Skoda Kodiaq

• Report 1: Meet our new long-term Skoda Kodiaq
• Report 2: 2000 miles across France in our Kodiaq
• Report 3: Our Kodiaq develops an issue
• Report 4: We welcome back...another Kodiaq
• Report 5: 6 is a crowd
• Report 6: It's all in the detail
• Report 7: Should you buy the Kodiaq PHEV instead?
• Report 8: It's a fond(ish) farewell to our Skoda Kodiaq

Report 1: Meet our new long-term Skoda Kodiaq

We've get our hands on Skoda's new seven-seat family SUV and we'll be running it for the next six months.

Date: 2 August 2024 | Current mileage: 2231 miles | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 43.9mpg

The first-generation Kodiaq hit the mark with a lot of buyers (and us here at HonestJohn.co.uk), and its easy to see why. A hugely practical SUV, with ample space for passengers and luggage, the Kodiaq's huge boot meant that it could be configured with a third row of seats that could be easily folded away to swallow up all the gear you could possibly need to shift. With a decent interior and good choice of engines, it represented great value for money as well, making it one of the best seven-seat SUVs you could buy.

Earlier this year saw the launch of the second-generation Kodiaq, and while Skoda hasn't been tempted to dabble with a winning formula too much, the latest iteration is a noticeable step forward. It makes sense then to spend the next six months with one to find out whether the Kodiaq should still be our top recommendation for those looking for a large family car. 

Our car is in mid-spec SE L trim with the optional third row of seats, finished in Black Magic Pearl Effect metallic paint and sitting on 19-inch 'Rapeto' alloy wheels. The black paint is broken up by silver rear pillars, while a new grille, lights and a longer roofline help distinguish it from the previous car. The styling looks a little conservative for me, but the upcoming Sportline trim option does give the Kodiaq a bit more presence and the trim I'd probably favour if I was spec'ing it myself. Especially in Velvet Metallic Red.

Anyway, back to our Kodiaq. While there's a choice of two diesels and a PHEV with up to 75 miles of range, our Kodiaq has the 1.5-litre petrol engine with 150PS and mild-hybrid tech. This promises to eek out a little more efficiency from the petrol engine, with a claimed combined average fuel economy of 44.4mpg (and a little more if you opt for the five-seat Kodiaq). Is it a bit underpowered for such a large and heavy car? That's one of the things we're going to be finding out, but with a 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds, it's not what you'd call brisk. There's no manual option now either, with all new Kodiaqs coming with a DSG gearbox.

Inside and the new Kodiaq has a distinctly more modern looking design compared to the older car. But while there's a large 13-inch touchscreen that dominates the central console, Skoda's avoided the temptation to rid the Kodiaq of physical controls, and instead bestowed three multi-purpose 'smart dials' to quickly adjust things link cabin temperature and volume.

SE L Kodiaqs come with leather seats, while our car comes with the optional Winter Pack that includes heated front and rear seats. Our car as also been decked out with Skoda's Driving Assistance Package, which includes adaptive cruise control, a lane keeping system, traffic jam assist and semi-automatic vehicle control, while we've also got a Head Up Display to complement the digital instrument display. One option our Kodiaq doesn't have though is the Performance Package unfortunately, meaning no Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) or drive mode selection to enjoy. 

With all the extras our Kodiaq comes in at £42,545, which will get you a nicely-spec'd VW Tiguan for similar money, but you won't have quite the same levels of space. Is it worth it? That's exactly what we're going to be finding out over the next few months, from driving it on the school run to loading it up for long trips abroad. 

Report 2: 2000 miles across France in our Kodiaq

How did our Kodaiq cope with its first proper test, a fully loaded family holiday to France.

Date: 23 August 2024 | Current mileage: 4375 miles | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 42.5mpg

Less than the week after arriving and our long-term Skoda Kodiaq has already been properly put to the test with an epic drive down to the South of France for our family holiday.

