Skoda Kodiaq GT breaks cover

-    The coupe version of the Kodiaq is exclusive to the Chinese market.

-    This is the fourth high-riding vehicle in Skoda’s portfolio.

-    Will debut at the Guangzhou Motor Show next month. 

Skoda has taken the wraps off the all-new Kodiaq GT which is the coupe-SUV version of their flagship SUV. The Kodiaq GT is exclusive to the Chinese market and will make its public premiere at the 2018 Guangzhou Motor Show on 16 November. 

The Kodiaq GT is the fourth SUV in Skoda’s growing line-up after the Kodiaq, Karoq and Kamiq. The Chinese market will be the only market in the world where Skoda offers all its SUV models since the Kamiq too is specific to the ‘Land of the Red Dragon’. The Kodiaq GT is also the first coupe-SUV product from the Czech carmaker. 

Appearance wise, the Kodiaq GT doesn’t differ much from the standard car on the fascia except for the slightly tweaked bumper and sleeker grille. But beyond the B-pillar, the sloping roofline makes the standard Kodiaq’s rather boxy profile appear sportier in the GT. And the flared wheel arches appear to be more prominent in the GT compared to the standard car. Even the tail lights are sleeker and appear to be straight out of a Skoda concept car. The smaller hatch makes the GT less practical, but that’s a small price to pay for this gorgeous looking derriere. The twin exhaust sticking out of the blacked-out diffusers complete the overall appearance at the back. On the inside, Skoda’s Virtual Cockpit comes as a standard fitment. Apart from that, everything else is top-notch as in the conventional Kodiaq. 

The ‘380 4x4’ badge at the back can be bit misleading, since powering the Kodiaq GT is a modest 2.0-litre TSI engine in two states of tune – 185bhp and 220bhp – with the latter one getting the all-wheel-drive as standard. Transmission is a seven-speed DS automatic. There is a host of active and passive driver aids as well. 

Skoda will be investing more than two billion Euros for the expansion of its SUV portfolio in China. Some of that investment will also be used for the development of alternative-fuel vehicles. We don’t expect the Kodiaq GT to make its way to India. But given the positive response that the Kodiaq has garnered in the country, the GT won’t be a bad investment for the carmaker either.