2017 Skoda Kodiaq, the Czech Version of Our Next VW Tiguan

Modularer Querbaukasten (MQB) is a many-splendored thing. Volkswagen Group’s mid-size MQB architecture has brought us many cars of many sizes, but the new Škoda Kodiaq stands as one of the outliers, the biggest so far to be spun from this web of shared componentry this side of the forthcoming Volkswagen Atlas and the first to have three rows of seating. It won’t be coming to the States—our lobbying on behalf of the Škoda brand in America clearly still has a ways to go—but it does give us a sneak preview of the extended-wheelbase version of the VW Tiguan, which will share the Kodiaq’s seven-seat platform when it arrives next spring. We’d previously driven only VW’s five-seat European version of the new Tiguan.

Škoda Auto traces its history to 1895, when its founders, Messrs Laurin and Klement (who were not, as we initially suspected, Czech Muppets), first got together to produce cars. The company’s location on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain saw it producing a range of charismatic (if frequently asthmatic) rear-engined sedans and coupes during its Communist era. Volkswagen bought a controlling stake after the Curtain fell in 1994, although Škoda still does much more of its own engineering than does Spanish sister brand SEAT, which is more dependent on Wolfsburg for its car development. Yet, aside from the subcompact Yeti crossover, the Kodiaq is the company’s first proper SUV.

Designed Like Cut Glass

The design certainly is distinctive. Škoda’s current styling language is inspired in part by the intricate cut glass that the Czech Republic is well-known for, although the Kodiaq’s angular lines and sometimes unexpected contours also could be attributed to an obsession with origami. Visually it hides its mass well; at 183.2 inches in overall length, it’s 8.2 inches longer than a Europe-spec Tiguan (but 4.0 inches shorter than the current, five-seat Touareg, which sits on the bigger MLB architecture). That makes it a bit shorter overall than a Kia Sorento but on a slightly longer wheelbase.

The cabin is spacious and well designed, although some of the materials feel surprisingly cheap–our test car featured the least convincing plastic wood we’ve seen in some time. Much of the switchgear is shared with other VW Group products, but the range-topping navigation system features a haptic screen for its 10.0-inch display and operated with a slickness we’ve not seen on any Volkswagen system so far. Optional equipment includes a battery of driver aids including a “tow assist” system that helps with reversing a trailer at lower speeds—select the angle you want between the car and whatever you’re pulling using the mirror control switches and the system will automatically steer the tow vehicle to maintain it.

There’s plenty of space in the first and second rows, with the (optional) third-row seats popping out of the load floor when required. There’s more room for anyone relegated back here than is normally the case for such part-time pews, although the high window line allows only a limited view for shorter occupants. Such an arrangement lacks the appeal of the raised “theater-seating” found in crossovers such as the Mazda CX-9. The ability to slide both sides of the second row separately eases access to the back—although it’s still a scramble—and makes it possible to carve out enough space to accommodate smaller (or less vocal) adults without complaint. If Volkswagen delivers similar space in the seven-seat Tiguan, buyers will be well pleased.

Familiar Powertrain Elements

The Kodiaq’s European target market means that only four-cylinder engines are available, with three gasoline and two diesel powerplants available from launch, ranging from a base 123-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter through to a cleaned-up 188-hp version of the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel that got Volkswagen into so much trouble. The basic Kodiaq comes with front-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, justified by what will be ultra-competitive pricing in most European markets, but plusher versions have all-wheel drive through the familiar clutch pack developed at Haldex and now produced by Borg-Warner. The automatic option in Europe is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic that VW calls DSG; we’re expecting a conventional torque-converter automatic offering eight ratios when the seven-seat Tiguan comes to America.

We drove the range-topping gasoline and diesel variants. The 2.0-liter TSI is VW’s familiar EA888 four-cylinder engine in its middling 177-hp state of tune (a more powerful version is likely to follow in the Škoda, probably wearing RS badging and offering as much as 280 horsepower) and delivers respectable performance with an enthusiastic soundtrack; worked hard the Kodiaq does a decent aural impression of a two-ton Golf GTI. The 187-hp turbo-diesel makes more torque but sounds coarse and, despite its 10-hp advantage over its gas counterpart, doesn’t feel noticeably quicker. But it seems we’re in no danger of seeing the TDI in America any time soon.

The Kodiaq’s size (and seat count) make it a heavy beast. Škoda figures that the seven-seater with the 1.4-liter and front drive weighs 3461 pounds and the company cites 3963 pounds for an all-wheel-drive hi-po diesel. That mass becomes evident when trying to make faster progress. The Kodiaq handles tidily enough, but is completely lacking any go-faster vibes, with a heavy-feeling nose and what could well be the most sensation-free implementation yet of MQB’s electrically assisted power steering. The cars we tested had adaptive dampers and steel springs, which delivered excellent ride quality in Comfort mode and remained impressively pliant even when switched to firmer settings. Refinement is good, with only slight wind whisper from the tops of the front doors breaking the serenity at cruising speeds.

The Kodiaq is one of those cars that’s been engineered to satisfy rather than to excite. As such it’s an excellent reflection of the brand values that have turned Škoda into such a success with value-seeking consumers in the parts of the world lucky enough to be allowed to buy its cars. It’s sad that we’re not among them, though our Mexican-built VWs are approaching the value proposition that Škoda represents in Europe. If Volkswagen can offer the same seven-seat package with a sharper driving experience in the new Tiguan, and price it as aggressively as Škoda has the Kodiaq, it could be on to a winner.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or 4-wheel-drive, 5- or 7-passenger, 4-door hatchback

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE (CZECH REPUBLIC): $23,000

ENGINES: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 1.4-liter inline-4, 123 or 148 hp, 148 or 184 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter diesel inline-4, 148 or 188 hp, 251 or 295 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, 177 hp, 236 lb-ft

TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 109.9 in
Length: 184.9 in
Width: 74.1 in Height: 66.0 in
Cargo volume: 10-23 cu ft
Curb weight: 3500-4000 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.7-10.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 22.0-30.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0-17.9 sec
Top speed: 117-130 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 22-29/28-42 mpg