Hi, I am planning to buy a Kodiaq Sportline. It came to my attention that it does not have hill start assist and hill descent control. How crucial is this technology for normal hill driving? Does the Kodiaq Sportline handle hill drives easily, and does it feature any additional technology to compensate for hill hold or hill descent?

Autocar India

•2m

The Skoda Kodiaq Sportline does not come equipped with hill hold or hill descent control. While hill hold assist is a convenient feature, especially for steep urban parking ramps or stop-start traffic on inclines, it’s not essential if you know how to manage the car on slopes. Hill descent control, on the other hand, is primarily useful for off-road conditions with loose surfaces. It’s not a feature you will miss in normal hill driving situations.

This Skoda car is powered by a 204hp, 2.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine paired with a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The engine offers strong torque and smooth performance, which helps the car climb inclines easily. However, since the DSG is a twin-clutch unit, it can roll back slightly if you take your foot off the brake before the clutch engages. This is typical behaviour for such transmissions.

You can easily work around this. Either use your left foot lightly on the brake until you feel the clutch bite, or engage the electronic parking brake when stationary on a slope. It automatically releases as you press the accelerator, making hill starts much easier.

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