Kodiaq’s fresh look revealed

Mid-life update here toward year-end will ask RS fans to alter their fuel preference.

ASIDE from the obvious styling tweaks, Skoda’s biggest selling vehicle in New Zealand, the Kodiaq, seems also set to have a change of heart in respect to a variant that has a strong Kiwi following.

A mid-life facelift revealed overnight and set to hit NZ by late year delivers modest exterior alterations including new lights, more high-tech options, the possibility to upgrade the cabin further … and a petrol engine for the top-of-the range Kodiaq RS in place of the old diesel.

The present car’s 180kW/500Nm diesel engine has been usurped for a 182kW 2.0 TSI petrol unit. Conjecture – yet to be clarified by Skoda – that this is the same engine as in the Golf GTI, which means it might make only 370Nm of torque. Skoda says the petrol-powered Kodiaq RS is lighter by some 60kg in the nose, which should help its performance and dynamics, despite the torque deficit.

Two diesels and three other petrol powerplants, though surprisingly, none in a hybrid configuration, are also listed for the updated car, though which of these will be sold in NZ has not been shared.

Diesel power is by the new 'Evo' version of the Volkswagen Group's 2.0 TDI four-cylinder engine using twin-dosing to reduce NOx emissions. It's always paired with a seven-speed DSG automatic and can be had in 111kW or 150kW states of tune. The latter can only be had with four-wheel drive.

Europe’s entry-level petrol Kodiaq takes a turbocharged 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine making 112kW, married to a six-speed manual gearbox or DSG auto. The 141kW 2.0-litre TSI alternative gets the DSG transmission and four-wheel drive as standard.

Complementing the more prominent grille up front is a new, higher-up bonnet, redesigned bumpers and slimmer LED headlights. The latter are standard, while the Kodiaq can be fitted with full LED Matrix headlights as an option for the first time.

There are new LED tail lights too, most of the range getting 'dynamic' indicators. A slight restyling of the back bumper has been applied and there's a new gloss black roof spoiler fitted across the range, too. There are also a few new alloy wheel designs to freshen things up, measuring up to 20 inches.

The RS and Sportline looks are broadly similar, the RS getting the same black detailing theme, but has its own design of bumpers, exhaust outlets and 20-inch wheels.

The interior has not undergone much visual change, but there’s more than meets the eye beyond some trim changes and new steering wheels.

Skoda has fitted the new Kodiaq with the Volkswagen Group's latest infotainment software and hardware, with a built-in eSIM and 'over the air' updates. The central touchscreen measures 8.0- or 9.2 inches across the diagonal, there are USB-C ports for device charging and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display (called Virtual Cockpit) can be fitted. The LED ambient lighting has also been extended and the Canton sound system has been upgraded.

Ergonomic seats upholstered in perforated leather are a new option. They can be heated and ventilated, have electrical adjustment and a massage function. 'Eco' seats are offered in the midrange models featuring recycled materials Skoda labels as vegan.

Street Smart for Skoda

Young driver training programme will involve Czech brand’s cars.

ONCE was Holden, now another brand with strong ‘everyman’ credential has stepped in to keep the faith.

That’s the story with Street Smart, with announcement today that the hands-on driver training programme that is helping young Kiwi drivers to stay safe on New Zealand roads, with ardent support from former V8 Supercars driver, four times Bathurst winner and road safety advocate Greg Murphy, is now backed by Skoda.

The agreement will see Skoda cars being used on the day-long driver training courses that aim to reduce accidents and fatalities, means that the Czech brand now has another Holden holding – it also, of course, has just taken the massive police patrol car contract that the Australian brand fed for years.

“Road Safety is important to Skoda. We do everything we can to keep our drivers safe by providing advanced safety technologies in our cars, that should both actively prevent accidents and protect occupants in case of an emergency; but we also want to contribute to individual driver safety,” explains Rodney Gillard (pictured), general manager for Skoda New Zealand.

 “That’s why this new partnership with Street Smart is so exciting for us.”

Street Smart is a world-class best practice cognitive based driver programme. Created in 2018 in conjunction with well-known road safety expert Peter Sheppard and tested and fine-tuned by Murphy, who continues as a programme ambassador, the programme has already equipped more than 1300 young drivers with the tools needed to safely drive on our roads, be more aware and prepared.

Skoda will supply vehicles for use within the multiple exercises that participants will be part of.

These are designed to give young drivers a chance to experience the latest technology and vehicle safety innovations that are available and also gain understanding the capability of their own cars, and how different cars respond in different situations, Gillard says

The involvement is immediate. Street Smart’s first events this year are being held in the April school holidays at venues across the country.

Skoda’s electric push starting with PHEVs

Economy king PHEV Superb is just months away and a version of the just-launched new Octavia will follow in early 2022.

The Superb iV delivers optimal economy of 1.5 litres per 100km and just 35 grams per 100km emissions.

PLUG-IN electric versions of two staple Skoda road cars, the Superb and the Octavia, are set to come on sale here.

Each promising up to 60 kilometres’ pure electric range, the derivatives will configure purely in wagon formats and seem likely to be particularly pushed as top choices for Green-minded fleets, though private buyers won’t be exempted.

The nation’s largest lfeet, the NZ Police, has committed to purely petrol-engined Superb station wagons as primary response vehicles.

Skoda New Zealand general manager Rodney Gillard says the PHEV Superb, which will be here around July-August, was not proposed for the patrol car deal but it is serving in that role overseas and was subject of general chat during Monday’s unveiling of the first Superb fitted out with Police equipment and livery.

Skoda NZ general manager Rodney Gillard with the new Octavia, released today in petrol Style and RS formats. The PHEV Octavia iV comes early next year.

He thinks it’s probable Police might like to drive the derivative at some point to compare against the visually similar 162kW front-drive and 206kW all-wheel-drive models set to go on patrol by June, with more than 300 on the front line by year-end.

Running a 1.4-litre petrol engine in tandem with an electric motor, the PHEV has a comparable performance to the Police’s 2.0-litre choices, but wallops them in respect to the efficiency the force claims was a winning factor.

Police have said they like their new cars’ CO2 counts, though these are still well above the 105 grams per kilometre average Government wants to impose and only slightly better than the output from the outgoing Holden ZB Commodore 2.0-litre.

The PHEV Superb is far Greener, with Skoda claiming just 35g/km in optimal operation. Economy is also much sharper, with an optimal 1.5 litres per 100km. 

As much as Police have locked into their patrol car choices, Skoda NZ is engaging in discussion to supply other product.

One subject of conversation is the suitability of another model, thought to be the Kodiaq sports utility, for conversion into dog handler vehicles, to replace the current Holden Acadias and Commodores. Conceivably, then, the iV model might still have a role with the Force.

Identified though having a small additional flap for the battery charge port and a market-new ‘iV’ badge on the boot, the PHEV models will sustain Skoda’s electric push here for the next two years, with Gillard today becoming the second local VW Group brand boss in a week to concede the availability of his brand’s fully electric car, the Enyaq iV crossover, will take longer than planned.

However, he is confident the iV Octavia and Superb wagons will be welcomed just as warmly, saying their availability is due to the Czech make looking favourably at NZ as a good pilot market for the models, to the point where the types’ availability was advanced.

“That’s the start to our roadmap for electric vehicles for Skoda (here).”

The iV cars’ drivetrain marries the engine to a 85kW electric motor fed by a 13kWh battery, running in front-drive format through an automatic transmission.

The combined system maximum power outputs are 152kW for the Octavia and 160kW for the Superb, while the latter’s claimed optimal 400Nm torque is 50Nm more than the Octavia musters.

Zero to 100kmh times are 7.7 seconds for the Octavia and 7.8s for the Superb. Both have the same WLTP-determined electric-only range. 

The Octavia iV is coming early next year to join 110kW/250Nm $47,990 1.4-litre Style and $57,990 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre RS wagon versions that are releasing into the market now.

Skoda NZ says it’s too early to discuss pricing and local specifications for the iV cars, which have a modest reduction in boot capacity over the ICE editions, on account of where the lithium-ion battery is placed behind the rear seats.

