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Top Gear reviews the Skoda Kodiaq. A Top Gear award winner in 2016, but how will Skoda's big crossover fare in the competitive SUV market? Review inside.

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Skoda’s most desirable family car enters a bold second generation. New styling tinsel hides an otherwise evolutionary step

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Skoda’s most desirable family car enters a bold second generation. New styling tinsel hides an otherwise evolutionary step

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
Skoda’s most desirable family car enters a bold second generation. New styling tinsel hides an otherwise evolutionary step

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content.description
Skoda’s most desirable family car enters a bold second generation. New styling tinsel hides an otherwise evolutionary step

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"description":"Skoda’s most desirable family car enters a bold second generation. New styling tinsel hides an otherwise evolutionary step"

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Its Tiguan cousin proves that making a tall, heavy SUV handle keenly comes with consequences. Thus Skoda has taken the Kodiaq in a different direction, allowing it to roll and lean more. This makes it much comfier, and while the trade-off is a car that isn’t quite as sharp, we suspect this won’t be even slightly a concern when every one of those seats is filled with kids Haribo’d up to the nines.

The steering lacks feel, and while roll through turns is predictable enough, take too much speed and the Kodiaq bobs up and down in tight corners which leads to understeer. Again... do you really care about that? Sacrificing handling for comfort is totally worth it here.

Can I have the best of both worlds?

You can! DCC+ chassis control lies on the options list and Skoda expects around a third of buyers to go for it. It brings 15-stage adaptive suspension as well as a mixture of different drive modes for steering weight and engine response, which you’ll adjust neatly with the new central ‘smart dials’ (see the Interior tab). Crucially it tightens up the body roll, making the handling that bit more predictable. Happy days.

Don’t spec DCC+ and you can’t adjust anything at all – a cost-saving measure, or Skoda appreciating most people don’t bother – but the Kodiaq still steers with clarity and rides as well as you need it to. Our inner car nerd would still like the option to fiddle, though...

Ride quality does drop as you climb up towards 20in wheels (which naturally fill the arches best from an aesthetic point of view) but on the whole, this is a car that smoothes out urban roads better than most rivals.

Kodiaq Mk2 has a 10 per cent slipperier aero profile than before (a drag coefficient of 0.28 vs 0.32) but this has been used to improve refinement inside rather than carve out blockbuster acceleration times. And it’s worked: this is a serene and placid place to be during a motorway cruise. Each of its engines make themselves known quite vocally when pushed harder, mind, encouraging the smoother, more considered driving style more appropriate to family shuttling.

Which of those engines should I go for?

The entry-level 1.5-litre petrol and the less powerful diesel feel strong enough if you aren’t frequently five (or seven) up inside. They achieve 0-62mph in 9.7 and 9.6 seconds apiece - acceleration that feels adequate, but no more than that - though expect their flexibility to be stretched with heavier loads. Both work with their seven-speed DSG transmission well, and while there’s a bit of kickdown lag when you decide to get a shift on (pun intended), you can take manual control with the paddles behind the wheel.

Upgrading to the punchier petrol and diesel with 4x4 capability cuts around 1.5-2.0s from the 0-62mph times (7.5s and 8.0s respectively) while adding another 400-550kg of towing capacity (for 2,350kg and 2,400kg maximums).

What about the PHEV?

The plug-in hybrid is your go to if you’re on a company car scheme. The petrol and e-motor feel very neatly integrated and the handover between them is broadly very smooth. The engine makes a din when you stamp your foot all the way to the throttle stop, but it’s simply a clue you’re driving it wrong.

Smoother driving (and the Eco and Comfort modes if you’ve specced DCC+) keep the petrol unit schtum for longer and with prudent acceleration you can get comfortably up to motorway speeds on EV power alone. You’ll get around 3.0mi/kWh out of the Kodiaq, which is reasonable for a PHEV, but you’ll get massively more value out of it if you can charge at home rather than using the fast charging station. We love that you can now do 50 miles plus on electric power alone, though.

