Biggest Skoda SUV roars into action

Seven-seatKodia qi sSkoda’ slarg est-ever SUV but has a surprisingly small price.

Skoda’s mighty and misspelled bear, the Kodiaq, will cost from £21,495 when it roars on to forecourts next year.

That’s an impressively small price tag for a very large SUV.

The Kodiaq uses the same platform as the Volkswagen Tiguan but it’s a longer, more practical car, with the option of seven seats.

It arrives next spring and will be a rival for the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ford Edge, although it undercuts all of these quite dramatically.

It’ll be available in a choice of four trim levels – S, Se, SE L and Edition. Seven seats is a £1,000 optional extra on SE models and comes as standard on SE L and Edition variants.

That £21,495 base price gets you a five-seat “S” spec car fitted with 1.4-litre TSI turbo petrol engine giving out 123bhp through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Standard kit includes LED daytime running lights, 17in alloy wheels, a touchscreen infotainment system with a DAB radio and Smartlink infotainment tech. Keyless start, front assist and a leather steering wheel are also thrown in.

When you look at what else that kind of money can buy and factor in the generous level of standard kit, the Kodiaq begins to look like tremendous value for money.

You can step up to an SE spec for £22,495, gaining 18in alloys, tinted windows, cruise control and rear parking sensors. An upgraded eight-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, auto lights and wipers and an auto-dim rear view mirror complete the upgrade.

There are five engines to choose from – two diesels and three petrols – as well as four wheel drive options and different gearboxes.

The range-topping petrol and diesel options get a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, while other models are front-wheel drive only.

It’s anticipated a twin-turbo diesel with 237bhp will be added as a rangetopping car and a hybrid model may follow, although not for some time.

The Kodiaq goes on sale in November with first deliveries in the spring.

The Kodiaq is the biggest SUV Skoda has ever made. With prices starting at just £21,495, it looks excellent value for money.