New Skoda Kodiaq, VW Tiguan vs rivals: price and spec comparison

The all-new Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line have been launched in India with more powerful engines and several feature updates, along with premium price tags. But how well do they hold up against their rivals – Jeep Meridian, Hyundai Tucson, Citroen C5 Aircross and Nissan X-Trail – in terms of price and powertrain specifications? Keep reading to find out.

New Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tiguan prices vs rivals

Nissan X-Trail is the costliest here

The fully imported VW Tiguan R-Line is positioned at the premium end of the segment, priced higher than most of its competitors. It sits above the Citroen, Hyundai and Jeep SUVs, the latter two of which offer multiple variants. While it is slightly more expensive than the Skoda Kodiaq (which is brought in via the CKD route), the Tiguan R-Line is nearly on par with the Nissan X-Trail, which is also imported and is the costliest among the group.  

New Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tiguan dimensions vs rivals

Kodiaq is longer by 219mm than Tiguan

At 4,539mm, the Tiguan is only slightly longer than the 4,500mm-Citroen C5 Aircross, the smallest SUV here. In terms of its 1,859mm width, the VW car is on par with the Jeep Meridian but slightly narrower than others, excluding the C5 Aircross, which is the widest. The Tiguan’s 1,656mm height and 2,680mm wheelbase are the lowest among the listed models, though its 176mm ground clearance is 21mm more than that of its Skoda sibling.

Talking about the number of seats on offer, the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail are 7-seaters, while the Citroen C5 Aircross, VW Tiguan R-Line and Hyundai Tucson are strictly 5-seat SUVs. The Jeep Meridian is the only one to offer both 5- and 7-seat configurations.

New Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tiguan engine and gearbox vs rivals

VW and Skoda SUVs boast the highest power output

The Tiguan R-Line’s 204hp, 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine, also used in the Skoda Kodiaq, outperforms the other SUVs in terms of power by a fair margin. Its 320Nm torque output, though, falls short of diesel-run rivals like the Hyundai Tucson (416Nm) and Citroen C5 Aircross (400Nm), but exceeds that of the naturally aspirated petrol Tucson and the turbo-petrol Nissan X-Trail. It should be noted that Nissan’s flagship SUV features the smallest engine displacement and the least number of cylinders, but it is paired with a 12V mild-hybrid system.

When it comes to drivetrain, the Kodiaq and Tiguan R-Line come with a four-wheel-drive (4WD) setup, as does the diesel variant of the Hyundai Tucson. The X-Trail and C5 Aircross are front-wheel-drive (FWD) only, while the Meridian is available with both FWD and 4WD layouts. The Jeep Meridian also stands out with a manual gearbox option (offered with FWD variant) and has the most off-road-focused 4WD setup among the other SUVs. The dual-clutch automatic transmissions of the Kodiaq and Tiguan R-Line are the quickest in shifts compared to others, which get CVT and torque converter options.