To overhaul its pitiful showing in the Indian market,Czech carmaker Skoda has had quite a few model launches planned. And leading from the front would be a seven-seater new Skoda SUV targeted at rivaling competitors like the Santa Fe and the Fortuner.
Though there are no giveaways currently about the design language of the All New Skoda SUV, it does appear that it could be based on Volkswagen’s Cross Blue Concept. Through myriads of rules and regulations, the Volkswagen group has come to be the Umbrella organization for a number of brands like Audi, Ducati, Skoda to name a few. This new Skoda SUV will be humongous, being about 4.6 meters in length. It will have seats for seven arranged in three rows. The new Skoda SUV will lock horns with other established competitors like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Fortuner.
This new Skoda SUV will have the MQB platform of Volkswagen as its chassis. We expect it to feature distinct edges, clean and sharp cuts as well as a noticeable presence. Skoda had, in fact, earlier stated that its bigger, pricier models will get bolder design elements to set them apart from the cheaper, more-mainstream ones. Could the new Skoda SUV be the beginning of things? Whispers in the industry suggest that it could possess a sloping roofline like that of the Range Rover Evoque, which will help to provide the illusion of slipping through the air effortlessly.
Other features that the new Skoda SUV might possess include an optional All-Wheel-Drive system and premium interiors. The good news here is that the platter of choice in SUVs just got larger for the Indian enthusiast.
Skoda’s other planned models include the facelifted Yeti by the end of 2014, and another compact SUV based on the lines of Volkswagen Taigun. The model onslaught from Skoda is a welcome step, but don’t you feel they need to up the ante on their sales and servicing quality fronts?
Source – Autocar India