cute bear (video essay)

When it came to naming the largest of its SUVs, Skoda looked to the shores of the Pacific for inspiration. But there is no question of choosing a name that evokes paradise islands. It is the wildlife of Alaska that gave this name, that of the largest bear in this American state.

Apart from being a formidable hunter, the first generation Kodiaq was more like a bear. Although it shares its components with the Audi Q3 II, Seat Ateca and Volkswagen Tiguan II, it had chosen to offer more generous dimensions. As far as getting a place in the family SUV category, it is largely owned by premium and Asian brands.

Faithful to the instructions of the Czech brand, Kodiaq initially focused more on family benefits than power, whether technical or aesthetic. However, over the years, the Sportline finishes and then the RS version, first powered by the 2.0 Bi-TDI 240 hp and then by the 2.0 TSI 245 hp Golf GTI, have come to complete the sensible offer.

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Options that hit the mark as, in seven years of operation, more than 840,000 Kodiaqs have found buyers.

Impulsive parameters

So it is not surprising that, for this second opus, Skoda applied one of the golden rules used within the Volkswagen group, that of gentle evolution. Indeed, no aspect of the bodywork is common between the two generations, but the family resemblance remains strong.

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Among the most interesting new features, we find, on the bow, the light signature that now goes from the main light to the secondary optics. From a distance, we have the feeling of dealing with the hammer of Thor, the LED belt characteristic of Volvos. In profile, apart from the more inclined tailgate, it is the D-pillar that will attract attention, as it is now available in several colors and therefore contrasts with the rest of the bodywork. Finally, at the rear, the red strip that runs across the entire width of the tailgate immediately catches the eye. At least during the day because, at night, it is still not visible because it is not lit. If the curves of the body of this opening are typical of the Czech brand, they all nevertheless give a sense of déjà vu … on the BMW side. Skoda would try to move upmarket visually by taking inspiration from certain premium labels that it wouldn’t have done otherwise.

Everything for the family

This desire to move the main market is also available on board. Even if the dashboard adopts the X-shaped profile of the first generation, it displays a completely different contour… and more modern. Mainly because the central touchscreen tablet, which now measures 13 inches, is no longer connected to the central console and is now “mounted” on it. Similarly, the instrument cluster takes the form of a second tablet , also “placed” in the furniture The main development, however, remains the appearance of Smart Dials, which appeared a few weeks ago with the new Superb, this circuit control combines the best of electronics tactile and physical.

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If, in general, we can only note that the quality of the manufacture is above the expectations of this SUV, a closer examination however shows that certain assemblies are not defective. This is the case, in particular, of those of the glossy black plastic part that surrounds the Digital Cockpit, or side vents.

In the Kodiaq, however, the important things are elsewhere… and especially in the back seats. The latter all see their ratings improve, which means that, more than ever, two good-sized adults will be perfectly fine. Unfortunately this will not be the case for the occupants of the third row (€1,080 option), these two extra seats being, as usual, reserved for small children and, possibly, in the aisles. Luggage will, on the contrary, be more comfortable than before. With or without the 7-seat option, the Kodiaq breaks all records in its category. Under the luggage cover, 5 seats can hold 910 liters. Seat 7, on the other hand, has 340 l with all seats installed and 845 l if only the first two rows are used. Finally, in all cases, the 2-seat configuration allows more than 2 m33 of cargo to be loaded.

If the arrival of the end of the Sportline, a plug-in hybrid engine with 2.0 TDI 193 hp associated with a 4-wheel drive has already been recorded, the launch range is very limited with only one level of equipment, called Selection, with two engines, one petrol and one diesel, of 150 hp.