Skoda Kodiaq Review 2024

The Skoda Kodiaq has long been one of our favourite family SUVs. This new-for-2024 model builds on its brilliant predecessor, offering even more interior space and greater levels of standard equipment. But is it enough to justify a starting price of nearly £37,000? Read our full Skoda Kodiaq review to find out...

Shall we start with the interior? That's probably the most important area for most SUV buyers, while it's also the area you'll notice the biggest difference over the old Kodiaq.

It ticks all the boxes: you get a high seating position, a big boot and plenty of space for passengers. As before, you can the Skoda Kodiaq with five or seven seats, although the third row are basically pop-up seats in the boot that will feel pretty cramped for anyone other than young children.

There are initially two models to choose from: Skoda Kodiaq SE or SE L. Both are well equipped, with interior highlights including a 13.0-inch navigation system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and Skoda's clever new Smart Dials.

These are small configurable dials on the dashboard that can act as shortcut buttons to your favourite features - such as turning on the heated seats, changing the climate control temperature or even zooming in and out of the sat-nav.

The Smart Dials are a prime example of Skoda's clever thinking that'll make your life easier - see also the pop-out door protection, ventilated smartphone charger and standard screen cleaner for the navigation display.

While the car world might be going electric, the Skoda Kodiaq sticks with traditional petrol and diesel engines - for now, anyway. The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre unit with mild-hybrid electrical assistance - it's not a full hybrid, but there's enough electrification for a small improvement in fuel economy.

High-mileage drivers should stick with the 2.0-litre diesel, which is also available as a 4x4 model - ideal for those SUV buyers looking to tow a caravan. A plug-in hybrid model is on its way, capable of travelling more than 62 miles under electric power alone.

Just like tins of beans and tanks of petrol, the new Skoda Kodiaq has been subject to inflation. That's why even the cheapest Kodiaq is now more than £15,000 pricier than its predecessor was when it went on sale in 2016. But with a start price of around £36,500, the Skoda Kodiaq is priced competitively against competition like the impressive Kia Sorento, the latest Nissan X-Trail and the Peugeot 5008.

Measuring 4758mm long, 1864mm wide and 1659mm high, the Skoda Kodiaq has grown in size slightly compared to its predecessor.

That means there's loads of room inside. Indeed, those in the front get a high seating position and plenty of storage. The gear selector's been moved to behind the steering wheel, freeing up more space in the centre console.

There's space in the back for a couple of six-footers, although three adults side-by-side might feel a bit cramped. There's an awkward lump in the middle of the floor, too, which leaves middle-seat passengers struggling for foot space.

You can get the new Skoda Kodiaq with five or seven seats. While Skoda's claiming an extra 15mm more headroom in the rear-most seats, we still think they're best suited to occasional use by children. If you want a true seven-seater, we'd recommend looking for an MPV instead.

When used as a five-seater, the Skoda Kodiaq has a very big boot. Five-seat Skoda Kodiaqs have a loading capacity of 910 litres with the rear seats upright and 2105 litres with them folded. Buy a seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq and you can enjoy a boot capacity of 340 litres with all seats upright and 2035 litres with them dropped. Plug-in hybrid Skoda Kodiaq iV models come with a seats-up boot capacity of 745 litres.

The Skoda Kodiaq's interior has moved upmarket compared to the old model. While it's still not as posh as premium rivals, there are plush finishes aplenty and it certainly doesn't look (or feel) like a budget SUV. It still feels like it's been designed to deflect little feet or prodding fingers, though, with hard finishes in the right places.

The Skoda Kodiaq comes with a 13.0-inch navigation display as standard. It's easy to use and well positioned for distraction-free operation, while it acts a bit like an iPad - reacting to pinch-and-swipe gestures. You can access apps from your phone using wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while powerful wireless phone charges (with standard cooling) will keep your mobile topped up.

Behind the steering wheel is a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit display. This doesn't offer much in the way of customisation, but it's clear and easy to read. There's also a voice-activated personal assistant called Laura, which acts like an in-car Siri or Alexa. We'll reserve judgement until we've used it a bit more, but we found that it struggled to respond to basic requests.

Expect to pay around £36,500 for a five-seat Skoda Kodiaq SE with the 1.5-litre petrol engine, or an extra £860 for the seven-seat model. The diesel starts from a smidgen under £39,000, while the current top-spec Skoda Kodiaq SE L 2.0 TDI 4x4 is a little over £46,000.

The Skoda Kodiaq is no longer the budget family SUV it once was, but it's priced keenly against competitors - especially once you consider the amount of standard equipment.

A new Nissan X-Trail can be picked up for less than £35,000, although you'll need the £37,500 Nissan X-Trail N-Connecta to get the same amount of standard kit as you'll get on the Skoda Kodiaq SE. A Kia Sorento now starts from £42,000, while you'll pay £43,500 for the cheapest Land Rover Discovery Sport.

