Skoda said its new large SUV will be called the Kodiaq after a bear that lives on an island off Alaska.
The seven-seat SUV will go on sale in Europe at the beginning of next year as a rival to models such as the Nissan X-Trail and Hyundai Santa Fe, which both have seven-seat versions.
Skoda previewed the Kodiaq as the Vision S concept at the Geneva auto show in March.
The SUV will sit above the compact Yeti. No pricing has been given but the German press has speculated it will undercut its competition and start at around 24,000 euros.
“We want to offer the best package in the segment. With Skoda you always get more car for your money,” Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier told journalists at the unveiling of the Vision S.
Skoda said the Kodiaq is the same length the same as the Vision at 4700mm long, identical to that of the Santa Fe.
The Kodiaq will be built on the same VW Group MQB platform as the Skoda Superb midsize car. Skoda is expected to build the SUV in its plant in Kvasiny, Czech Republic, alongside the smaller Seat Ateca SUV. Skoda has spent 7 billion crowns ($280 million) to increase capacity at the plant to 280,000 cars, up from 150,000 the brand said.
The Kodiaq will be shown in the "second half of 2016," Skoda said without being specific. German media has speculated it will be revealed at the Paris auto show.
The Alaskan bear after which the SUV is named is called the Kodiak in English. Skoda said it changed "k" to "q" at the end of the name.
