Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI SE L DSG
Mileage 7670 List price £30,615
Target Price £28,996 Price as tested £31,615 Test economy 43.5mpg
RAIN. SLEET. SNOW. It’s all been lashing down. And then turning to ice. Great news if you’re a penguin, less so if you have to drive each day. Yet the Skoda Kodiaq continues to make life better, even on these most miserable of days.
How so? You are probably expecting a eulogy about the benefits of driving an SUV through such treacherous conditions, but I’ll caution now that this particular version of this particular SUV is two-wheel drive and no more likely to negotiate a road doing a passing impression of an ice rink than any other car.
No, instead, the focus of my praise is on the far more mundane fripperies that come as standard on all but entry-level Kodiaqs: the ice scraper, located behind the petrol filler cap, and the umbrellas that slide inside the front doors.
There are more smart touches in a similar vein, albeit less weather-biased: the plastic bin that clips into the door cubby, the pop-out door protectors that prevent car park scrapes and the drinks bottle holders that are designed to grip so that you can unscrew a lid one-handed.
Are these alone enough to justify buying the Kodiaq? Of course not; a trip to Halfords
could equip you with similar – if not as well integrated – kit. But that’s not the point.
If you live with these nice-to-have items, you soon come to rely on them. And, in doing that, you also find that your car is making a small but significant contribution to your life.
What they prove is that buying a Skoda isn’t just about wanting decent quality for a decent price. The Kodiaq is a car that does everything – and I mean everything – really well, without ever really setting your pulse racing. But with these clever touches, you are soon reminded that the Kodiaq is a little bit smarter than the average car.