Skoda has revealed a new rugged Scout variant of its seven-seat Kodiaq SUV ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show.

As with the Octavia Scout, the Kodiaq Scout gets more underbody protection, making it less prone to damage when off-roading. This is the most notable visual difference on this variant. It's silver in colour and divided into three sections.

The Scout has a fractionally increased ground clearance of 194mm. It also gets model-specific styling accents including silver trim around the front grille, side windows and wing mirror housings, and silver roof rails. Other additions include model-specific 19-inch alloys, a tinted rear window and side windows, and Scout badges on the car’s front wing.

Buyers will get the choice of all but the least powerful 125hp version of the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine. The four available engines are therefore two petrols – the 150hp 1.4 TSI and the 180hp 2.0 TSI – and two diesels – the 150hp 2.0 TDI and 190hp 2.0 TDI.

Four-wheel drive and a DSG automatic gearbox are standard, as is Off-Road Assist which adjusts the throttle response, dampers and diff lock for better traction. Hill Hold and Hill Descent controls are also standard.

Specifications are based on the regular Kodiaq’s SE trim, and includes cruise control, Driving Mode Select (Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, Individual, Snow), air conditioning, a multifunction steering wheel, LED ambient lighting in ten colours, a Swing infotainment touchscreen, a DAB radio, an eight-speaker stereo and Alcantara seats.

Safety systems are the same as on the regular Kodiaq, with front and rear Park Assist cameras, Crew Protect Assist, blind spot detection, rear traffic alert, and automatic emergency breaking (AEB) with pedestrian detection coming as standard.

Skoda will launch the regular Kodiaq in India later this year. A 190hp 2.0-litre diesel mated to a brand new seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic is expected to be a mainstay on the new SUV. But there is the possibility of a 2.0-litre petrol as well.