Skoda’s family SUV enters its second generation and flexes its common-sense muscles even tighter
Stuart Milne stuart.milne@haymarket.com
MARCH
YOU WOULDN’T ENVY the design team behind the new Skoda Kodiaq, because to make it better than the brilliant original was always going to take a Herculean effort. Six years after it was launched, it’s still one of our favourite seven-seaters.
However, as rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Peugeot 5008 get stronger, so too must the Kodiaq. As such, the second-generation car features a smart new look and a slight increase in length to boost interior space, but retains large windows, for good all-round visibility.
Boot space grows to 910 litres; that’s 75 litres bigger than in the current car, which can accept an impressive nine carry-on suitcases in its load bay. Seven-seat models sacrifice a bit of boot space, though.
The new car also gains additional interior storage space; for the first time in a Skoda, the gear selector is on the steering column, freeing up an extra 2.1 litres for odds and ends in the centre console.
The engine range includes 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre petrols, plus a 2.0-litre diesel. A new plug-in hybrid version is capable of up to 62 all-electric miles, and a performance-orientated vRS model will be offered. In an early drive of a prototype, we found the engines punchy and quiet, the ride smooth and the steering sharp.
Of equal importance is that the Kodiaq offers the same intuitive 13.0in infotainment screen as the Enyaq. In fact, it’s easier to use in the Kodiaq, in which it’s complemented by physical controls for the air-con and other frequently used features. And, continuing Skoda’s trend for novel features, the Kodiaq has a device like a whiteboard cleaner to wipe fingerprints from its touchscreen.
Want more details on any of these upcoming new cars, or to find out what else is due to arrive in 2024?
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai hasn’t so much taken a leaf as borrowed an entire chapter from Land Rover’s design book for its new Santa Fe, which is intended to steal sales from such premium models as the BMW X5 and Land Rover Discovery. Conventional and plug-in hybrid power will be offered via updated versions of the outgoing car’s engines.
Mini Countryman
Bigger is better, the old saying tells us, and MIni apparently agrees when i
