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Second-generation seven-seat SUV lands in the UK with a design refresh and hybrid power

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The technical rundown of the second-generation Skoda Kodiaq might sound quite familiar.

This is largely because the latest Volkswagen PassatVolkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Superb are all based on the Evo verson of Volkswagen Group's MQB platform.

The estates were a joint development led by Skoda, but the SUVs are "entirely separate". Mind you, Skoda can stray only so far from what the mothership dictates.

The switch to the Evo platform means the Kodiaq can be offered in plug-in hybrid form for the first time, with the family SUV able to accommodate a huge 25.7kWh battery for an electric-only range of 71 miles, trumping the likes of the Kia Sorento PHEV (34 miles) and Volkswagen Multivan e-Hybrid (30 miles).

At the same time, you can also get some reassuringly traditional powerplants, with a choice of two petrol engines (a mild-hybrid 1.5-litre and a 2.0-litre) and two diesels (both 2.0-litres, just in a different state of tune), all with four cylinders. 

The gearboxes are all dual-clutch (DSG) automatics.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Skoda Kodiaq FD 2024   ME 12

The new Kodiaq is substantially longer than both the Tiguan and the original Kodiaq (4758mm versus 4539mm and 4699mm), although Skoda has managed to resist making it any wider. In fact, it's very slightly narrower.

Perhaps that’s why it doesn’t look quite as confident on the road as before. It has slightly softer edges as part of the Czech brand’s Modern Solid design language, which improves aerodynamics (0.28Cd instead of 0.31Cd), but the old straighter lines suited it better.

There's a choice of 18in and 19in wheels; larger options will undoubtedly become available later

Skoda also hasn’t resisted the general lightbarification of design. There’s one as standard at the front and an optional one running through the grille.

The Kodiaq has a fairly simple range that contains just two trim levels SE and SE L. Base SE models come with 18in alloys which appear much smaller than they are against its slab-sided profile, as well as a 12.9in infotainment touchscreen and 10.25in digital instrument display that can be configured to show the sat-nav, the rev counter, both or neither.

Choosing to upgrade to SE L grants you larger 19in alloys, power adjustable lumbar support and some extra decorative trim pieces both inside and outside.

INTERIOR

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Skoda Kodiaq FD 2024   ME 1

A large, seven-seat SUV is all about the interior, you might argue, given that the genre has effectively replaced MPVs. And Skoda seems to have taken that to heart, because inside, the Kodiaq is a very nice place to be.

Practical matters first: the old car was spacious, and an additional 61mm of length makes this one even more palatial. With the rear seat in its standard position, you can stretch out, almost like in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The bench itself provides good thigh support and usefully folds in a 40/20/40 split.

Instead of a gear selector on the centre console, the Kodiaq now has a column stalk that you need to twist. It works okay and it leaves space for storage, but a Mercedes-style up/down stalk would be more convenient.

The third row (which is standard on most Kodiaqs in the UK) is tighter, of course, but by sliding the second row forwards, you can just about cram in seven adults. None of them will be too happy about it, but it’s better than walking.

A usable amount of boot space remains even with all the seats up, too. The five-seater boasts 910 litres.

Unfortunately, you can't have the Kodiaq PHEV with a seven-seat configuaration, as the large battery fills the space where the third-row seats would normally sit.

Skoda’s engineers did consider one, but they would have had to compromise the battery size and the fuel tank. Indeed, the Kia Sorento PHEV, which does have seven seats, offers less than half the Kodiaq’s EV range.

And even though the battery pack is stowed underneath the boot floor, you still get up to 745 litres of boot space. 

The real revolution is in the general design and ambience. As with the Skoda Enyaq electric SUV, you choose a trim and then one of four ‘design selections’ that match all the interior materials. Some work better than others, but the one with the grey faux leather and wool and wood inserts felt a cut above some of the symphonies in plastic being churned out by the ‘premium’ car makers. 

The Kodiaq isn't totally free of cheap materials, though. Overall, it feels and looks refined, the panoramic roof adding a light and airy atmosphere to the cabin. Prod certain elemets around the glovebox and doors and it's clear that it isn't as materailly rich as first thought.

The plastic trim that runs across the dashboard is particularly disappointing, as is the material around the glovebox, which feels and sounds like a thin layer of cloth draped over an equally papery sheet of plastic.