There are three levels of brake regen adjusted through the touchscreen, albeit via a handy shortcut, so it’s not too distracting. It’s best in High, when it assertively slows the car almost to a halt, and less convincing in Low or Auto. It’s a shame this can’t be adjusted via those new central smart dials, but no biggie. A software update or future facelift might fix that.

And the vRS?

Ah yes. Beneath the bonnet it gets the VW Group’s familiar ‘EA888’ 262bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four pot petrol, with its 295bhp of torque the highest of any combustion powered production Skoda to date.

That results in a zero to 62mph time of 6.4 seconds and a Vmax of 143mph, not that you’ll get anywhere near that. Bigger brakes help keep everything under control, but otherwise changes over the standard Kodiaq are seemingly kept to surface level only.

And so it proves. Sure it’s slightly quicker, but the progressive steering, steering wheel paddles (which allow you to manually control gearshifts, though it’ll still auto upshift once you hit the redline) and the 15-stage adaptive suspension are as per the regular car. And the brake pedal still lacks any kind of feel too.

In fact, faux engine noise aside – far from the worst we’ve heard – it’s barely any more engaging and no more rewarding to drive, giving little reason to buy. You can read our full thoughts by clicking these blue words here.

How’s fuel economy?

Decent for a car this big. We got 45mpg from the 1.5 petrol and 42mpg from the littlest 2.0 diesel: the caveat for the latter was that we were a) on stop-start country roads, and b) not going out of our way to be gentle with the throttle. At a motorway cruise, we’d expect something closer to the claimed figure.

We saw just 32mpg in the performance focused vRS. Another reason to steer clear.

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.processed
Its Tiguan cousin proves that making a tall, heavy SUV handle keenly comes with consequences. Thus Skoda has taken the Kodiaq in a different direction, allowing it to roll and lean more. This makes it much comfier, and while the trade-off is a car that isn’t quite as sharp, we suspect this won’t be even slightly a concern when every one of those seats is filled with kids Haribo’d up to the nines.

The steering lacks feel, and while roll through turns is predictable enough, take too much speed and the Kodiaq bobs up and down in tight corners which leads to understeer. Again... do you really care about that? Sacrificing handling for comfort is totally worth it here.

Can I have the best of both worlds?

You can! DCC+ chassis control lies on the options list and Skoda expects around a third of buyers to go for it. It brings 15-stage adaptive suspension as well as a mixture of different drive modes for steering weight and engine response, which you’ll adjust neatly with the new central ‘smart dials’ (see the Interior tab). Crucially it tightens up the body roll, making the handling that bit more predictable. Happy days.

Don’t spec DCC+ and you can’t adjust anything at all – a cost-saving measure, or Skoda appreciating most people don’t bother – but the Kodiaq still steers with clarity and rides as well as you need it to. Our inner car nerd would still like the option to fiddle, though...

Ride quality does drop as you climb up towards 20in wheels (which naturally fill the arches best from an aesthetic point of view) but on the whole, this is a car that smoothes out urban roads better than most rivals.

Kodiaq Mk2 has a 10 per cent slipperier aero profile than before (a drag coefficient of 0.28 vs 0.32) but this has been used to improve refinement inside rather than carve out blockbuster acceleration times. And it’s worked: this is a serene and placid place to be during a motorway cruise. Each of its engines make themselves known quite vocally when pushed harder, mind, encouraging the smoother, more considered driving style more appropriate to family shuttling.

Which of those engines should I go for?

The entry-level 1.5-litre petrol and the less powerful diesel feel strong enough if you aren’t frequently five (or seven) up inside. They achieve 0-62mph in 9.7 and 9.6 seconds apiece - acceleration that feels adequate, but no more than that - though expect their flexibility to be stretched with heavier loads. Both work with their seven-speed DSG transmission well, and while there’s a bit of kickdown lag when you decide to get a shift on (pun intended), you can take manual control with the paddles behind the wheel.

Upgrading to the punchier petrol and diesel with 4x4 capability cuts around 1.5-2.0s from the 0-62mph times (7.5s and 8.0s respectively) while adding another 400-550kg of towing capacity (for 2,350kg and 2,400kg maximums).

