Skoda New Zealand is on a mission to hit 2.2% market share – and it has the metal on the way to help it in its goal.
The latest to arrive is a new RS version of its popular Kodiaq SUV, while later this year the Golf-rivalling Scala and a facelifted Superb potentially in a plug-in hybrid form.
General manager Greg Leet told journalists at the launch event for the RS this week the brand, having crossed the 1500 unit barrier, wants to hit 1800 units.
“1800 cars is what we want to sell this year, and we should make it. We don’t come to work to do average; we come to work to do great.”
“We are gearing this brand to play in the mainstream, particularly against Subaru and Hyundai,” Leet says. “While we can be pitched against our brothers and sisters (other Volkswagen Group brands), that is no means our game.”
Leet points out in Europe Skoda outsells all the major Japanese and some European, brands – including big-guns like Toyota and Mazda.
The RS though can be argued as being anything but mainstream. It takes the 2017 New Zealand Car of the Year and adds a sportier edge and beefy 176kW and 500Nm bi-turbo Diesel engine.
“It is an extension of a very popular car for us, “ Leet says. “It probably speaks to dad, who wants to buy a family car as an excuse to get something with 176kW.”
The engine in this form is unique across the group and, paired with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission gives the car a 0-100km/h time of seven seconds and a 7-litres per 100km fuel consumption figure. The engine uses AdBlue, with a top-up required every 10-15,000km.
Underneath, the RS gets 17-inch front brakes with red callipers, adaptive suspension – based on a magnetically variable damper – tied to a chassis control system, and an exhaust with twin tips and a system for increasing exhaust noise. The battery is shifted to the boot to make room for the larger power unit.
The wheels are unique 20-inch lightweight units. Other cosmetic updates include a new black grille, sportier front bumper and trim, and a light bar across the entire width of the year of the vehicle.
The steering features variable ratios, again tied to the chassis control system which can be set to Eco, Comfort, Sports and off-road modes. Launch control, rare in a diesel-powered family SUV also features.
Inside, the RS gets a fully digital screen as a dash cluster, a large touch control screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, premium Canton speakers, sports Alcantara seats and steering wheel, heating for the first and second row and wheel and the option of a panoramic room.
Unique Skoda touches remain, like pop out door protectors and umbrellas in the front doors. A new feature is a ’sleep kit’ for the second row that uses headrest extensions and a standard blanket for passenger comfort. Oddly there are no USB points for rear seat passengers – Skoda says this is tied to an AC power kit not available outside of Europe.
The Kodiak comes with the brand’s new 5-year warranty.
We got the chance to drive the RS on a long lap around the countryside south of Auckland and were impressed. While the car felt geared for highway speeds very illegal in New Zealand, it still felt responsive. The dual-clutch transmission was smooth and rarely needed the intervention of the steering wheel paddles.
The adaptive steering is very sweetly tuned, though still provides enough feedback to make it clear what the Pirelli Scorpion tyres are doing. The brakes also felt very beefy. This is an excellent car for travelling at pace over rolling, slightly twisting, Kiwi terrain.
What was just as impressive was the comfort the off-road mode offered on the bumpy gravel road in and out of the venue.
Negatives? The pumped-in engine noise will not appeal to all buyers, and unlike standard models, there is no spare tyre.
Priced at $71,990, Skoda says it undercuts most comparable vehicles on price – yet beats them on power and cost. Their competitor list reaches from mainstream options like the Kia Sorento and Ford Endura to premium vehicles including the BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Supply is an issue. The car is in strong demand in Europe, and New Zealand is the only market outside the region to get it. Leet has secured 120 units, with a significant number already claimed by buyers.