The models are expected to remain popular after Skoda NZ manages to secure the fully electric Enyaq.

Gillard’s thought that this is unlikely to occur until 2023 exactly echoes a message from VW NZ’s general manager Greg Leet a week ago about a sister ship, the ID4.

Confirmation that the ID4 and Enyaq are delayed raises questions about whether two other sister ships promised for NZ - an Audi (the Q4 e-Tron) and a Cupra (called Born) – will also be hindered. 

All are on a new platform, called MEB, that is driving VW Group’s electric car ambition.

VW Group has sole production dibs on the MEB underpinning and appears to have a direct say in determining market release schedules and individual product availabilities for the cars that employ it.

Gillard says that’s not a situation he has experienced before, but it’s one he has to accept.

Accordingly, as much as he will keep pushing for a pre-2023 release, he accepts the greater probability is that this ideal won’t be realised. Quite potentially, too, VW will get its car into market first. 

Meantime, he is focussing on a positive – the big lift that the Police deal gives his brand.

The impact on sales volume will be huge, he says. The sales target of 2200 cars this year is 1000 units above the 2021 actual, which proved 400 units below forecast.  

This has been blamed on Covid-19 supply restrictions that are still being felt, with Skoda’s NZ getting used to its stock reserves being all but depleted at the end of most months.

“We are right now finishing the month with just seven cars in stock … the last three months we’ve been finishing with less than 10 cars in stock.”

 It’s something an industry veteran of almost 30 years has never experienced before.

On top of this, the global shortage of semi-conductors has hurt production of Octavia, as it uses more advanced electronics than other Skoda models (which are not affected by that issue). All this has meant Skoda NZ has managed to secure a small count of new Octavias to launch now, so few it could not stage a driving component for today’s reveal.

 That challenging climate is set to continue – “we have a fluid situation in regard to shipping, supply … there’s a lot going on and I personally see this going on for a while” – yet as much as it might make it harder for walk-ins to secure a car, Gillard assures Skoda’s factories can meet firm customer orders and has the delivery of 101 police cars by June and 353 by year-end in hand.

He says the Police deal will not only almost double Skoda’s market share, but should also lift the brand’s status.

“It’s a defining moment for us. Our challenge is to achieve awareness and consideration.”

Skoda has been a hidden secret and “I think the Police are going to unlock that.” The Superb’s selection will make the general public even more inquisitive about what’s so special about Skoda.

 The other action from Skoda NZ this year will be to launch, at year-end,  a facelift for the Kodiaq.

Fair cop – Superb police car unveiled

New patrol choice’s next duty is field testing, but it’ll be on the beat soon.

 POLICE have shown off their new Skoda primary response vehicle. 

The first Superb station wagon to be fitted out with Police equipment and livery was unveiled by the force’s boss, Commissioner Andrew Coster, in central Wellington today. 

Relating that, for frontline staff, vehicles were a primary place of work, he said the new car - the first European model ever chosen by Police here - was “a safer, more comfortable environment for them while being value for money.”

Police had to go to the market for a new fleet supplier after previous supplier Holden announced it was being discontinued as a General Motors brand.

The Superb, Skoda’s largest car, was selected last November following an evaluation process.

 Police chose two versions as patrol vehicles, a 162KW front-wheel drive and a 206KW all-wheel drive. The car also formats as a large sedan but Police nominated the station wagon, on grounds it provides greater flexibility for deployment and was also preferred by staff.

Seven companies responded to the fleet tender; one of Skoda’s opponents being sister brand Volkswagen, which pitched the Passat, a car on the same platform as the Skoda. VW NZ’s general manager, Greg Leet, previously ran Skoda, but had moved on before this tender was proposed.

Police said each vehicle submitted was tested against rigorous criteria by a team of staff from across policing groups and roles. Criteria included radio interference, performance and brake testing, emissions and service capability and the total cost of ownership.

The car shown off today includes several new prototype features, including internal Perspex barriers for officers’ safety and real-time location information on each vehicle to assist with deployment. These will be field-tested during the vehicle’s initial months in operation.

