Skoda Kodiaq – upwardly mobile

THERE are some pretty impressive vehicles making up the current Skoda passenger car roster, and none more so than the brand’s SUV flagship the Kodiaq.

Already a huge seller in the UK, the model’s number two worldwide market, the Kodiaq underwent some important changes earlier this year when second generation versions were launched.

The upshot is a model range that raises the bar already set high by its predecessor to a new upwardly mobile level.

Prices of course have risen – no surprise there – but the degree of quality, engineering excellence, design and thoughtful touches more than justifies the higher tab.

It means the entry grade five-seat Kodiaq SE starts at £37,860, though you can pay up to £52,595 for the performance flagship vRS model.

There’s an extensive line-up of cars too, with petrol, diesel, mild hybrid and PHEV plug-in hybrids available, two or four-wheel drive and all with twin-clutch DSG auto transmission.

Our tested five-seat 1.5-litre TSI petrol SE model, a four-cylinder mild hybrid, represents genuine value for money and despite being the base level car nonetheless offers a comprehensive amount of standard kit and useful features.

As well as the three trim grades of SE, SE L and SportLine the Kodiaq also provides a choice of four material and colour designs – first seen on the all-electric Enyaq – our test car featuring the Loft selection with its grey recycled fabric seat upholstery.

Inside there’s plenty of space and bags of comfort, which is realistically more important to families than performance, with sufficient space for five and an upmarket feel to the fixtures and fittings.

Boot space is improved with a capacity of 910 litres with the rear seats upright and 2,105 litres with them folded, while customers opting for seven-seat models get 340 litres with all seats upright and 2,035 litres folded.

And stowage sees a pair of gloveboxes, deep door bins in the doors, an armrest container plus a centre console housing two ventilated smartphone charging pads and a total of three USB-C sockets. Another pair of sockets are located in rear, where there are also climate controls.

As for tech, there’s loads of it as well as several of Skoda’s much appreciated Simply Clever features.

All models come with a 10.25-inch driver’s display controlled via the steering wheel and a 13-inch free-standing infotainment touchscreen from which most of the car’s functions can be accessed.

It is straightforward and easy to use as are the three configurable Smart Dials for controlling ventilation, volume, driving modes and other comfort functions.

Simply Clever has long proved a valuable additional selling point for Skoda and in the case of the Kodiaq there are several features for providing smart solutions to everyday problems.

An ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, brolley discreetly hidden in a door panel, smartphone holder pocket in the front seat and there’s also a screen cleaner for wiping marks off the display.

The 1.5-litre Kodiaq develops 148bhp, so you’re looking at 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds but then this model is unashamedly more about comfort and practicality than performance.

At the same time it’s handily economic and while we were unable to match the official fuel consumption figure of 44.5mpg, much of our driving was in urban conditions and with four people aboard.

There’s no doubt the Kodiaq is a stylish, well made, comfortable and extremely practical mid-size SUV, and in entry-level SE guise it’s more than a match for its many rivals.