Diesel engine achieving a comeback with second-generation car, but what about petrol hybrids?

A WEEK out from until local release, Skoda NZ has given some detail about the powerplants incoming to the new Kodiaq - but left a question mark hanging over the most interesting one.

In confirming it will release the car initially with a 142kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel in all-wheel-drive, and also a 110k/250Nm 1.4-litre front-drive, Skoda New Zealand has also indicated it is also still in line to deliver a RS later this year.

That flagship has a 2.0-litre petrol with 195kW/400Nm (so, 15kW and 30Nm more than the outgoing generation), retains four-wheel-drive and like the other derivatives runs a seven-speed transmission.

The question mark hangs over the core new powertrain released last year; a 150kW plug-in hybrid variant which marries a 1.5-litre petrol said to offer 100 kilometres’ pure electric range.

Product information - without pricing - sent out by the national distributor today makes special mention of this iV-badged choice, plus a 110kW 1.5-litre mild hybrid. But it stops short of saying if either will come to New Zealand.

As is, the placement of a turbodiesel as the lead mainstream model is a step back in to the past. The Kodiaq first launched with that, but then diesel was dropped for better compliance to the Labour Government’s Clean Car emissions regulations. The change of government appears to have brought a change of corporate policy.

RS is nonetheless expected to be the more important model, as it has in past formats - first diesel, then petrol - achieved more volume than any other variant of this large sports utility vehicle. Kodiaq in all forms is also the biggest seller to private buyers.

The local arm said late last year it expects to see the sporting type in July.

The car in all forms is packing additional clever features and latest tech, a refreshed look, with more weighting toward seven seats, though pure ICE editions can be provisioned in the traditional five seater format. Skoda asks understanding the third row is very much ‘occasional’. The PHEV’s battery packaging prohibits it providing three seating rows.

In respect to Kodiaq's design in general, Skoda has made a lot of alterations, yet it still hasn't completely changed it to point where you’ll need to look twice to confirm its identity.

However, there’s a new nose, with a grille inspired by that of the latest Superb, and new headlights, as well as a more sculpted body and a completely new roof design.

The wheelbase remains unchanged at 2791mm, with overall length growing by 61mm. It retains the same height and width as the current car.

Now the second-row seats can be moved and adjusted for back angle and the amount of space for passengers in the third row benefits from a 15mm increase in headroom.

In seven seat Kodiaq has 340 litres of space with all seats in use and 845 litres with the back seats stowed. Fold the middle row down and there’s 2035 litres of room. In five seat is has 745 litres of capacity and 1945 litres when the back seats are down.

The drive selector has been moved from the centre console onto the steering column and becomes a twist controller (forward for Drive, back for Reverse); there are still paddles behind the steering wheel to manually change gears.

The dashboard has been adorned with a new 15-inch touchscreen that uses Skoda's latest technology. The brand promises the menus are easier to navigate, and the addition of new 'taskbar' shortcuts will make life a bit less challenging by putting useful commands in easy reach.

The new RS is heavier than the old but, even so, is 0.2 seconds faster to 100kmh, with times of 6.3 seconds in five seat and 6.4s in seven.

The performance model’s uprated power has required an update the bigger ventilated disc brakes with two-piston calipers up front, 15-mode adaptive suspension and progressive steering.

As before, the RS is identified by having 20-inch alloy wheels, unique front and rear bumpers, dual stainless steel exhaust tips, RS badging and a slew of black accents.

The interior sports a black-on-black look with red contrast stitching, power-adjustable front sports seats, Skoda’s RS-badged sports steering wheel, and bespoke RS graphics across the 12.3-inch main and 10-inch driver displays.

The latest version of the optional Travel Assist package embraces Predictive Cruise Control with Adaptive Lane Assist. This will handle steering, braking and automatic starting in congested traffic at up to 60kmh.