s visual signature — as well as the wide front grille and angled bodywork, all featured on the concept vehicle.

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Talking at the concept’s Geneva unveil, Skoda’s CEO Bernhard Maier also let slip the fact that the Kodiaq (and the brand’s flagship Skoda Superb) may cop the RS treatment and join the Octavia as the company’s only current performance-optioned model.

“It’s not a question of the engineering— we can do it — we need to make a business case first,” said Maier, who suggested it would be a few years away if it indeed got the go ahead.

Skoda Australia has confirmed the all-new SUV is slated for Australia and expects it to land in dealerships by the second half of 2017.