When the five-seat Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 TSI petrol can manage up to 47.1mpg according to official WLTP fuel economy tests, it makes you wonder whether it's worth spending extra on a diesel or plug-in hybrid Skoda Kodiaq.

We'd expect the Real MPG figure to be less than this - especially when the car's fully-loaded - but mild-hybrid electrical assistance means it ought to be pretty good on fuel for an SUV of this size.

The Skoda Kodiaq 2.0-litre diesel manages up to 53.2mpg, dropping to 51.7mpg for seven-seat models. The diesel 4x4, meanwhile, officially returns up to 44.2mpg.

Fuel economy figures for the new Skoda Kodiaq iV plug-in hybrid are yet to be announced but Skoda says it's aiming for an electric-only range of more than 62 miles.

After the first year, tax will be a flat rate of £190/year, or £180/year for plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid models. Watch out, though - Kodiaqs with a list price (when new) of more than £40,000 will be hit by an extra £410/year in premium car tax. This applies for five years from the second time the car's taxed.

Soft and squidgy, the Skoda Kodiaq feels noticeably more compliant than the new Volkswagen Tiguan. As ever, for the ultimate in comfort, we'd recommend the 18-inch alloys over the bigger 19-inch or 20-inch wheels. The extra tyre side wall provides extra cushioning when you hit a pothole, although the Citroen C5 Aircross is even softer still.

You can buy the Skoda Kodiaq with Skoda's DCC+ adaptive suspension, allowing you to firm up the ride when you're in the mood for agile handling. We reckon it's a waste of money on a family SUV like this, although some might appreciate the ability to flick between different drive modes.

Despite its size, the Skoda Kodiaq is pretty easy to drive. The steering is borderline too light, while visibility is reasonable and there's an extensive list of driver-assistance technology acting as a second pair of eyes. All models come with front/rear parking sensors, a reversing camera plus a Front Assist system that can apply the brakes to prevent a collision.

The Skoda Kodiaq is initially offered with a choice of petrol or diesel engines, with a plug-in hybrid model set to arrive later in 2024. All come with a DSG automatic gearbox as standard, while the diesel is also available as a 4x4.

We think the 1.5 TSI petrol will be sufficient for a lot of buyers. With 150PS and 250Nm of torque, it's not particularly powerful, but it's up to the job of shifting the weighty Skoda Kodiaq. It's refined and works well with the DSG auto transmission.

While diesel power might not be as popular as it once was, it still makes sense for a lot of SUV buyers. If you're planning to cover a lot of motorway miles or make full use of the Skoda Kodiaq's towing capabilities, we'd recommend the 2.0-litre diesel. It feels gruntier than its 150PS power output suggests (the 4x4 gets 193PS), while the only compromise is a little loss in refinement.

We touched on the extensive safety systems offered in the Skoda Kodiaq above - but it's worth emphasising the amount of driver-assist tech you get as standard. Many of these are powered by new nano radar sensors fitted to the Skoda Kodiaq's front apron and rear bumper, that are able to spot pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.

Among the new assistance systems are Turn Assist, Collision Avoidance Assist, Crossroad Assist and Exit Warning. Turn Assist responds with a warning and, where appropriate, automatic braking if there is a vehicle approaching when turning in the face of oncoming traffic.

Collision Avoidance Assist automatically amplifies steering movements during sudden evasive manoeuvres. Crossroad Assist uses radar sensors and the front camera to warn of crossing traffic, cyclists or pedestrians when pulling out of a driveway or blind exit. Exit Warning triggers visual and audible warnings when the door is opened while traffic is approaching from behind.

The new Skoda Kodiaq is yet to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP.

The Skoda Kodiaq has proven itself as a popular tow car, and the new model ought to retain that reputation. For maximum towing capacity, you'll need the Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 4x4 model - this has a braked towing capacity of up to 2400kg. Two-wheel-drive diesel models can tow up to 2000kg, while the 1.5 TSI petrol has an 1800kg towing capacity.

Standard equipment on the Skoda Kodiaq SE includes 18-inch Mazeno alloy wheels, LED front and rear lights, heated front seats and KESSY - keyless start/stop system. SE models come with Loft design selection as standard, along with a 13-inch satellite navigation touchscreen display, 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit and tri-zone climate control.

The SE model also comes with a range of safety systems as standard, including Front Assist with braking reaction to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, Blind Spot Detection with door exit warning and Front Cross Traffic Assist. SE models can be specified with five or seven seat layouts with the latter adding a variable boot floor to the standard specification.

The Skoda Kodiaq SE L adds 19-inch Rapeto alloy wheels, LED Matrix headlights with AFS (adaptive front light system), AWL (all weather lighting system) and all-weather light with cornering function. SE L models also feature ecoSuite black design selection with perforated black artificial leather and real leather, electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory function, electrically operated boot and keyless entry and start/stop system.