If there’s one thing that the Volkswagen Group has figured out, it’s how to ruggedize its road-going vehicles. You might assume, though, that it wouldn’t need to apply that treatment to its SUVs… but you’d be mistaken. Case in point: the new Skoda Kodiaq Scout.

Scout, for those unfamiliar, is what Skoda calls its beefing-up program – similar to sister-brand VW’s Alltrack, Audi’s Allroad, and Seat’s X-Perience lines. The Czech brand has already applied the treatment to successive versions of the Octavia, Roomster, and Fabia – but now it’s extending the same (with apologies to the Yeti) to its first proper SUV.

Not unlike the Seat Ateca X-Perience, the Kodiaq Scout is distinguished by features including specific 19-inch wheels, tinted glass, and silver-colored underbody protection, roof rails, window frames, and door mirrors.

Since the Kodiaq is already a sport-ute, Skoda apparently didn’t need to beef up the wheel arches any further, but you’ll naturally find some special badges both inside and out. It also comes with the Off-Road Assist and Rough-Road options, as well (of course) as all-wheel drive.

The Scout model will be available with four options – two burning gasoline and two diesel, ranging up to 190 metric horsepower. Look for the ruggedized version of Skoda’s most rugged model to date to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in less than two months from now.

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