What about the PHEV?

The plug-in hybrid is your go to if you’re on a company car scheme. The petrol and e-motor feel very neatly integrated and the handover between them is broadly very smooth. The engine makes a din when you stamp your foot all the way to the throttle stop, but it’s simply a clue you’re driving it wrong.

Smoother driving (and the Eco and Comfort modes if you’ve specced DCC+) keep the petrol unit schtum for longer and with prudent acceleration you can get comfortably up to motorway speeds on EV power alone. You’ll get around 3.0mi/kWh out of the Kodiaq, which is reasonable for a PHEV, but you’ll get massively more value out of it if you can charge at home rather than using the fast charging station. We love that you can now do 50 miles plus on electric power alone, though.

There are three levels of brake regen adjusted through the touchscreen, albeit via a handy shortcut, so it’s not too distracting. It’s best in High, when it assertively slows the car almost to a halt, and less convincing in Low or Auto. It’s a shame this can’t be adjusted via those new central smart dials, but no biggie. A software update or future facelift might fix that.

And the vRS?

Ah yes. Beneath the bonnet it gets the VW Group’s familiar ‘EA888’ 262bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four pot petrol, with its 295bhp of torque the highest of any combustion powered production Skoda to date.

That results in a zero to 62mph time of 6.4 seconds and a Vmax of 143mph, not that you’ll get anywhere near that. Bigger brakes help keep everything under control, but otherwise changes over the standard Kodiaq are seemingly kept to surface level only.

And so it proves. Sure it’s slightly quicker, but the progressive steering, steering wheel paddles (which allow you to manually control gearshifts, though it’ll still auto upshift once you hit the redline) and the 15-stage adaptive suspension are as per the regular car. And the brake pedal still lacks any kind of feel too.

In fact, faux engine noise aside – far from the worst we’ve heard – it’s barely any more engaging and no more rewarding to drive, giving little reason to buy. You can read our full thoughts by clicking these blue words here.

How’s fuel economy?

Decent for a car this big. We got 45mpg from the 1.5 petrol and 42mpg from the littlest 2.0 diesel: the caveat for the latter was that we were a) on stop-start country roads, and b) not going out of our way to be gentle with the throttle. At a motorway cruise, we’d expect something closer to the claimed figure.

We saw just 32mpg in the performance focused vRS. Another reason to steer clear.

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Skoda Kodiaq review: Skoda's biggest SUV is better than ever

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The Kodiaq has grown marginally in length over its predecessor but retained the same 2.8m wheelbase. Which means rear legroom for second-row passengers borderlines on absurd, as per the Skoda standard. The rearmost seats still feel best suited to kids or a brisk run back from the pub for grownups, although headroom has increased everywhere.

Boot space with all seven seats in place rises much more notably to 340 litres, which is broadly what you get in a VW Golf. A small gain in overall size seems to have yielded a larger leap in practicality.

That climbs to around 900 litres as you flip down the third-row seats – or it’s there all the time if you’ve stuck with a five-seater – and rises to over 2,000 litres with the middle row folded. Wowee. Go for a hybrid and the figures all take a hit, but 745 litres with the middle seats up and 1,945 with them folded is hardly shabby.

What about quality?

Skoda has gone big on sustainable materials, with many of the fabrics made of recycled plastic bottles. Choose leather and its tanning process has been done via coffee bean waste in place of nasty chemicals. But rather than plunge the interior into the prosaism of Skodas past, it lifts the atmosphere yet further. These materials look cool, feel intriguing and bring a new and welcome ambience. Skoda has made good quality interiors for years, but they’ve occasionally felt like a dark cave of black plastic. With the right spec flourishes, it’s a lot airier in here.

Optional massaging seats lift the mood again, as do the standard ‘smart dials’ mentioned earlier. Sitting ahead of where the gear lever used to be, these intuitively toggle through (and then adjust) air con temperature and fan speed, heated and vented seats, audio volume, map zoom and drive modes (if you’ve specced DCC+). You can choose which functions they contain via a touchscreen menu, ensuring they’re as comprehensive or simple as you like.

How does it compare to a Tiguan?

It feels a cut above, truth be told. We already preferred the Kodiaq in this segment and the gulf has perhaps widened further. Skoda’s pragmatism has extended to a steering wheel just like that of later Mk1 Kodiaqs, with buttons and scrollers ensuring you’ll operate all core features with nary a flick of your eyes from the road.

Once you’ve remembered the wipers are on the left-hand side now, of course. Luckily the new gear selection stalk twists rather than moves up and down, so it’s very difficult (though not impossible) to flick it into neutral as you hurriedly reach for rapid wiping speeds in a rainstorm.

Like the Tiguan, the Kodiaq’s voice command system now incorporates ChatGPT AI. Like the Tiguan, it’s currently a work in progress and we couldn’t get it to do much beyond what most voice systems on the market already muster. One to revisit.

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.processed
The Kodiaq has grown marginally in length over its predecessor but retained the same 2.8m wheelbase. Which means rear legroom for second-row passengers borderlines on absurd, as per the Skoda standard. The rearmost seats still feel best suited to kids or a brisk run back from the pub for grownups, although headroom has increased everywhere.

Boot space with all seven seats in place rises much more notably to 340 litres, which is broadly what you get in a VW Golf. A small gain in overall size seems to have yielded a larger leap in practicality.

That climbs to around 900 litres as you flip down the third-row seats – or it’s there all the time if you’ve stuck with a five-seater – and rises to over 2,000 litres with the middle row folded. Wowee. Go for a hybrid and the figures all take a hit, but 745 litres with the middle seats up and 1,945 with them folded is hardly shabby.

What about quality?

Skoda has gone big on sustainable materials, with many of the fabrics made of recycled plastic bottles. Choose leather and its tanning process has been done via coffee bean waste in place of nasty chemicals. But rather than plunge the interior into the prosaism of Skodas past, it lifts the atmosphere yet further. These materials look cool, feel intriguing and bring a new and welcome ambience. Skoda has made good quality interiors for years, but they’ve occasionally felt like a dark cave of black plastic. With the right spec flourishes, it’s a lot airier in here.

Optional massaging seats lift the mood again, as do the standard ‘smart dials’ mentioned earlier. Sitting ahead of where the gear lever used to be, these intuitively toggle through (and then adjust) air con temperature and fan speed, heated and vented seats, audio volume, map zoom and drive modes (if you’ve specced DCC+). You can choose which functions they contain via a touchscreen menu, ensuring they’re as comprehensive or simple as you like.

How does it compare to a Tiguan?

It feels a cut above, truth be told. We already preferred the Kodiaq in this segment and the gulf has perhaps widened further. Skoda’s pragmatism has extended to a steering wheel just like that of later Mk1 Kodiaqs, with buttons and scrollers ensuring you’ll operate all core features with nary a flick of your eyes from the road.

Once you’ve remembered the wipers are on the left-hand side now, of course. Luckily the new gear selection stalk twists rather than moves up and down, so it’s very difficult (though not impossible) to flick it into neutral as you hurriedly reach for rapid wiping speeds in a rainstorm.

Like the Tiguan, the Kodiaq’s voice command system now incorporates ChatGPT AI. Like the Tiguan, it’s currently a work in progress and we couldn’t get it to do much beyond what most voice systems on the market already muster. One to revisit.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.value
Prices now start at £38,140 for a base Kodiaq SE in 148bhp petrol form. Add £860 if you want this to have the third row of seats, or £2,290 if you’d rather have an identically powered diesel engine. Lease costs start at £380 and £415 respectively.

The more powerful Kodiaq 4x4 variants require you to step up to SE L trim, and cost from £46,350 in petrol and £48,120 in diesel guise. There you’re looking at an extra £135 and £100 in monthly repayments over the same four-year term.

Meanwhile the plug-in hybrid (which is available in base SE trim) will set you back from £42,045, but company car drivers will love it for its six per cent BIK rate. Less so much the vRS, which starts from £53,650. Yikes.

What's the kit list like?

Equipment is strong. The 13in central touchscreen, 10.25in digital dash and tri-zone climate control are all standard, as are heated front seats and keyless start (if not keyless entry, weirdly). You get 18in alloys and front and rear LED lights, too, as well as a tonne of active safety stuff.

Optional are a host of smart parking systems that will remotely park the car via an app, as well as remember common manoeuvres at places it recognises.

Upgrading to SE L spec brings larger 19in wheels, keyless entry, multi-talented LED matrix lights up front, leather seats inside plus electrical operation for the driver’s seat and boot opening, while one above Sportline trim comes with 20in wheels, upgraded suspension, sportier body kit, adaptive cruise control and microsuede interior trim.

The top level vRS gets a front light strip, gloss black body detailing, 20in black alloys, two-piston gloss red calipers and stainless steel exhaust tips. Step inside and you’ll find sporty vRS-branded steering wheel and seats, black upholstery and headlining, much red stitching and stainless steel pedals.

Which one should I pick?

The UK is the Kodiaq’s second most voracious market behind Germany and ahead of Skoda’s Czech homeland. The pressures of company car schemes suggest many buyers here will go for the plug-in hybrid.

As a private buyer, we'd be tempted to stick to simple internal combustion to save money and weight. The 148bhp mild-hybrid in SE trim ought to be enough while the diesels feel right on point for comfort and ease of use.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.processed
Prices now start at £38,140 for a base Kodiaq SE in 148bhp petrol form. Add £860 if you want this to have the third row of seats, or £2,290 if you’d rather have an identically powered diesel engine. Lease costs start at £380 and £415 respectively.

The more powerful Kodiaq 4x4 variants require you to step up to SE L trim, and cost from £46,350 in petrol and £48,120 in diesel guise. There you’re looking at an extra £135 and £100 in monthly repayments over the same four-year term.

Meanwhile the plug-in hybrid (which is available in base SE trim) will set you back from £42,045, but company car drivers will love it for its six per cent BIK rate. Less so much the vRS, which starts from £53,650. Yikes.

What's the kit list like?

Equipment is strong. The 13in central touchscreen, 10.25in digital dash and tri-zone climate control are all standard, as are heated front seats and keyless start (if not keyless entry, weirdly). You get 18in alloys and front and rear LED lights, too, as well as a tonne of active safety stuff.

Optional are a host of smart parking systems that will remotely park the car via an app, as well as remember common manoeuvres at places it recognises.

Upgrading to SE L spec brings larger 19in wheels, keyless entry, multi-talented LED matrix lights up front, leather seats inside plus electrical operation for the driver’s seat and boot opening, while one above Sportline trim comes with 20in wheels, upgraded suspension, sportier body kit, adaptive cruise control and microsuede interior trim.

The top level vRS gets a front light strip, gloss black body detailing, 20in black alloys, two-piston gloss red calipers and stainless steel exhaust tips. Step inside and you’ll find sporty vRS-branded steering wheel and seats, black upholstery and headlining, much red stitching and stainless steel pedals.

Which one should I pick?

The UK is the Kodiaq’s second most voracious market behind Germany and ahead of Skoda’s Czech homeland. The pressures of company car schemes suggest many buyers here will go for the plug-in hybrid.

As a private buyer, we'd be tempted to stick to simple internal combustion to save money and weight. The 148bhp mild-hybrid in SE trim ought to be enough while the diesels feel right on point for comfort and ease of use.

# data.attributes.field_cars_stand_first
The first Kodiaq was Skoda’s best ever car... this new one ups the ante with big PHEV e-range and a vRS model

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.value
The Kodiaq was arguably Skoda’s best ever car and a huge seller. No pressure in replacing it, then.

It feels like they’ve nailed the brief. In all key areas – practicality, interior sensibility and driving comfort – it's just like the car before it, but with marginal improvements. A bit more space, new but well-integrated tech and a plug-in powertrain that drags Skoda into the electrification game.

