First-Gen Skoda Kodiaq Wants Back Into the Spotlight With Inconspicuous 'Superhero' Vibes

The second generation of the mid-size crossover SUV with optional three-row seating arrived in October last year as a follow-up to the bland yet popular model that was first introduced in 2017. The latest iteration has everything new, from the design to materials, and is even longer than the original VW Touareg to make sure it can accommodate anything you throw in it. However, we need to go back to the first generation to discuss it as a crossover SUV that you can throw anything at, including bullets!

That's right, as a follow-up to the equally bland and uninteresting B8 Skoda Superb Armored, now there's also a Skoda Kodiaq Armored. If you want our two cents on the matter, we believe that Skoda Auto is a bit of an unintended genius – their models are usually so subtle and uninteresting that no one in the right state of mind would even think to attack them in the first place.

But if they do, the company has a solution or two. The latest is "taking occupant protection to a whole new level with the development of a new Kodiaq Armored,” a project co-developed by Skoda UK and the British specialists over at UTAC Special Vehicles. Believe it or not, Skoda is even proud to announce that its Superb Armored has sold "nearly 500" examples since its arrival in 2018 – even though it costs more than a brand-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

We don't have the MSRP for the new Skoda Kodiaq Armored, but don't expect it to be cheap, either. So, after the Super Armored's updates from last year, the new bullet- and blast-resistant crossover SUV is also fully certified to PAS 300 and PAS 301 Civilian Armored Vehicle standards. The latter not only uses "demanding tests" for payload, acceleration, maximum speed, handling, and braking but also involves the vehicle being shot at with more than 200 rounds of ammunition, as well as assessing its blast resistance to the vehicle side, roof, and underfloor.

Obviously, given the new requisites, the Kodiaq Armored has special bullet-resistant glass and armored steel protection for the passenger compartment – enough to withstand attacks from various handguns and assault rifles, as well as blasts from grenades and high explosives. It also "retains the same drivability and agility of the standard production model" thanks to the upgraded suspension and brake systems, while the tires have a "retention system that prevents the tire from leaving the rim, even when deflated" in the event of punctures. It also has emergency lighting and siren systems, of course.