The user interface, however, gives you the sense that the engineers put some real thought into how you might want to use a car. On the road. While driving. Figure that. The overall button count has been reduced, sure, but once you’ve set up some shortcuts, the latest generation of Skoda’s multimedia system puts important functions just a single press away. Unlike previous iterations, it also responds instantly.

The ‘Smart Dials’ that made their debut in the Superb help too. There are two dials that control the temperature and heated seats and one to which you can map up to four functions, like zooming the map and changing the fan speed and driving mode. Once you get used to it, it works remarkably well, and without overloading the dashboard with buttons.

Our only gripe with them is that they feel quite cheap and flimsy to use, and their integration with Apple CarPlay looks clumsy and unfinished, with your chosen screen being blanked off and interrupted each time you adjust the HVAC controls and heated seat ferocity.

We encountered some other issues. Some of the electrical systems threw up glitches: the car failed to recognise the key fob when the car was in motion and cut out the engine, and some ADAS functions were temperamental. This particular test car was on an outdated software version and we’ve not noticed the same with other Skodas, but this is still slightly worrying.

Other gripes? Space has been freed up in the centre console by turning the gear lever into a column stalk where the wiper controls once sat. This leaves the left-hand stalk to perform 14 different functions depending on how you push, pull or click it, which is confusing to get used to.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Skoda Kodiaq engine bay

Since Skoda UK reckons the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol will be the most popular, that’s what we spent the most time in. And anyway, having also tried the PHEV and the entry-level diesel, the 1.5 TSI is probably the nicest of the lot. At low revs, it’s smooth and all but inaudible while still delivering decent shove.

When coaxing the 1.6-tonne Kodiaq up a hill, it can start to feel a bit breathless and sound reedy, but most of the time it delivers adequate performance.

If we have some criticism, it’s that it still has the usual DSG vice of being a tad hesitant to select a lower gear and provide drive when you roll up to a roundabout and then try to quickly nip onto it, but otherwise the seven-speed ‘box is smooth under normal driving conditions to the extent that you don’t really notice it.

The diesel sounds surprisingly, well, dieselly. It’s not horrendous, though, and it does have more grunt from low revs, which will be useful if you plan to do any towing. We've yet to try the more powerful four-wheel-drive diesel.

Then there's the plug-in hybrid. In EV mode, it feels sedate and relaxing, with just a marginal whine from the electric motor at town speeds. It's not particularly quick in this setting, but it builds speed in a progressive and linear manner that is very easy to get along with – and it can drive electrically even at motorway speeds. 

We also like the progressive nature of the PHEV's regenerative braking: in its highest setting, the pedal slows the car down in a modular fashion, avoiding any sharp initial deceleration that some regen systems are susceptible to. 

Leave the Kodiaq in standard hybrid mode and it blends petrol and electric power to relatively effortless effect. 

At times, the interplay between the engine and motor is a bit inconsistent. The engine can shut off when you're slowing down and take a little longer than expected to re-engage when you're accelerating out of a corner. 

And as in its pure-ICE rangemates, the DSG gearbox has some unusual characteristics. It hangs on to the gears for far too long – up to the redline in some instances – before swapping cogs, which means the engine can sound rather noisy. 

RIDE & HANDLING

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Skoda Kodiaq FD 2024   ME 17

Corners are something the Kodiaq deals with remarkably well. Maybe too well. It grips reassuringly, stays fairly level and lifting off the throttle will even start to bring the back around. The standard steering is surprisingly heavy and even offers some feedback, but the flipside is a ride that errs on the side of firm. It’s not that it’s particularly crashy, just a bit too firm for an otherwise relaxed family bus.

The DCC adaptive dampers do improve things, but it’s not night-and-day, and they come packaged with the variable-ratio steering, which feels more numb than the standard rack.

The DCC Plus adaptive dampers are the same as those that are being introduced on various Volkswagens. They have separate valves for bump and rebound for finer control. In the UK, they come packaged with the Progressive Steering and are an option on SE L trim.

When you’re strolling along, the car rolls a little more than you would expect but feels no less comfortable to drive for it. On standard 18in alloys, the ride quality is good, the suspension giving a firmer undertone but shrugging off small and medium-sized imperfections as well as the dampers manage multiple impacts at once. It’s not involving to drive, but that’s not what it’s designed for.

