Skoda Kodiaq Scout With Better Off-road Chops To Launch On September 30

• The Kodiaq Scout comes with a new Off-Road driving mode.
• It is expected to be powered by Skoda’s 2.0-litre TDI engine that develops 150PS of power.
• It’ll come equipped with rugged elements like skid plates and 18-inch restyled alloy wheels.
• It’s expected to be priced between the Style and L&K variant of the Kodiaq.

Skoda is all set to launch the Kodiaq Scout in India on September 30. The ‘Scout’ tag, which first made its way into India in the form of the Fabia Scout, is generally reserved for the carmaker’s more off-road focussed variant. And to justify this tag, the Kodiaq Scout comes with a host of enhancements to tackle the rough stuff. 

For starters, the Kodiaq Scout has a ground clearance of 194mm, which is an increment of 6mm over the regular variants. The increased ground clearance has led to better approach and departure angles of 22.0 degrees and 23.1 degrees respectively. The ramp over angle is rated at 19.7 degrees. Then, there’s a more off-road centric all-wheel drive system thanks to the addition of the ‘Off-Road’ drive mode which adjusts throttle response and damper settings depending on the conditions. And to protect all the expensive hardware, the Kodiaq Scout gets full underbody protection too. 

Under the hood, the Kodiaq Scout is expected to chug on with the 2.0-litre TDI engine as the road-biased variants. In the India-spec model, this engine develops 150PS of power and 340Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission and all-wheel-drive. Overseas, the Kodiaq Scout can be had with a higher-spec 190PS 2.0-litre TDI engine, 150PS 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine or a 190PS 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine. 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Visually, the Kodiaq Scout comes with a handful of rugged elements that help distinguish itself from standard variants. These include tough-looking skid plates at the front and back, restyled alloy wheels that are likely to be 18-inch units and silver finish on the ORVMs, roof rails and the grille surround. Inside, the Kodiaq Scout is expected to come with a black interior to withstand muck and dirt. 

Considering the fact that the Kodiaq Scout sits at the higher-end of the model lineup, we expect it to get features like a digital instrument display, drive modes, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Skoda Connect as well as ventilated seats. The international-spec Kodiaq Scout also comes with driver assistance systems like Trailer Assist and Blind Spot Detection. However, these are unlikely to be offered in India due to our restrictive laws regarding the use of radar-based technology.

The Kodiaq is currently priced from Rs 35.37 lakh to Rs 36.79 lakh (ex-showroom India). Considering the fact that the Kodiaq Scout sits between the Style and L&K variant, we expect it to be priced above Rs 36.79 lakh (ex-showroom). With the introduction of the Scout variant, the Kodiaq can now be a good ‘off-road focussed’ rival against true blue ladder-on-frame SUVs like the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner.