Skoda’s seven-seat SUV is due a replacement and we’ve driven the latest prototype
- Slightly larger than outgoing car
- Mild and plug-in hybrid powertrains planned
- Expected to arrive later in 2023
The Skoda Kodiaq has been the brand’s flagship SUV since 2016, so it’s about time for a replacement. We’ve been given a chance to drive the most recent prototype of the upcoming second-generation version as it gets ever closer to production. It’s still heavily camouflaged, but the latest images show more than ever before of the family seven-seater SUV.
The outgoing model has proved popular thanks to its seven-seater practicality and appealing range of powertrains, and the upcoming version is set to be slightly longer, with a larger 910-litre boot compared to the outgoing car’s 835 litres.
A while back Skoda teased the upcoming SUV’s side profile, featuring a strong LED headlight signature and rear light design that fades into the body. The new Kodiaq looks to be taking an evolutionary approach to its styling, merging existing design cues from the Skoda range with nods to the new ‘Modern Solid’ design language of the brand’s upcoming electric vehicles, including the mid-sized Skoda Elroq and a new even smaller SUV.
Despite being significantly larger, second-generation variants of Skoda’s seven-seat SUV are expected to sit on a modified version of the Mk8 Golf’s MQB Evo underpinnings. One of our main complaints with the current Kodiaq is its lack of electrified engine choices, but Skoda has confirmed the upcoming model will be offered as a plug-in hybrid variant in 2024, based on the same system as the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid. This will be sold alongside a range of mild-hybrid, diesel and petrol models, which are expected to go on sale later this year. A full-electric Kodiaq is not expected given the platform on which it will be based.
While the Czech brand has pledged to go fully-electric by 2030, the new Kodiaq will not be offered with a fully-electric powertrain – making it one of the last combustion-engined Skodas likely to be developed. Those wanting an electric seven-seater will instead have to wait for the production version of the Skoda Vision 7S concept car, which will eventually sit alongside the Kodiaq in the brand’s lineup.
On the inside, we expect to see large, crisp infotainment displays, similar to those of the current Skoda Octavia. Skoda’s cabin quality has been excellent of late, so we’d expect more of the same for the upcoming Kodiaq. Interiors produced by parent company Volkswagen have come under criticism more recently for having too much of a focus on difficult-to-use infotainment and climate control interfaces, but Skoda has promised to strike a balance between touch control and physical buttons.
Skoda will include a wide variety of safety features on the new Kodiaq, including Emergency Assist, Traffic Assist and lane departure control. Remote parking assist will allow you to control the car remotely to park it into tight spaces, avoiding the need to awkwardly open the doors and squeeze out when parked.
Skoda has said a full reveal will happen in autumn 2023 alongside an all-new Skoda Superb. Given recent inflation and production cost increases, we’d expect the next-generation Skoda Kodiaq to have a higher starting price than the outgoing model, which starts from just under £35,000. That said, the brand’s focus on providing good value for money means it should still undercut the likes of the Peugeot 5008 and the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Skoda Kodiaq prototype review – Alastair Crooks
We were recently given the opportunity to drive a late-stage prototype of the upcoming Skoda Kodiaq (still in camouflaged form) to find out how the family SUV is shaping up ahead of its full release expected later this year.
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While a plug-in hybrid model is expected to arrive in spring 2024, we got to drive the front-wheel drive mild-hybrid 1.5-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel versions. There’s also expected to be four-wheel drive variants of these models, although we’ve yet to try them.
Skoda expects the majority of sales for the Skoda Kodiaq will be the 1.5-litre petrol, so it’s the model we’ll be focusing on here. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given they sit on the same platform, we found the latest Skoda Kodiaq to feel very similar to drive as the outgoing model. That’s no bad thing – the engine feels capable and the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is smooth and quick.
Despite the Kodiaq’s size, we were surprised at how composed it felt through corners, although there’s little to no feel through the steering. That said, the steering does at least feel well-weighted.
Our test car sat on 19-inch wheels and offered a satisfactory ride, and with wind and road noise kept well at bay thanks to the Kodiaq’s double-glazed windows, it felt reasonably refined. On rougher roads, however, the ride wasn’t so good, and the suspension setup felt like it could do with softer springs. While the production model will likely get a choice of drive modes, our test car was limited to just ‘Normal’, so it’s likely the final version will allow for greater tweaking of the ride and performance.
Skoda is famed for its practicality, and the upcoming Kodiaq looks set to be slightly longer than before with a larger 910-litre boot compared with the outgoing car’s 835 litres.
Impressively, even with a third row of seats in place on seven-seater versions, there’s still up to 845 litres of boot space in the new Kodiaq. Knee-room seems impressive even with the middle row seats slid forward, and with them raked all the way back it feels incredibly spacious. Headroom for third-row occupants is now more generous, having increased by 15mm.
There are other practical touches dotted around the cabin, too, such as two litres of storage in the centre console freed up by a smaller gear selector, and an extra rear storage compartment. Other interior features include dual smartphone charging, and a touch screen wiper to clean smudges on the display.
The Kodiaq is set to get a generous suite of safety tech – we got to try the car’s automatic brake assist function but found it to be quite intrusive. The brand has assured us it’s still under development, however.
Verdict
It looks as though Skoda isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel with the upcoming Kodiaq, but there’s nothing wrong with taking all of the best attributes of the outgoing car and building on them. There are some nice touches around the cabin that prove to further Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ ethos and focus on practicality. If we have any major criticisms it would be the car’s ride, which we hope will be optimised for improved comfort by the time the new Kodaiq hits showrooms.
Keyword: New Skoda Kodiaq details and prototype review