Skoda seems to have avoided the trap some rivals fall into by allowing the natural physics of taller SUVs to play out, bringing less tension to the driving experience. Yet it still handles smartly and offers that appealingly high viewpoint without feeling any bulkier than many estate cars. It trumps most of them for space, too, with a colossal boot in most seating arrangements and the luggage capacity of a regular hatchback with all seven seats in place. It’s pricier than before and doesn’t look as chiselled… otherwise it’s pretty hard to criticise.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.processed
The Kodiaq was arguably Skoda’s best ever car and a huge seller. No pressure in replacing it, then.

It feels like they’ve nailed the brief. In all key areas – practicality, interior sensibility and driving comfort – it's just like the car before it, but with marginal improvements. A bit more space, new but well-integrated tech and a plug-in powertrain that drags Skoda into the electrification game.

Skoda seems to have avoided the trap some rivals fall into by allowing the natural physics of taller SUVs to play out, bringing less tension to the driving experience. Yet it still handles smartly and offers that appealingly high viewpoint without feeling any bulkier than many estate cars. It trumps most of them for space, too, with a colossal boot in most seating arrangements and the luggage capacity of a regular hatchback with all seven seats in place. It’s pricier than before and doesn’t look as chiselled… otherwise it’s pretty hard to criticise.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_against
Prices have risen, new looks might not appeal to all

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_for
Huge choice of powertrains, hugely practical, hugely spacious

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_text
It handles smartly... without feeling any bulkier than many estate cars. It trumps most of them for space, too.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.value
One of the most rounded cars on sale has entered its second generation. It’s fair to say we adored the old Kodiaq, lavishing it with praise and awards. Skoda’s coming-of-age tale probably reached its exciting climax in 2016 when the first-gen car launched, in fact.

Here was a seven-seat SUV that could send shivers down a Land Rover Discovery’s spine at a fraction of the cost, bringing quality trim, sharp dynamics and a nicely chiselled style to a surprisingly niche sector. Sure, five-seat SUVs have long since swarmed our streets. But properly practical seven-seaters are much rarer. This was among the very best.

You wouldn’t blame Skoda for deploying a modest facelift and declaring this a new car, afraid to mess up a good thing. On appearances alone, you might deduce as much: for all the talk of a new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, its bold front lighting strip and a new iteration of the Skoda badge, this keeps the general Kodiaq aesthetic and moves it on a furlong.

While those big wraparound rear lights, silver rear pillars and a lick of fresh Bronx Gold (aka glamorous brown) paint all add a bit of tinsel, anyone who’s traded in the old one ought to feel reasonably at home as they glance out the bedroom window seizing their last moment of peace before school run bedlam commences.

So what is new?

It’s actually a decent overhaul and naturally battery power has reared its head, a first in the Kodiaq. Sharing much beneath the skin with the latest Volkswagen Tiguan (albeit with more distance than the latest-gen Superb and Passat) you’ve a choice of pure petrol and diesels – yes, diesels! – while a plug-in hybrid is primed and ready to hoover up all the company car sales with its low CO2 emissions. Fully electric propulsion continues to be dealt with by the bespoke Enyaq crossover.

The pure petrols consist of a 148bhp 1.5-litre with mild-hybrid tech (for a little extra efficiency without any additional complication for the driver) and a 201bhp 2.0-litre with AWD, while the 2.0-litre diesels are split between a 148bhp tune with front-wheel drive and a 190bhp option with AWD. Skoda claims fuel economy of 47.4mpg with petrol power and 53.2mpg if you’ve gone diesel (those numbers are for five-seaters, the heavier seven-seater is thirstier).

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) takes the 1.5-litre petrol engine and combines it with an e-motor and 25.7kWh battery for 201bhp and - brace yourself - 75 miles of official electric range. That works out at 50 to 60 miles in practice, but it’s still a worthwhile chunk of range and you don’t really suffer from running just on electric, where other PHEVs can get wheezy.

The Kodiaq can even charge at 40kW using CCS fast chargers (10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes) and up to 11kW on wall boxes and street chargers (you can fill it from zero in two and a half hours on a fast enough plug). Sadly the PHEV tech means five seats only, which is a bit of a shame.