Our trip would see us travel from our home in Surrey, head to the Eurotunnel and then on down past Paris to our rented house just west of Carcassonne where we'd spend two weeks bumbling round before heading home. The journey itself was going to be about 750 miles and perhaps rather foolishly we decided to do it in a single blast with a five and a seven year old in tow. 

Before setting off and we needed to pack. I had wanted to take my bike with me but with the Kodiaq not coming with a built-in towbar (it can be specified with one if you wish), it meant I couldn't pop my Thule rack on the back. I didn't fancy sticking the bike on the roof for such a long journey (and I'm glad I didn't, for which I'll explain in a sec), so before the Kodiaq rocked up, I'd pretty much discounted taking it. 

The boot though on the Kodiaq is huge - 875 litres with the third row of seats collapsed and even with the second row of seats slid back to give my girls the most amount of space on a long trip, it was still cavernous. Big enough in fact that I could happily fit my bike in (with the wheels removed) and there was still more than enough space to pack luggage for two weeks away. 

Creeping off the drive at 2.30am, and the journey south began. An hour later we were at the Eurotunnel and the crossing gave us the chance to change the Kodiaq's measurements from miles per hour to kilometres (and it was easy to find in the Kodiaq's menu system), while the Kodiaq's wireless connectivity for Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) meant we had the route dialled into Google Maps when we hit the A16 towards Paris just before 6am. 

It was when we hit Paris that I was glad I'd decided against taking my bike on the roof as I hadn't factored in the A86 Duplex - a 6 mile tunnel west of Paris with a 2m height limit that appears without any real notice until you're at the Peage...

Anyway, back to the trip. Our Kodiaq has adaptive cruise control with traffic sign recognition system, lane keeping assist and traffic jam assist. With over ten hours of driving on predominantly autoroutes, the adaptive cruise control was a much welcome addition. Most of the time. It did have a tendency every now and again to read the exit speed limit and think we should be doing 90km instead of 130km and applying the brakes without warning. This isn't much fun when you've committed to a lane change and you've got intolerant locals not giving an inch.

The lane keeping assist soon become pretty annoying - the vibration when you move across lanes without indicating was too much, but luckily can be easily disabled with a couple of presses on the steering wheel. 

Fully loaded and I have to say that the 1.5-litre engine felt pretty strained when accelerating. That's when the more powerful 193PS 2.0-litre diesel engine would definitely be more appealing, but we only had to fill it up once on the trip and a quick look at the trip computer at the end read a very respectable 42.5mpg. 

It was certainly a long slog down, but thanks to the space and comfort the Kodiaq provided, we could do it with minimal stops, only really stopping to swap over driving and fill up with petrol. It's testament to the Kodiaq that despite the early start that we still felt relatively refreshed once we'd arrived.

Over our two weeks in France and various trips out saw us cover another 500 miles or so, before heading home without any issues at all. 

Report 3: Our Kodiaq develops an issue

After our issue-free epic drive to the South of France, our Kodiaq develops an issue.

Date: 20 September 2024 | Current mileage: 4881 miles | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 43.1mpg

As you might have read in my previous update, we took our Kodiaq long-termer on our summer holiday to France last month and it didn't miss a beat over the two week trip. Back in the UK and it hasn't been so lucky. 

Jumping into the car one morning at the tyre pressure warning light dinged - the left front was low on pressure and after a quick inspection, found that the a large screw and made a home for itself in the middle of tread. It meant a new tyre, but luckily we weren't out of action for too long thanks to a visit from KwikFit's mobile tyre fitting team.

It was only when he rocked up that I realised that I hadn't located the locking wheel nut...and after a good hunt around the cabin of the Kodaiq and the boot in the pouring rain, we couldn't find it. It was only after a quick call to Skoda that its whereabouts was revealed - tucked further back in the boot near the third row of seats. Locking wheel nut in hand, and the new tyre was quick fitted and we were back on the road.

