What's the news?
The first official pictures of Skoda's Kodiaq Coupe have surfaced online ahead of the car's official unveiling at the Guangzhou motor show this week. This more rakish, sportier version of Skoda's range-topping SUV will actually only be offered for sale in China. The Czech brand currently has no plans to sell the car in Europe.
That's perhaps not such a surprise. China has rapidly become Skoda's number one market, and it's keen to keep that market happy with unique models. While there's a chance that the Kodiaq Coupe could come to Europe, if there's demand, right now Skoda's European plants are too busy keeping us all supplied with Octavias, Karoqs, and 'normal' Kodiaqs.
While official specs have yet to be released, we do know that the Kodiaq Coupe gets new metalwork aft of the front doors, with a heavily sloped rear roofline, a new tailgate, and slightly retro, broadly-spaced 'Skoda' lettering on the boot. There's also new lights and new side glass, which takes a distinct upward slope towards the back of the car. The TSI 380 badge on the boot of the car in the photos refers to a 220hp version of the Volkswagen Group 2.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine, which will likely be the top-spec engine in China.
Unlike the standard Kodiaq, there's not going to be a seven-seat option, and the whole car is a few centimetres shorter overall. Inside, the cabin remains largely the same in terms of design and layout, but the leaked photos do seem to show sportier, more heavily-sculpted front seats, and Skoda's version of the Volkswagen Group all-digital instrument panel, which is being launched across the Skoda range here, too.
While the likes of BMW and Mercedes have already scored some significant successes with coupe versions of their SUVs (the X4 and GLC Coupe, most notably) this is the first time it's been tried at a lower price point, by a mainstream manufacturer.
Perhaps that's why Skoda isn't, yet, keen on bringing the Kodiaq Coupe (Koupe?) to its European heartland - it wants to try out a new concept in a faraway market first.