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Top of the tree is the more potent 262bhp 2.0-litre Kodiaq vRS (as pictured above), which shares its powertrain with the Skoda Octavia vRS plus VW’s Golf GTI and Tiguan and gains an extra 20bhp over its predecessor. Gets the full seven seats, too.

Not a whole lot different in the looks department, is it? And it’s a similar story underneath, where – power boost aside – changes are few and far between over the upper spec Kodiaq. TL;DR, is doesn't quite live up to the promise of that badge. More on why on the Driving tab.

All powertrains have four cylinders and come with a DSG automatic twin-clutch transmission.

No more manuals?

Nope: apparently only three per cent of buyers settled for a stick-shift in the outgoing car. And that’s been used as an opportunity for a spring clean inside. Further proving its leap over the first Skodiaq is a newly airy centre console. Gone is a traditional gear lever or selector, with your flick between park, drive and reverse now done via the right-hand column stalk. The indicators and wipers are combined on the left.

[node:field_onward_journey_card-themed]

It frees up more space for clever cubbyholes – a Skoda party piece – and phone storage, including a pair of smart ventilated wireless charging pads to stop your precious device cooking. The central display screen measures 13in and is complemented by 10in digital instruments. Most exciting of all, though, is a row of three ‘smart dials’ that can cycle between volume, driving modes or – hurrah! – the climate control. The interior looks as digitalised as any other fresh VW Group product, but Skoda’s not forgotten some good ol’ pragmatism. Phew.

It sounds posher. Does it cost it?

Prices are up several grand on its predecessor, starting at £38,140 for a five-seat SE with the entry-level 1.5 petrol. Diesel adds another couple of grand while seven-seater status is an £860 upgrade. Posher SE L trim tips the starting price past the £40k marker and is the cheapest way to get a Kodiaq 4x4 at £46k, while the PHEV starts from £42k. You’re looking at over £50k for the vRS. That really is rarefied air for a Skoda.

All told, it’s priced very closely to its Tiguan cousin but appears to offer simpler spec levels and more standard kit as well as a more thoughtful design. Skoda has shifted over 800,000 Kodiaqs in the first-gen car’s eight-year lifespan. Expect the millionth car to come around in very short order.

And if I want seven seats, but not the Skoda badge?

Think along the lines of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Peugeot 5008, Seat Tarraco, Nissan X-Trail, Kia Sorento and Mercedes GLB. Note that the Hyundai and Kia come with seven-seat hybrid options, while the Peugeot has an electric seven-seater version of the 5008, likewise Mercedes and its EQB. Heck, there’s even the Dacia Jogger if you’re on a really tight budget. Land Rover of course has the Disco and Disco Sport.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.processed
One of the most rounded cars on sale has entered its second generation. It’s fair to say we adored the old Kodiaq, lavishing it with praise and awards. Skoda’s coming-of-age tale probably reached its exciting climax in 2016 when the first-gen car launched, in fact.

Here was a seven-seat SUV that could send shivers down a Land Rover Discovery’s spine at a fraction of the cost, bringing quality trim, sharp dynamics and a nicely chiselled style to a surprisingly niche sector. Sure, five-seat SUVs have long since swarmed our streets. But properly practical seven-seaters are much rarer. This was among the very best.

You wouldn’t blame Skoda for deploying a modest facelift and declaring this a new car, afraid to mess up a good thing. On appearances alone, you might deduce as much: for all the talk of a new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, its bold front lighting strip and a new iteration of the Skoda badge, this keeps the general Kodiaq aesthetic and moves it on a furlong.

While those big wraparound rear lights, silver rear pillars and a lick of fresh Bronx Gold (aka glamorous brown) paint all add a bit of tinsel, anyone who’s traded in the old one ought to feel reasonably at home as they glance out the bedroom window seizing their last moment of peace before school run bedlam commences.

So what is new?

It’s actually a decent overhaul and naturally battery power has reared its head, a first in the Kodiaq. Sharing much beneath the skin with the latest Volkswagen Tiguan (albeit with more distance than the latest-gen Superb and Passat) you’ve a choice of pure petrol and diesels – yes, diesels! – while a plug-in hybrid is primed and ready to hoover up all the company car sales with its low CO2 emissions. Fully electric propulsion continues to be dealt with by the bespoke Enyaq crossover.