There are more than 2000 primary response vehicles currently in the Police fleet, all of which will be replaced when they reach the end of their useful life; meaning the Czech-built products will for a while at least run alongside the Holdens (and Fords before that) that have been a backbone for decades. The new contract in fact broke a reliance on Australia-sourced large cars that lasted for 50 years.

Police intend to have 101 Superbs on duty before the end of June with a further 386 scheduled to hit the road by the end of the year.

Vehicles will be initially deployed to training staff in districts and at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua. 

The full roll out is expected to take four years. One requirement from Police for the winning contractor is for it have a strong service network - a cinch for Holden (and Ford), as they had significant-sized franchise set-ups. Less so Skoda.

While the Skoda dealer network has not increased, the brand’s general manager, Rodney Gillard, has appointed more service agencies over the past year, mainly to cater to the Police requirement for quick turnarounds of frontline fleet cars.

Police say the cars also stood out because the engines had lower CO2 emissions counts than cars they already used, though in both instances the factory-cited outputs are still well above the 105 grams per kilometre average that the Government hopes to instil soon.

Coster says Police are committed to reducing their carbon emissions even further “and, as part of our 10-year plan to achieve an emissions-free fleet, we’ve begun discussions with Skoda around what opportunities there may be in the future.

“While not currently a viable option for our fleet, hybrid technology continues to develop and open up further opportunities.”

Octavia onslaught with wagon, conventional engines

Skoda New Zealand has finally been able to shared its proposal for a sales stalwart.

WAGON versions will take the load of expectation hefted by the new Octavia medium car in this market. 

Skoda New Zealand has today announced three load-all variants – Combis in Skoda-speak - all with conventional powerplants.

In addition to not offering thought about the potential for another liftback – though it’s understood this version could still show, but as an indent-order car - it has steered clear of mentioning when or if it might secure the hybrid editions – topped by one with plug-in recharging - that are now claiming the spotlight overseas.

The New Zealand line starts with a $47,990 110kW 1.4-litre eight-speed entry Style model and progresses to a new RS that, at $57,990 is slightly cheaper than the equivalent in the previous range, whose stock has been exhausted for some months. The new RS runs a 180kW 2.0-litre and seven-speed transmission and, like the Style, is front-drive.

These are coming in March – about three months later than the timing local general manager Rodney Gillard had hoped to achieve and a timeline that is still fluid, due to the uncertainty about coronavirus impact on production and shipping.   

When speaking about the car immediately in the wake of its international debut, back in April, Gillard had voiced optimism of an end-of-2020 entry.

Those variants will be followed at some point in the second quarter by a four-wheel-drive Scout also with the 2.0-litre and with 15mm additional ground clearance and beefed styling cues. 

Octavia has been the brand’s biggest volume model internationally and has good history here, being the car that re-introduced Kiwis to Skoda in its new-generation (meaning, VW-owned) format.

This latest car, the fourth in its generation, is based on the MQB Evo platform that’s also used by the rest of VW Group’s latest compacts. 

It remains a generously-sized vehicle. Being 19mm longer than its forebear ensures this Octavia accounts for a 4689mm space in a car park. The wheelbase has remained unchanged at 2686 mm. It’s also 15mm wider, at 1829mm. 

Skoda cites it having markedly more interior space than the current model, giving a cargo volume of 600 litres before the rear seats are lowered. 

The new gen delivers big improvements is driving assistance technology. New systems include Collision Avoidance Assist, Turn Assist, Exit Warning and Local Traffic Warning, among other features.  

 The interior is also more advanced technologically, but Skoda here might be going light on this as well.

The announcement today talks of even a head up display being optional and it is not clear if the 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument panel that avails overseas as an alternate to an orthodox display will feature.

The plug-in hybrid will doubtless be asked about; it achieves a 150kW output from pairing the 1.4 petrol engine with an electric motor and 13 kWh battery. All that, and an EV driving range of up to 60km in the WLTP cycle. If that’s not good enough, there’s also the new Octavia RS iV plug-in hybrid which offers 180kW and a similar EV driving range.