Skoda Kodiaq
Brand’s first large SUV promises a strong mix of practicality and value. But is it a winner?
MODEL TESTED: Skoda Kodiaq Edition 2.0 TDI 190 DSG 4x4 PRICE: £34,895 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 187bhp
THE Kodiaq is Skoda’s first large SUV, and comes as a five or seven-seater; we test the seven-seat model here. Despite breaking new ground for the brand, the car boasts all the qualities we expect from Skoda on paper, so it’s spacious, well equipped and good value. Our pictures show an early left-handdrive SE L, but we test the 2.0 TDI 190 4x4 model in £34,895 top-spec Edition trim with the DSG auto box.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
THE Kodiaq shows once again the versatility of the VW Group’s MQB platform. This chassis architecture is designed for engines mounted transversely across the front of the car, and as well as underpinning this seven-seat SUV, it forms the basis of the likes of Audi’s TT sports car.
It’s been lengthened and strengthened for the Kodiaq, while retaining many of the traits that make Skoda’s Mqb-based Superb hatch and Estate models good to drive. Part of the transformation means the extra ride height gives even more suspension travel, but it also ensures you climb up into the car, giving an off-roader impression from the start.
Inside, the car feels wide and spacious. The dash architecture is similar to the Superb’s, but the chunkier facia highlights the Kodiaq’s positioning in the range.
In our well equipped Edition test car, the uprated eight-inch Columbus sat-nav dominated the dash. It’s part of a raft of standard equipment, from full LED headlights and heated seats to keyless go, cruise and climate control, parking sensors and 19-inch alloys. Neat features like wireless phone charging and highbeam assist are exclusive to the Edition range-topper.
DRIVING
OUR Kodiaq was fitted with Skoda’s Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive dampers, which we’d recommend. In Comfort mode the suspension deals with most bumps well, allowing the big body to flow with the road to help make relaxed progress.
Due to the weight of the car and the extra ride height over the Superb, the Kodiaq isn’t quite as adept at filtering out road imperfections, but it’s nowhere near as knobbly as the Discovery Sport’s suspension.
The Skoda still scores on comfort, while the rear end’s set-up is nicely balanced with the front, giving a cohesive, connected feel to the way the car drives.
Its steering is light and sharp, and if you firm things up in Sport mode there’s more precision than you might expect. Yet even in Comfort the Skoda steers sweetly and rides with composure, so we’d generally leave it in this setting.
The 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI engine matches up well, providing plenty of performance. It offers the least torque of our test trio, at 400Nm, but it served up the strongest performance on test, taking the Kodiaq from 0-60mph in 8.3 seconds.
This acceleration off the line was helped by the Skoda’s 1,723kg kerbweight – lower than its rivals – as well as its seven-speed dual-clutch box’s launch control system. The snappy shifts helped it accelerate from 30 to 70mph through the gears in eight seconds flat. However, the DSG transmission sometimes gets caught out and becomes a little jerky where the conventional automatics in its rivals are smoother and more composed – although they don’t respond as quickly when you put your foot down.
PRACTICALITY
AS the Kodiaq sits quite high off the ground, the standard powered tailgate is a useful feature, because it opens wide. It reveals a large aperture, which makes loading the boot simple, plus there’s no lip to contend with.
When five seats are in place, the Skoda has a 270-litre capacity – similar to most superminis – but this increases to between 560 and 765 litres in five-seat form, depending on which position you set the 60:40 split sliding middle seats.
With all seven seats folded there’s a vast 2,005 litres on offer – although this isn’t as easy to achieve as in the Land Rover. Plus, when all the seats are in place you don’t get as much space in the third row as you might expect. It’s easy to access, but leg and headroom are tighter than in the Kia and roughly on par with the more compact Land Rover.
OWNERSHIP
SKODA performed better than almost all of the premium brands in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey, finishing in third place behind Tesla and Lexus. So although the Kodiaq is the company’s first large SUV, it should back up Skoda’s strong results for practicality, running costs and build quality in our poll.
The dealer network wasn’t rated as highly by owners; it ranked 15th out of 32 brands. But Land Rover’s garages finished 10 places behind Skoda’s.
First deliveries of the Kodiaq aren’t expected until April, and Euro NCAP hasn’t yet had the chance to put the new SUV through its paces. But we expect it to perform well; standard safety kit includes highbeam and lane assist, blind spot detection and front assist with autonomous city emergency braking. Adaptive cruise and rear traffic alert are options.
RUNNING COSTS
THE Skoda emits 151g/km of CO2, so isn’t as efficient on paper as the 139g/km Land Rover. But while the Discovery Sport attracts a Benefit in Kind rate of 27 per cent – three per cent lower than the Kodiaq – it costs £1,455 more to buy, so top-rate fleet users will save only £253 per year.
The Kia doesn’t stand a chance here. Not only is our KX-3 model £2,655 more expensive to buy than the Kodiaq, it also emits 174g/km of CO2. With a Benefit in Kind rate of 34 per cent, higher-earning business users face an annual tax bill of £5,059.