‘Remains the best driving Skoda’
The Kodiaq was a hit for Skoda and the second generation will be unveiled after the summer. We drove with it.
Everything is fully electric, so surely the new Kodiaq too?
No not yet. Yes, electrification is also very high on the priority list at Skoda, but the brand is not yet ready to completely say goodbye to its best-sellers with petrol engines. For example, a brand new Superb is on the program, but first there is a new Kodiaq. The car will be unveiled after the summer and the SUV will appear on the road from the first quarter of 2024. We could also go on the road with it. This to get a taste of what Skoda is planning with its success number. Because success, that’s what the Kodiaq had. With hundreds of thousands at a time, the SUV found its way to people looking for space and seven seats. The latter in particular is an option that is increasingly disappearing, all the more reason for Skoda to pay extra attention to it.
Twin headlights just like the new Scala
What does the car look like?
Despite the camouflage, there is already a lot to be said about it. The new Kodiaq is lower than its predecessor, keeps the same wheelbase, but is more than 6 centimeters longer. This makes it slightly more MPV than the first generation, similar to what Audi did with the second generation Q7. This is very noticeable in the third row of seats and in the trunk, which is a bizarre 910 liters with the second row of seats in use. In the meantime, it also feels like a Skoda Superb when we look at the legroom. The car is really bizarrely spacious for its segment, with which the first battle has already been made before we start driving. The cockpit of our prototype is still covered, but it is clear that the car will have a large high-placed touchscreen like the Enyaq, while physical rotary controls for volume and climate control will still be included. We also see a high, wide center tunnel with an extremely large amount of storage space. It benefits from the fact that the controls have been moved from the gearbox to the steering column.
No pictures of the interior, but count on a large high touchscreen, with separate controls for the climate control.
Will there be a little bit bigger engines in it?
Yes and no. While driving we can get acquainted with a number of different powertrains, including a 150 hp diesel and a 193 hp four-wheel drive diesel. The latter fits really sublimely well with the car thanks to the strong torque at low revs. It would be our recommendation, but unfortunately the Dutch importer will not supply diesel versions because the demand is no longer there in the Netherlands. Tax prices them out of the market. We have to make do with the 1.5 eTFSI mild hybrid engine with 150 hp, which we can also try briefly. A great engine, which has to work on the intermediate sprint to get momentum in the car. Especially with many people on board. A stronger 2.0 TFSI with 4WD will come, but also not to the Netherlands. A PHEV with 204 hp will follow later. This has the same 1.5 engine, but with more than 60 hp of electrical support. The battery measures a hefty 26 kWh, good for an electric range that will exceed 100 kilometers. Still quite unique in this segment. In addition, you can charge the battery with three phases up to 11 kW, but you can also supply it with power with 50 kW on the fast charger. No longer unique, but even with premium brands by no means self-evident. This combination of range and charging could significantly change the practical use of the PHEV as a car type. The car will not arrive until later in 2024 and we have not yet been able to drive it during this first introduction.
There is no 4WD version coming to the Netherlands
The previous Skoda Kodiaq was quite comfortable…
It remains that way, although it is noticeably tighter than before. The Kodiaqs without a plug that we are already trying show that the SUV will also remain the best driving Skoda in the future. The car has always had noticeably better handling than the Octavia and Superb of its generation and it will continue to do so. Thanks to new front and rear suspensions and improved dynamic damping, the car is noticeably tighter on the road without bumps coming through hard. It may be slightly less soft than its predecessor, which affects comfort. But blows are processed much better and the car is also noticeably quieter. The new Superb that is also coming will get a hard float on this Kodiaq for the title of “best Skoda on the market”. However, the car sometimes feels a bit heavy, which can have consequences for the PHEV, which will undoubtedly be 200-300 kilos heavier.
And the Kodiaq RS?
An RS model is also planned for the course of 2024, which will receive a 2.0 TFSI with 265 hp. It is also questionable whether that version will come to the Netherlands. The importer has not yet made a decision on this. It would not be a loss, the combination of RS and Kodiaq was not very happy until now… The fact that the 2.0 TDI is not coming is a greater disappointment. The curtain will come off after the summer, before it is at dealers it will be 2024.