Skoda Kodiaq review
The Skoda Kodiaq is a huge, practical, and brilliantly clever large SUV that’s one of the best family cars you can buy.
Author: Charlie Harvey
15th Dec 2025 – 10 mins read
When it comes to moving a family and all their stuff, few cars do it better than the Skoda Kodiaq. It was Skoda’s first-ever seven-seater when it arrived in 2016, and it quickly set a new standard for large SUVs by offering massive space, smart features, and great value for money. It’s big, but it’s also clever. Inside, you’ll find a high-quality interior packed with thoughtful touches that make family life easier. It’s also surprisingly good to drive, feeling more like a smaller car on the road than its size suggests. Whether you need five seats and a cavernous boot or the flexibility of a seven-seater, the Kodiaq is a brilliant all-rounder that’s hard to fault.
Pros
- Hugely spacious and practical interior
- High-quality cabin that feels premium
- Comfortable and surprisingly good to drive
Cons
- Seven seats aren’t standard on all models
- Ride can be firm on the largest alloy wheels
- Some rivals offer hybrid engine options
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The Kodiaq’s dashboard is a masterclass in sensible, user-friendly design. It doesn’t try to wow you with flashy gimmicks; instead, it gives you a clean, logical layout where everything is easy to find and use. All versions come with a slick touchscreen infotainment system, typically 8 or 9.2 inches, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on more recent models. This makes connecting your phone for navigation and music an absolute breeze.
The build quality is fantastic, feeling more upmarket than you might expect. It’s full of high-quality materials that give it a genuinely premium feel, putting it on par with cars from more expensive brands. Features like dual-zone climate control and keyless entry are often included, making it feel very well-equipped.
Comfort
For a big SUV, the Kodiaq is wonderfully comfortable. The seats are supportive, perfect for long family road trips, and the driving position gives you a commanding view of the road. It cruises quietly on the motorway, and the suspension does a great job of smoothing out most bumps.
The only time it feels less than serene is on models with the largest 20-inch alloy wheels (like the SportLine and vRS), which can feel a bit firm over sharp potholes. For the most comfortable ride, versions with smaller wheels are the sweet spot.
Quality
This is an area where the Kodiaq really shines. The interior feels incredibly well put together, with soft-touch materials on the dashboard and doors. Everything you touch, from the steering wheel to the switchgear, has a solid, durable feel. It’s a cabin that feels ready to stand up to the toughest challenges of family life while still feeling like a special place to be.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
Space is the Kodiaq’s party piece. The interior is simply vast. There’s enormous amounts of head and legroom for passengers in the front and back. The second row of seats is particularly spacious, allowing three adults to sit comfortably side-by-side without feeling squashed. This makes it one of the most accommodating cars in its class.
As it’s a Skoda, you’ll also find lots of ‘Simply Clever’ features. These are small, thoughtful touches that make a big difference, like an ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, ticket holders on the windscreen, and umbrellas hidden in the front doors.
Boot space
The Kodiaq’s boot is gigantic. In the five-seat configuration, you get a massive 720 litres of space, which is more than enough for holiday luggage, sports equipment, or a very large dog. If you fold the rear seats down, this expands to a van-like 2,065 litres. You’ll probably run out of things to carry before you run out of space.
Versatility
Many Kodiaqs on the used market are seven-seaters. The third row of seats is perfect for children and usable for adults on shorter trips. When you don’t need them, they fold away neatly into the boot floor, leaving a flat, usable space. The second-row seats can slide and recline, allowing you to adjust the balance between passenger legroom and boot space. It’s this incredible flexibility that makes the Kodiaq such a brilliant family workhorse.
Driving
Driving experience
You might expect a car this big to feel like a bus to drive, but the Kodiaq will surprise you. It feels remarkably agile and easy to handle. The steering is light and direct, making it easy to navigate through town and park, while on the open road it feels stable and composed.
It manages to control its body roll well in corners, so it doesn't feel floaty or unwieldy like some large SUVs. It successfully combines the comfort you want for long journeys with a level of driver engagement that makes it more enjoyable than you might think. It’s one of the best-driving large SUVs you can get.
Performance
There’s a good range of petrol and diesel engines to suit different needs. The 1.5-litre TSI petrol with 148bhp is a great all-rounder, offering a good balance of performance and economy. For those wanting more punch, the 2.0-litre TSI petrol with 187bhp comes with four-wheel drive and feels effortlessly quick.
The 2.0-litre TDI diesel engines are perfect for drivers who cover a lot of miles or tow a caravan. They come in 148bhp or 197bhp forms and provide lots of pulling power. At the top of the range is the sporty vRS model. Early versions had a powerful twin-turbo diesel, while later models switched to a 242bhp petrol engine from the VW Golf GTI, making it a surprisingly fast family SUV.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
For such a large car, the Kodiaq’s running costs are very reasonable. The diesel engines are the most frugal choice for long-distance drivers. The 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI can officially return over 52mpg, which is impressive for a seven-seater.
The petrol engines are also quite efficient. The popular 1.5-litre TSI can achieve over 40mpg with careful driving. As you’d expect, the high-performance vRS model is the thirstiest, but that’s the trade-off for its speed. CO2 emissions are competitive across the range, so your annual car tax won't be excessive.
Value for money
The Kodiaq offers fantastic value. It was priced competitively when new, and on the used market, it represents a huge amount of car for the money. When you consider its space, quality, and generous equipment levels, it feels like a bargain compared to many premium-badged rivals. Its strong desirability also means it holds its value well.
Reliability & Warranty
Skoda has a brilliant reputation for building dependable cars, and the Kodiaq is no exception. It uses proven engines and technology from the wider Volkswagen Group and consistently scores well in owner satisfaction surveys. From new, it came with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is about standard for the industry.
Safety
Safety features
The Skoda Kodiaq was awarded a full five-star safety rating when tested by Euro NCAP, scoring highly for both adult and child occupant protection. It comes with a good level of safety kit as standard, including autonomous emergency braking on all models, which can help prevent a collision.
As you move up the trim levels, you can find more advanced features like adaptive cruise control, which maintains a set distance from the car in front, and lane-keeping assist. Full Matrix LED headlights, which light up the road without dazzling other drivers, are also available on higher-spec models.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The Kodiaq is available in a range of trim levels. SE is a great starting point, with 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, and rear parking sensors all included.
SE L is a popular choice as it adds seven seats as standard, along with larger 19-inch wheels, sat-nav, heated front seats, and an electric boot. The SportLine trim gives the Kodiaq a sportier look with black styling details, 20-inch wheels, and microsuede sports seats.
The luxurious L&K (Laurin & Klement) trim is named after Skoda’s founders and adds premium features like a panoramic sunroof, ventilated leather seats, and a premium sound system. Finally, the vRS is the high-performance flagship, with unique styling, sports seats, and the most powerful engines.
Engines
The engine lineup covers all bases. The petrol range includes a 1.5-litre TSI (148bhp) and a 2.0-litre TSI (187bhp). Both are smooth and refined, with the 1.5-litre being a great all-rounder and the 2.0-litre offering more power for those who need it.
The 2.0-litre TDI diesel is a strong choice for high-mileage drivers, available with either 148bhp or a more powerful 197bhp. These offer excellent torque for towing and long-distance cruising. The vRS model uses either a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel (on earlier models) or a 2.0-litre turbo petrol (on later ones) for hot-hatch-like performance in a family-friendly package. Many models are available with a smooth DSG automatic gearbox and the option of four-wheel drive.