Review: Skoda Kodiaq

About twenty-five years ago, I gathered with a group of girlfriends for a long weekend away, leaving behind our significant others and children.

We had so much fun that we decided to make it an annual event. Each winter, we would rent a cottage with a real fire or stove, creating a perfect opportunity to relax, indulge in good food and drinks, and enjoy long conversations.

In the beginning, we would stay up until the small hours of the morning, but now we can barely make it past 10 PM, leading us to informally rename our group to "Seven Ladies in Slippers."

This year, we chose Bridlington as our destination—a favorite spot we've returned to many times. Fortunately, I had a Skoda Kodiaq for the weekend. Although it’s a seven-seater, it would have been unrealistic to fit all of us along with our luggage, food, and drinks for four days.

However, it was spacious enough for five, and the other two joined us later. The Kodiaq performed brilliantly and was perfect for our trip.

Once we unloaded and flipped up the third row of seats, we were able to all travel together for the remainder of the weekend.

There’s nothing particularly radical about the design of the Kodiaq; it’s smart and stylish, and one of the easiest large SUVs to drive currently available.

Despite its size (4.8m long and 1.8m wide), it is remarkably easy to manoeuver. The rearview camera, along with front and rear sensors, makes parking accurate and safe.

The interior reflects the trend of new-generation vehicles with a minimalist design and a touchscreen that controls most functions.

An exception is the row of clever chunky buttons below the screen, which are used for volume control, driving modes, and climate settings.

A couple of nice features are worth mentioning, especially the abundance of USB ports. In addition to these, there is wireless charging for two smartphones, which is ventilated to keep them cool, along with a wireless link for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Kodiaq includes thoughtful details, such as a slot in the front door for an umbrella, an ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, and even a small cleaner for the touchscreen, all of which help Skoda stand out from the crowd.

It was refreshing to drive a diesel-powered vehicle for a change, and this two-litre Tdi engine is among the best. We achieved an average of 38 miles per gallon, which is close to the official figure of 45 mpg, and the 295 lb-ft of torque made climbing hills a breeze.

Like many vehicles in the Volkswagen family, the gear selector is located on a stalk on the steering wheel. Once you get used to it, this placement seems logical. I once had a 1956 Hillman Minx with a front bench seat and column gear change, and I thought it was a good idea back then as well.

Skoda Kodiaq Sportline

Price: £50,620 (£51,915 as tested)

Engine: Two-litre diesel

Power: 190bhp

Torque: 295 lb/ft

Transmission: Seven-speed DSG

Top speed: 134mph

0-62mph: 8 seconds

Economy: 44.1-45mpg

CO 2 emissions:165-168g/km