A few days later our Kodiaq had a bit of a 'moment' - pretty much every warning light came on when I started it, throwing up warning after warning, including: 'Brake serve failure', 'Error: electronic parking brake. Stop vehicle safely! Visit workshop!' and 'Error: Drive system. Please visit workshop!'. There was also an amber engine warning light to contend with as well. 

Assuming it was a software issue, I made a short trip in it and all seemed fine (apart from the from the digital dash getting a chance to illuminate all its warning lights) and after parking it up and coming back to it a little while later, most of the warnings had disappeared, though the engine warning light was lurking on the dash. The following day and switching on the car was business as usual - no warning lights or engine warning light. 

A couple of weeks later and a few hundred miles later, and something similar happened. No engine warning light this time, but I was greeted by more warning lights and messages, including 'Error: Drive system. Please visit workshop!'. More of a head scratch was that it wasn't possible to shut the Kodiaq down - while the climate control, infotainment and dash had all sprung to life when I initially pressed the start/stop button, the engine hadn't actually turned over. Pressing the start/stop button again did nothing, so in the end I got out and locked it and left it for a bit. Returning a little while later and the Kodiaq started as normal.

So it's now gone back to the good people at Skoda for them to take a look and see if they can get to the bottom of it... 

 

Report 4: We welcome back...another Kodiaq

The keen eyed among you will have noticed that our Kodiaq is now a different colour.

Date: 18 October 2024 | Current mileage: 6387 miles | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 43.5mpg

Our Kodiaq's back! Well, a Kodiaq is back. After spending a couple of weeks at Skoda HQ there couldn't replicate the issue, so to be on the safe side they've swapped it out for another one on their fleet. 

Our new long-term Kodiaq is the same spec as before pretty much - SE L spec with the 1.5-litre petrol engine with 150PS and mild-hybrid tech, while it's configured with seven seats as well. One thing that certainly has changed is the colour - out goes the metallic black to be replaced by 'Bronx Gold' metallic. It's a colour that's certainly divided opinion, but it's something a little bit different. It also seems to hide the dirt really well, something that's proving pretty handy as we move into November. 

So time will tell if we were unlucky with the first Kodiaq we had. One thing is for sure - it's nice to have it/a Kodiaq back. A few weeks without it made us really appreciate what a versatile family car it had been in the first couple of months running it. 

Report 5: 6 is a crowd

Our Kodiaq's third row of seats comes in handy.

Date: 1 November 2024 | Current mileage: 8321 miles | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 43.8mpg

We've had quite a few family SUVs pass through the HJ fleet, and I've had quite a few of them. Most have been plug-in hybrids or self-charging hybrids, but what they've all shared is there five seat configuration. 

Chatting to a friend recently who's on his second Octavia Estate and he was eyeing a 7-seat Kodiaq as its replacement. With only a couple of kids, I couldn't work why he needed the extra row of seats. He reckoned that it would be really handy when his in-laws came to visit or they were away visiting family. He's not alone - some other friends made the curious jump from an Audi A1 to a Citroen Grand C4 Picasso for the same reason. 

Back to the Kodiaq and with the exception of a quick play with the rear seats when it first arrived, I hadn't had any need turn the Kodiaq from a five to seven seater. That all changed with half-term and a trip up to the Suffolk Coast for a week where the in-laws would join us for a few days at the end of the week. 

Rather than trundling around in convoy as we've done previously, it meant we could bundle all six of us into one car for trips out. 

Flicking the back seats up in the Kodiaq, the girls loved clambering in the back, while my father-in-law could marvel at the large touchscreen up front and comment how impressed he was with the fit and finish (coming from someone who has a Volvo XC40 and is very particular about the quality of things, praise indeed). Everyone had enough space, and the boot was even a useful size with the third row of seats in use. Problem solved.

