Test drive Skoda Kodiaq assembled in Russia
How the Czech crossover traveled to conquer the passes of Gorny Altai and why the local ghosts did not like it
A Phillips screwdriver was sticking out of the right rear wheel - not otherwise the Gorno-Altai spirits were angry at the Skoda Kodiaq crew. Is it because the locals, passing the passes, tie ribbons or leave coins. The adventure did not end there. While we were helping our colleagues to change the wheel - by the way, you know that you need to remove the caps from each bolt using special tweezers - a green motorcycle pulled up.
Those he brought back resembled evil spirits or zombies. They walked with difficulty in a human way and with the same difficulty pronounced words. They wanted "ten dollars", but they impressed their colleagues so much that their Kodiaq jerked off and, it seems, set a speed record on a dock. The green motorcycle was not at all suitable for the role of a pursuer and immediately died out.
It is not for nothing that the Yabogansky Pass is notorious, besides, the close attention of the spirits is understandable. For Gorny Altai, Czech brand cars are a rarity, and this particular big Kodiaq is too beautiful and self-confident. It is not surprising that they want to stab you with a screwdriver, mistake you for a foreigner and demand a tribute in foreign currency.
Meanwhile, the Kodiaq received a Nizhny Novgorod registration, and now this bear (and this is how the name of the car is translated from the Inuit language) is a Russian bear. GAZ finally got the big four-wheel drive car that it had dreamed of for a long time. But there was a time when the plant, out of desperation, took up the assembly of Indian Mahindra SUVs.
The buyer, in turn, also won - with the start of the Russian assembly, prices went down, and the available versions allowed them to be reduced even more. If before the price tag started at $ 25, now it starts at $ 989. So much is a mono-drive crossover on the "mechanics" with derated to 18 hp. 049 liter engine and in a modest configuration Active. In addition, it became possible to purchase a 125-horsepower version with DSG and front-wheel drive or with "mechanics" and all drive wheels.
If we compare the price tags of a 150-horsepower crossover with a "robot" and four-wheel drive - these were the basic cars earlier - then the Russian assembly made it, depending on the configuration, cheaper by $ 3 -898. The starting price tag is $ 7.
The rest is the same Kodiaq as before, with the exception of a few points. Plastic linings, which, when the door was opened, were pulled out and protected its edge in a tight parking lot, disappeared from Russian cars. The Czechs shrug their shoulders: in our climate, the mechanisms froze and wedged. It's a pity, because that was the coolest Kodiak feature in the Simply Clever set of practical little things.
However, all the other little things are in place: umbrellas, an ice scraper, a removable flashlight and the like. Protective linings will remain only on cars of the Czech assembly - Scout, Laurin & Klement - for the sake of Russia, no one will take them off.
Now for the crossover, you can order 20-inch wheels and bucket seats in a sporty style - this is not surprising, given the emergence of a "charged" version of the RS and "Kodiak" with a coupe-like body. The seats, by the way, are quite comfortable and you don't get tired on a long journey.
And there was enough to drive. I was in Gorny Altai for the first time and represented this republic with no roads at all. There are few valid roads, but the Chuisky tract, which leaves Russia for Mongolia, has excellent coverage. And many interesting twists and turns. Here, not off-road, but road qualities of the car are relevant. They're okay too - the large, long-wheelbase crossover rides surprisingly easily and accurately. The steering effort is calibrated, the rolls are small, and the two-liter 180-horsepower engine and the agile "robot" add drive. The stabilization system, however, will not allow liberties - "Kodiak" is not on the status to go in a skid.
Secondary Altai roads are also not bad, there were dirt roads several times, but they did not make much impression. Perhaps it was precisely because we rode the Kodiak. The dense suspension allows you to quickly race down the country road, but withstands the impact until large and deep holes appear. The ground clearance was enough for us, but despite the presence of an off-road mode, we should not go far from the road.
Kodiaq is such a versatile vehicle for all occasions, it is stylish and roomy, impressive and friendly, dynamic and economical at the same time. Doesn't it happen? It happens. Of course, with practicality, the Czechs were a little too clever. Let us recall the same door linings freezing in the Russian climate or strange cup holders that allow you to open a bottle with one hand, but are too small for a thermo mug. The third row is quite close and is only suitable for children. You can find fault with small mirrors, although in the presence of a rear-view camera and a surround-view system, this drawback is hardly noticeable.
The manifestation of more affordable versions made the Czech crossover even more versatile - for the sake of getting around the city, you can easily sacrifice all-wheel drive and power. But the best Kodiaq is all-wheel drive. An ideal car for traveling, quiet, comfortable and quite economical - a two-liter engine with a declared average consumption of 7,4 liters consumed about 9 liters. And then there is the diesel, which consumes 6,1 liters in the combined cycle.
The "Kodiak" has a lot of all kinds of niches, drawers and clever fasteners inside to accommodate any amount of luggage. Go to Gorny Altai from Moscow, and not from the airport, as we did? There is nothing difficult. The main thing is that there are no green motorcycles.
| A type | Crossover |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4697/1882/1655 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2791 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 188 |
| Cargo space, l | 233-623-1968 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1744 (7-seater) |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | 2453 |
| engine's type | Gasoline 4-cylinder |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1984 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 180 / 3900-6000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 320 / 1400-3940 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, 7RKP |
| Max. speed km / h | 205 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 8 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 7,4 |
| Price from, $. | 25 430 |
