But no plans to bring it to any other market.
Czech carmaker Skoda have revealed an all-new flagship model for the Chinese market, which aims to service the ever-growing demand for large SUVs that don’t have the space you’d expect of a large SUV. The compromised-crossover of the moment is called the Kodiaq GT, and takes the Kodiaq we’re familiar with here in Australia and chops most of the roof off, and removes the third row of seats.
A lot of what you see on the Kodiaq GT looks familiar to our eyes, sans a slightly-reworked fascia which now incorporates a honeycomb-grille section that underlines the main grille. There also appear to be new foglights sitting beneath the headlights, though it’s only clear that they’re of a different variety.
Reported measurements of the Kodiaq GT measure it up to be quite different from our 7-seater model: The GT is some 63mm shorter from bumper-to-bumper, 27mm lower, and is reportedly 1mm wider (though that’s negligible). The removal of the third row of seats is likely why the GT is able to occupy a smaller footprint on the road, and also why it can sport that more dramatic roofline.
What we find interesting is that at the rear of the Kodiaq GT, there isn’t a single appearance of the Skoda ‘Arrow’ logo, with the hatch instead featuring prominent ‘SKODA’ lettering across the back. We first saw this with the Skoda Vision RS concept car, though in the Kodiaq GT, Skoda’s stopped short of binning the Arrow from the steering wheel.
There aren’t many changes to report inside though, with most of it looking very familiar to the standard Kodiaq. There is however a chunkier steering wheel and sports-seats with integrated headrests like the Kodiaq Sportline, which we have to admit look pretty snazzy here.
The usual array of technological accoutrements are present and correct, like the fully-digital instrument cluster and driver-assistance systems. Motivation comes from a sole 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged unit, available in either 137kW or 162kW tunes. The 7-speed DCT is standard, but all-wheel drive is standard only on the flagship variant (it’s an option for the 137kW motor).
It’s noteworthy that Skoda themselves went to great lengths to emphasise that the Skoda Kodiaq GT was only intended for the Chinese market, with no plans to either export from China or to manufacture the model elsewhere. The Kodiaq GT still marks a significant move by mass-market carmakers and their embrace of more ‘expressive’ body styles like the coupe-SUV despite its China-only offering. But for those disappointed that Skoda won’t sell you a Kodiaq GT, perhaps Renault can persuade you into an Arkana?
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