Skoda reveals Kodiaq GT... for China only

Here it is then: a coupe-SUV from Skoda. Yes, Skoda. After the Vision RS hot hatch hybrid concept, and the Kodiaq vRS hot crossover, the Kodiaq GT will be the next Czech offering that’s supposed to make you go ‘mmm, phwoar’.

So long as you’re in China.

Yep, Skoda’s insisting the Kodiaq GT is exclusively for the Chinese market, which hotly favours SUVs with pose value first and off-road nous second. Hang on, that’s exactly what Brits tend to favour too. Is having a Skoda badge on a lifestyle vehicle just too much to stomach for the target audience?

We now know that there'll be a choice of 2.0-litre petrol engines, with either 184bhp or 217bhp. No vRS version then (that's a diesel) but Skoda's gone heavy on the toys, with a seven-speed DSG gearbox, digital cockpit and plenty of anti-crash driver assists. Which might make getting stuck in a 20-mile Beijing traffic jam a mite less soul-destroying.

Skoda proudly says: “The coupé-version of a large SUV is differentiated from the Kodiaq by its rear section. Behind the front doors, the roofline gently slopes down, merging into an angled tailgate… the Kodiaq GT will serve as the new flagship model in China.”

Way to rub it in, guys. You could’ve lobbed a vRS engine into this and saved some folks from the ignominy of being seen in the latest BMW X-flaw. Sorry, X4. Or is this a nichemobile you’re happy to take a pass on?