Skoda’s seven-seat SUV is due for an update next year and test mules have already been spotted
- Same MQB Evo platform as VW Golf
- Mild and plug-in hybrid powertrains planned
- Expected to arrive in 2023
The Skoda Kodiaq has been on sale for around five years now and despite undergoing a facelift in 2021, it’s due for replacement. Test mules have been spotted patrolling the streets of Europe, giving us a few hints about what we can expect for the new model that is due to arrive by 2024.
Despite being significantly larger, second-generation variants of Skoda’s seven-seat SUV will almost certainly 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; however, the switch in platform will allow Skoda to outfit the SUV with a variety of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains.
From launch, we expect the second-generation Skoda Kodiaq to be available with both petrol and diesel mild-hybrid power, as well as a similar plug-in hybrid setup to the Golf GTE and its mechanical sibling, the Skoda Octavia iV hatchback. This comprises a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine alongside a 13kWh battery and electric motor.
In total, the hybrid Octavia produces 201bhp and can travel around 30 miles on electric power alone. Given the Kodiaq is a much larger and heavier vehicle than the Octavia, we could see these figures bumped-up to something matching the 242bhp output of the more-expensive VW. Regardless, a pure-electric range of around 30 miles would place the second-generation Kodiaq in-line with rivals such as the plug-in Kia Sorento and Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid.
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.
Spy photographs show test mules using the current Kodiaq model’s body, making it very difficult at this stage to pinpoint what the new model might look like. It’s much easier to predict what we’ll find on the inside of the new Kodiaq, however. Expect to see a similar dual-screen infotainment setup to the latest Golf, alongside Skoda’s usual smattering of Simply Clever features such as umbrellas built into the doors and sliding VarioFlex rear seats.
With rising inflation and production costs, we expect the next-generation Skoda Kodiaq to cost slightly more than its predecessor. Although, Skoda is renowned for offering superb value-for-money, so you can count on the fact that the new Kodiaq will still undercut the likes of the Peugeot 5008 and the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Keyword: New Skoda Kodiaq to get hybrid tech from Mk8 Volkswagen Golf