The ongoing global semiconductor shortage has claimed yet another victim, the Skoda Kodiaq, which will miss out on certain driver assist equipment and luxury features for a bit.
Overnight, a CarExpert reader alerted us after receiving a phone call about the Skoda Kodiaq RS they have on order, which will be missing some of the features initially advertised. There’s no suggestion the customer was not kept informed.
A Skoda Australia spokesperson confirmed these specification changes and said the Kodiaq will only be in de-specified form for “a few months”. Affected owners who have a Kodiaq on order are being credited at least $1100, as compensation.
The Skoda Australia spokesperson said these particular features can’t be retro-fitted but current order-holders can choose to defer their order if desired.
In the latest version of the Kodiaq brochure available on the Skoda Australia website, it indicates the updated 2022 Kodiaq range will not be available with active safety features such as a surround-view camera, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
The Kodiaq range still comes with the following standard safety features:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control
- Driver attention monitoring
- Nine airbags, including front, front-side, front-rear and curtain airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag
- Reversing camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
The Kodiaq also won’t be available with the 12-speaker Canton premium sound system and electric child safety locks on the rear doors and windows.
These listed features have been standard on the Kodiaq RS and available as part of option packages on the Style and Sportline trims, and once supplies improve are expected to be again.
Interestingly, although this is all reflected in the latest version of the Kodiaq brochure, Skoda Australia still advertises all of these features on the model’s web page.
Skoda isn’t alone in removing certain features due to the semiconductor shortage, with many other automakers doing the same so they can deliver cars quicker.
Volkswagen recently removed the Golf R‘s and Tiguan R‘s Harman Kardon sound system and cut the price of affected vehicles by $1000, instead putting the upgrade to its options list.
Peugeot also recently removed the side thorax airbags from its entry-level Expert mid-sized van for the MY22 model year, also due to semiconductor shortages.
It also deleted the adaptive cruise control and replaced it with a simpler passive cruise control system. At the same time, Peugeot increased the Expert’s pricing for MY22 between $1950 and $2250 over the equivalent MY21 range.
National drive-away pricing available on the Skoda Australia website for now hasn’t been changed with the Kodiaq range priced as the following:
- 2022 Skoda Kodiaq Style 4×4: $52,990
- 2022 Skoda Kodiaq Sportline 4×4: $57,990
- 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS 4×4: $74,990
All prices are drive-away.
The mid-life updated Kodiaq range, including the RS, is slated to arrive Down Under in March 2022.
Gone is the diesel engine from the previous Kodiaq RS, replaced by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 180kW of power and 370Nm of torque.
If this engine sounds familiar, it’s the same one that’s found in the Octavia RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The rest of the Kodiaq range is powered by a less-powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 132kW and 320Nm. All 2022 Skoda Kodiaq models are mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.
MORE: Everything Skoda Kodiaq
