The speedo clocking over 200kmph is what gets the likes on Instagram, but there is much more to NATRAX than just the silly high speeds. We spent some time with Skoda India’s entire lineup at the automotive testing grounds. This included three activities – pedal to the floor sprints on the high-speed test track with the Kodiaq and the Slavia, cornering on the tight handling track with the Slavia and the Kushaq and finally a bespoke off-road trail drive in the Kodiaq.
An hour outside the city of Indore, NATRAX is the premier automotive testing facility in the country. It also happens to be the largest of its kind in Asia. OEMs utilize the facilities for all manner of testing and development for new products that are to be rolled out in the country. For the high-speed track, these can include coast down tests, brake tests, constant-speed fuel consumption test, speedometer calibration, noise & vibration measurement, and mileage accumulation among others. Of course, OEMs also use the large 11.3km oval for top-speed tests and high-speed stability tests. And that’s precisely where we headed after a short briefing session by the folks at Skoda.
Hopping in to the Slavia, the ergonomics felt familiar. After all, I have been spending a considerable amount of time lately in another MQB-A0-IN car. Foot flat to the floor, I was able to extract all the performance that the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine had to offer. Creeping up to 200kmph and beyond, the Slavia’s poise was impressive. All through the banking, the car felt absolutely flat and I had to make no adjustments whatsoever. There wasn’t a lot of time to relish the experience though – it was time to pull over. One lap was all we got around the high-speed track but that was good enough to make a solid impression.
We were ushered to the track in a Skoda Superb and asked to gear up in a balaclava and helmet. Shortly after that, I found myself finding the right seating position in a new 2023 Kodiaq. An instructor was riding shotgun with me and the instructions were fairly straightforward – ‘Floor it and don’t let up when the banking starts.’ I obliged and we rushed towards an indicated 200kmph. At this speed, the Kodiaq, like all other Skoda cars, felt planted. 210kmph came up on the speedo and we were near the switch over point. Pulling to the side, it was now time to hop over in to the Slavia. While the SUV felt composed and absolutely at ease, I did have to make some micro corrections on the banking. When I questioned the instructor, he explained that this was the wind having an effect on what is a relatively large SUV. The drive in the Slavia would be very different, he suggested.
Next up, it was time for the handling track – something I was looking forward to. A couple of Kushaqs and Slavias were prepped and ready to go for us to have a go in. We were to get a lap each in both cars and the lap in question was a superbly crafted one with a variety of corners which included some tightening hairpins, slow-speed switchbacks on a track that was only eight meters wide. While you could carry significant speed all through the track, you can’t be anywhere near the speeds on the HST that we just came from. This was more about finding the right lines on the track and positioning the car accordingly. The power and grip on offer meant that not long into the first lap in the Kushaq, I found myself going quicker and quicker still. I switched to the Slavia, and relished driving it on the handling track. The accurate steering, the tight body control and the peppy powertrain all came together beautifully. A word about the brakes – they are brilliant and nothing in the price range even comes to the brake feel, bite and progression that cars from Skoda-VW have to offer. As a result, I was able to push the car deeper and deeper into corners and carry much more speed than I otherwise would be comfortable doing. Two laps (one each in the Kushaq and the Slavia) was what we got. But I did come back a little later to convince the instructor to give me a couple more laps. Ultimately, the instructor settled on one more lap in the Slavia.
Finally, it was time for an off-road trail run in the Kodiaq with a few obstacles thrown in for good measure. There were some inclines to tackle and though the trail was full of small stones and mud it wasn’t slippery per se. The Kodiaq could easily clamber through everything that we encountered. It has to be said that the track wasn’t exactly an off-road course with large approach/departure angles, it surely wasn’t something you’d encounter on your way to the farmhouse. The driver and passenger side incline were quite a handful and so was the ditch that we had to go through at the very end. The Kodiaq’s AWD system is intelligent and managed traction well on some of the more slippery surfaces. The hill descent control was also very effective – you don’t have to press a button as such, it detects when you are on a steep downward slope and you can slowly take your foot off the brake for the Kodiaq to calmly make its way down. There was no water for us to tackle, but that isn’t really something you’d want to put your luxury SUV through anyway.
It has to be mentioned that this was the updated 2023 Kodiaq and this time around Skoda has a much larger inventory to ensure that it doesn’t get sold out in the first 20 days as was the case last year. Not a lot has changed and that’s a good thing considering that the Kodiaq was a very good proposition to begin with. With 190PS of power, it is fairly quick – hitting the ton in under 8 seconds – and it continues to have handsome proportions, a well-appointed cabin and a healthy selection of features.
With the off-road track out of the way, it was time to bid goodbye to the Skodas and the NATRAX. The whole exercise was to celebrate the 5-star Global NCAP rating that was awarded to the Slavia and Kushaq, making them objectively among the safest cars in India. While the 5-star rating has little to do with the activities that we partook in, the sound dynamics, high speed stability and off-road prowess are things buyers would benefit from in regular use. And the rigid and robust body shell does have a part to play in making Skoda cars perform the way they do.