The pure petrols consist of a 148bhp 1.5-litre with mild-hybrid tech (for a little extra efficiency without any additional complication for the driver) and a 201bhp 2.0-litre with AWD, while the 2.0-litre diesels are split between a 148bhp tune with front-wheel drive and a 190bhp option with AWD. Skoda claims fuel economy of 47.4mpg with petrol power and 53.2mpg if you’ve gone diesel (those numbers are for five-seaters, the heavier seven-seater is thirstier).

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) takes the 1.5-litre petrol engine and combines it with an e-motor and 25.7kWh battery for 201bhp and - brace yourself - 75 miles of official electric range. That works out at 50 to 60 miles in practice, but it’s still a worthwhile chunk of range and you don’t really suffer from running just on electric, where other PHEVs can get wheezy.

The Kodiaq can even charge at 40kW using CCS fast chargers (10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes) and up to 11kW on wall boxes and street chargers (you can fill it from zero in two and a half hours on a fast enough plug). Sadly the PHEV tech means five seats only, which is a bit of a shame.

Top of the tree is the more potent 262bhp 2.0-litre Kodiaq vRS (as pictured above), which shares its powertrain with the Skoda Octavia vRS plus VW’s Golf GTI and Tiguan and gains an extra 20bhp over its predecessor. Gets the full seven seats, too.

Not a whole lot different in the looks department, is it? And it’s a similar story underneath, where – power boost aside – changes are few and far between over the upper spec Kodiaq. TL;DR, is doesn't quite live up to the promise of that badge. More on why on the Driving tab.

All powertrains have four cylinders and come with a DSG automatic twin-clutch transmission.

No more manuals?

Nope: apparently only three per cent of buyers settled for a stick-shift in the outgoing car. And that’s been used as an opportunity for a spring clean inside. Further proving its leap over the first Skodiaq is a newly airy centre console. Gone is a traditional gear lever or selector, with your flick between park, drive and reverse now done via the right-hand column stalk. The indicators and wipers are combined on the left.

It frees up more space for clever cubbyholes – a Skoda party piece – and phone storage, including a pair of smart ventilated wireless charging pads to stop your precious device cooking. The central display screen measures 13in and is complemented by 10in digital instruments. Most exciting of all, though, is a row of three ‘smart dials’ that can cycle between volume, driving modes or – hurrah! – the climate control. The interior looks as digitalised as any other fresh VW Group product, but Skoda’s not forgotten some good ol’ pragmatism. Phew.

It sounds posher. Does it cost it?

Prices are up several grand on its predecessor, starting at £38,140 for a five-seat SE with the entry-level 1.5 petrol. Diesel adds another couple of grand while seven-seater status is an £860 upgrade. Posher SE L trim tips the starting price past the £40k marker and is the cheapest way to get a Kodiaq 4x4 at £46k, while the PHEV starts from £42k. You’re looking at over £50k for the vRS. That really is rarefied air for a Skoda.

All told, it’s priced very closely to its Tiguan cousin but appears to offer simpler spec levels and more standard kit as well as a more thoughtful design. Skoda has shifted over 800,000 Kodiaqs in the first-gen car’s eight-year lifespan. Expect the millionth car to come around in very short order.

And if I want seven seats, but not the Skoda badge?

Think along the lines of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Peugeot 5008, Seat Tarraco, Nissan X-Trail, Kia Sorento and Mercedes GLB. Note that the Hyundai and Kia come with seven-seat hybrid options, while the Peugeot has an electric seven-seater version of the 5008, likewise Mercedes and its EQB. Heck, there’s even the Dacia Jogger if you’re on a really tight budget. Land Rover of course has the Disco and Disco Sport.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_we_say
Skoda’s most desirable family car enters a bold second generation. New styling tinsel hides an otherwise evolutionary step

# data.attributes.field_cars_wildcard_text
Need an even more massive Skoda with fewer seats for a brood? The Superb Estate is a very fine machine.