India-bound Skoda Kodiaq scores five-star in Euro NCAP

The India-bound Skoda Kodiaq has scored an impressive five stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety tests. The Czech SUV bagged a score of 92 per cent in adult occupant safety and 77 per cent in child occupant safety. The Kodiaq’s test model was the Ambition trim which gets a host of active and passive safety features, however, it was a left-hand drive model.

The Ambition trim which was able to secure a five-star rating came equipped with seven airbags, seatbelt pretensioners with load limiters, ISOFIX rear child seat mounts and seat belt reminder. There were driver aids as well such as autonomous emergency braking, speed assistance and an optional lane-assist system.

Euro NCAP reports confirm that the passenger compartment of the Kodiaq remained stable in the frontal offset test with good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. The Kodiaq was capable of affording the same level of protection to occupants of different sizes and those who sat in a different position. Also in the side barrier test, there was adequate protection around the chest area and all critical areas were good. The result was similar in the more severe side pole impact test.

The Kodiaq has a standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system which operates at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused. However, the system performed well in tests of its low-speed functionality. The restraints were adequate for a 10 year old dummy apart from neck tension protection. Otherwise, restraints could be properly installed and accommodated.

Talking about pedestrian safety, the protection provided by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was good or adequate over most of the bonnet surface, with some poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars. The Kodiaq scored maximum points for the protection provided by the bumper to pedestrians' legs, with good results at all test locations.

The autonomous emergency braking system is capable of detecting pedestrians and, in tests of this functionality, performed adequately. Furthermore, the NCAP approved the autonomous emergency braking system in the Kodiaq which performed well in the tests of its functionality at highway speeds, with collisions avoided in almost all scenarios.

The Kodiaq likely to make its way to India later this year. It will be the second SUV based on the MQB platform to reach our shores after the VW Tiguan. It’ll be interesting to see what changes the Kodiaq undergoes from the tested model here when it's introduced in India.