Skoda has launched the Kodiaq Scout with an introductory pricing of Rs 33.99 lakhs, the car gets a bunch of cosmetic changes and electronic goodies to make it more capable off-road than the Style or L&K variants.
To differentiate the Scout from other trim levels, Skoda has given it a bunch of silver cladding all around. The Kodiaq Scout gets a front bumper with silver cladding on the bottom, the rear bumper also gets a similar treatment with silver finishing on the bottom. The side profile remains almost the same with the exception of ‘Scout’ badging on the front fender. The Scout also gets neat silver roof rails.
A substantial change is the introduction of a new style of badging on the rear for the brand, there is no logo however, it gets replaced by a bold line of text saying ‘Skoda’ across the rear. On the inside the car gets an all-black interior with wood across the dashboard to signify its nature exploring capabilities, along with ‘Scout’ badging in the wood. There is also a generous splashing of Alcantara covering the seats as well as the door inserts while the pedals get sporty aluminium treatment. The rest of the interior maintains the same look with the large 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display which now also gets off-road specific readouts.
The Scout isn’t all show and no go. It gets a dedicated Off-Road button that will optimise gearing and throttle response to suit the conditions while also using the Auto-Hold function to get you out of tricky situations. Additionally, it gets Hill Descent Assist and will apply the brakes gently while descending down a steep slope to keep you in control of the car. While Off-Road mode is activated the aforementioned dials are displayed on the screen that shows the compass, altitude and pitch of the car.
The Scout also gets the all-important ‘Rough Road Package’ which protects the engine and chassis from damage when going off the road. Coupled with standard all-wheel-drive system the Kodiaq Scout should make for a capable SUV.
The Kodiaq Scout comes with the same drivetrain as the regular Kodiaq. It gets a 2-litre TDI engine as the outgoing variants, mated to the DSG transmission, producing 148bhp and 340Nm of torque and all-wheel drive. The Scout comes in at a price of Rs 33.99 lakhs (ex-showroom) which is lower than the Style variant as well, however this is introductory and you can expect it to go up in the near future.