The standard seats don't provide much in the way of lateral or thigh support, but they're good enough to cover distance in once you get used to them. The optional seats are outstanding, however, and in combination with solid noise isolation, we can imagine 1000 miles passing by in a flash.

In all other respects, you wouldn't feel short-changed in terms of respectable dynamics or rolling refinement by picking the entry-level SE car.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Skoda Kodiaq FD front corning 2

Starting at around £36,000, the standard SE trim is cheaper than the Kia Sorento or Volkswagen Multivan with the same level of equipment.

The Kodiaq also proved equally - in some cases, more - economical than those cars over a range of driving conditions, whether that be town, motorway or city driving.

Over around 300 miles, the mild-hybrid 1.5 averaged 46mpg – impressive, considering that it scored 47.4mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. For reference, a 1.6-litre Kia Sorento HEV averaged 35mpg in our hands, although that is quite a bit more powerful.

Those figures are quite similar to those achieved by the diesel, with the five-seater 2.0-litre TDI promising 53.2mpg, or 51.7mpg as a seven-seater – around the same as the Mercedes-Benz GLB 200d.

The PHEV, meanwhile, promises the greatest efficiency, with a claimed 691.5mpg in five-seat SE guise or 578.4mpg in SE L guise. 

Skoda claims its large battery yields a range of up to 71 miles of electric driving – an impressive figure that will certainly prick the ears of company car drivers, as well as private buyers who can charge at home. 

Equally impressive is the 50kW DC charging capability. We plugged the PHEV into a public charger offering such speeds and saw a peak rate of 45kW. Charging from 0-80% takes around 27 minutes, 0-100% around 40 minutes. 

With the PHEV fully charged and showing the quoted electric-only range on the dash, we took it on a 48-mile test route that included predominantly motorways but also some rural and suburban roads. 

In EV mode and with the regenerative braking set to its strongest, the car arrived at its destination with 22 miles of electric range still to play with, having averaged 3.5mpkWh. Round of applause, please. 

On the return leg, in Hybrid mode, it achieved 74.3mpg and 9.1mpkWh. A solid figure, especially when you consider that the larger battery will also bring added weight. 

As SUVs remain popular, the Kodiaq should have reasonable residual values. There are a number of factors working in its favour, of course, including its efficient engines, family-friendly practicality and a generous standard equipment list. 

VERDICT

Skoda Kodiaq FD 2024   ME 16

It comes with little wonder that some 55,000 first-generation Kodiaqs made their way to the UK. And with the number of unelectrified (and therefore vaguely affordable) alternatives dwindling fast and the Kodiaq better than ever, there’s little reason why that success shouldn’t continue with this Mk2 car.

The PHEV model only broadens the Kodiaq's appeal, too, with an electric range and fast charging capabilities that put it streets ahead of rivals like the Kia Sorento PHEV and Peugeot 5008 PHEV.

Its exterior and interior refresh will undoubtedly help it fend off the competitors that it does have left, and a revamped range of refined but adequately powerful engines does a lot to convince prospective buyers of its competitive cost- and hassle-saving efficencies. 

And given its effetiveness and suitability for the target market, there's no denying that many drivers will likely warm to its seamless drivetrain and transmission combinations, impressive rolling refinement and all-guns-blazing commitment to practicality.

Despite some evidence of cost-cutting and an interior that isn't quite the resounding success we thought it was, the Kodiaq strikes all the chords it needs to play. Even in base SE trim, it's equipped with everything it needs and is an eminently spacious, practical SUV that has never played to its key strengths quite as well as it does now. 

Jonathan Bryce

Jonathan Bryce
Title: Editorial Assistant

Jonathan is an editorial assistant working with Autocar. He has held this position since March 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism. 

His role at work involves running Autocar's sister title Move Electric, which is most notably concerned with electric cars. His other roles include writing new and updating existing new car reviews, and appearing on Autocar's social media channels including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As part of Autocar’s road test team, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews, comparison tests, as well as the odd feature and news story. 

Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s eight-page road tests, which are the most rigorous in the business thanks to independent performance, fuel consumption and noise figures.