What's the news?
A coupe-styled version of Skoda's flagship SUV has been shown in new design stretches, going under the name of Kodiaq GT. Before you get too excited at the prospect of a BMW X6-rivalling model from Skoda, this car is destined to be exclusively sold in China and will spearhead a new model offensive in the country.
It retains a five-door body style and is identical to the Kodiaq that we know as far as the front doors. From there back, the sloping roofline creates a more sporting and sleek SUV. Like the recently announced new Scala model, the Kodiaq GT also wears the Skoda letting across its rear in place of the more familiar badge.
At present, there are no plans for Skoda to bring the Kodiaq GT to Europe. Production capacity is already stretched in its facilities with Kodiaq and Karoq models maintaining strong customer demand.
Anything else?
China is currently Skoda's largest market, with a quarter of all cars it produces being sold there. Skoda is investing over €2 billion in the expansion of its SUV portfolio and alternative-drive models as part of a five-year plan in the country. That Strategy 2025 programme has already seen the Skoda Kamiq, another China-exclusive model, launched there earlier this year. Slightly smaller than the Karoq, the Kamiq is built on a PQ platform, which also underpins the Chinese version of the Rapid.
Click here to read our review of the regular Skoda Kodiaq
Click here to read our review of the Skoda Karoq