Skoda Kodiaq Review: 2017 Model | Kodiaq | Car Buyers Guide

Ever since the Skoda Kodiaq was unveiled in 2016, I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on one. You see, I’m a Skoda fan. I’ve never denied my affections for the Skoda Superb, and at one stage I used to recommend the Skoda Yeti as a small SUV to anyone who’d listen. Why am I so keen on Skoda? Well, they’re what I’d call a generous brand. They’re relatively inexpensive to sit into, and even at entry-level it’s hard not to be impressed. So, the Skoda Kodiaq is no different. It’s big, generous with space, and from entry-level it’s quite well specced.

Here’s the thing, and I mentioned it recently in my Renault Koleos review, Skoda has this excellent, headline-grabbing, entry-level pricing for nearly all their vehicles. I mean, take the Superb for example, with its limousine-like space. It has an entry price of just €27,500. Now, how many people actually buy this entry-level version is a question that I can’t answer, but you have to hand it to Skoda, that’s an attractive price for what you’d get. Then there’s the Kodiaq. Entry-level price of… are you sitting down? €28,795. The reason why I mentioned the Koleos at the start of this paragraph is because Renault opted not to bring a bottom-specced model to our market – and while their entry-level version is extremely high-specced, unfortunately the figure of €34,490 is nowhere near as attention grabbing.

Let’s be honest, I say that entry-level for the Kodiaq is good, but if you really want the bells and whistles you’re going to have to spend a little more money to get close to what the likes of the Koleos is offering. Still though, I think I’d be happy to go entry-level with the Skodiaq as is. FYI, our test model came in at a not-so-cheap €46,545 - which tells you that if you want to, you can spend a lot more money!

So, what is it about the Skoda Kodiaq which makes it stand out for me? Well, first off, I don’t think it’s a bad looking machine. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that it’s nicer than the Volkswagen Tiguan and the SEAT Ateca. But it’s not all about the looks. The interior is vast. The cockpit has two armchair-like seats and plenty of room. Row two is on rails and once again, space is top class. Then there’s row three – which of course is going to be the most compromised when it comes to space, but because row two is on rails, it is actually possible to squeeze adults in there (look at the video above – even I fit in it!). Of course, I reckon kids will be best-suited to this space.

The Skoda Kodiaq is available as a five-seater or a seven-seater. To get the seven seats it will cost you an extra €1,000 – and a small bit of boot space. According to Skoda Ireland’s website, the Kodiaq offers 765-litres of space with the seven-seat version (seats 6 and 7 down of course), while if you opt for the 5-seater, you will be looking at a vast 835-litres of space. Whichever one you opt for should be ample!

To make row two and three better Skoda could offer more than two ISOFIX points in row two and three. However, as a parent myself, both of my children use booster seats, neither of which require an ISOFIX point. So, I wouldn’t write-off the Skodiaq because of ISOFIX points.

Our test vehicle housed a 190bhp 2.0 TDI engine and a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The gearbox can be slow to change gears if you’re putting pressure on it from lower speeds. However, if you’re progressing slowly to a higher speed, the box is very capable of dealing with changes. The 4x4 set up was nicely pushed along by the 2.0 litre engine. This car is not sluggish, and overtaking is not a problem. I’m yet to drive the smaller engines, so I’ll hold judgement on those until another time. On the road, there is no doubting that you will feel some roll on corners. This should not be a surprise to anyone – this is a large machine. However, the roll is not what I’d call bad. In terms of 4x4 capabilities, we did not have a chance to take this car off-road.

We will have another review of the Skoda Kodiaq during October, at which stage we hope to create an infotainment review. In short though, the system is easy to use and is more connected than ever before. The only negative is that the glass front loves fingerprints – so bring a rag if you’re like me and suffer OCD when it comes to finger marks!

The Skoda Kodiaq is an extremely impressive machine. Its closest competition is the likes of the Sorento, the Koleos, and possibly even the Discovery Sport. However, the Kodiaq is probably the most accessible. It’s well-priced and well-specced and is certainly worth a look if you’re in the market for a large family SUV.