Now, if I was doing this properly, I'd have got photos to show all of this off, but I know what battles to pick and this wasn't one of them, so you'll have to take my word for it. Instead, you'll have to marvel at the 'Bronx Gold' Kodiaq along the seafront at Southwold and a shot of the girls turning their smiles on for the camera in exchange for some cake. 

Anyway, being able to change-up the seating on the Kodaiq is another string to its bow and a perfect example of so-called ‘occasional seats’ getting occasional use and working brilliantly. 

Report 6: It's all in the detail

Our Skoda Kodiaq is adorned with a load of 'Simply Clever' touches that might not grab the headlines, but definitely makes life a bit easier.

Date: 29 November 2024 | Current mileage: 8912 | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 44.9mpg

It's only when you live with a car that you get to appreciate all the little details (or lack of them) that you can't always get when with a car for a shorter period. Last week was a perfect case in point.

Running a few errands (I realise this makes me sound very old) and it started to absolutely tip it down. With no rain jacket or umbrella to talk off, the the option was to either sit and wait in the car or get wet. Needing to get stuff done and pick the girls up, sitting around in the dry wasn't option. It was then I remembered one of the Kodiaq's clever little tricks - there's a mini umbrella neatly packaged in the driver's door. While it's not the biggest umbrella, it's perfect for getting you out of scrapes like this.

If that was the Kodiaq's only party trick you'd chalk it up as a nice little bonus, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. You see, the Kodiaq is dotted with loads of what Skoda terms 'Simply Clever' features that are designed to make your life that little bit easier.

For example, the Kodiaq has a large 13-inch touchscreen that's easy to get covered in unsightly finger marks. Rather than use the back of your sleeve to rub them away, the Kodiaq has a compact screen cleaner stowed away in the central console that you can just run over the screen.

There's an upper and lower glove box, while the front seats have smartphone holders in the backs for rear seat passengers. What else? While parking apps have become the bane of peoples lives, for places that still dish out a physical ticket there's a ticket holder at the bottom of the windscreen so you can easily display it - no danger of it flying off from a gust of wind when you shut the door.

There's an ice scraper tucked away in the fuel filler cap - a signature Skoda feature, but did you know it has some tyre tread depth gauges on it so you can easily check the tread on your tyre? And I haven't had to use it yet, but the washer fluid tank has a rudder lid that acts like a funnel when opened so you don't have to have the aim of a sniper when topping it up. 

Finally, anyone with kids will appreciate the electric child safety lock, and there's probably other Simply Clever things I haven't even discovered yet...

These all might seem pretty minor things, and they probably are individually, but combined these little touches make you appreciate the Kodiaq even more.

Report 7: Should you buy the Kodiaq PHEV instead?

With a plug-in hybrid model available, which is better?

Date: 10 January 2025 | Current mileage: 9514 | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 43.7mpg

Don't panic - the photo above doesn't mean that we've had to swap out our Kodiaq for yet another one. No, this Kodiaq is here to see if the plug-in hybrid version of the Kodiaq is the one to go for over the 1.5-litre petrol version we've been running for the past few months.

Let's start with the specs and just like our car, this PHEV version of the Kodiaq is in SE L trim and sees prices start at £44,635 without options. That's a premium of £3,215 over the petrol equivalent, which isn't too much of an extra outlay for a plug-in hybrid. What about those all important figures? Well, combined power is a bit punchier at 204PS, while the claimed official consumption is a 565mpg. As with any PHEV you don't want to get sucked into these figures as to get anywhere near this number you'll have to have the battery permanently topped up. Company car drivers won't sniff at the 10-11g/km CO2 emissions though.

So what about that electric range? Officially you can expect just over 70 miles from a fully topped up battery - if you're going to be bumbling around on the school run, dropping kids off at various clubs and taking short trips into town, then you might only need to charge it up once or twice a week. And you'll be able to top the battery up in as little as two and a half hours from a wall box charger. What it won't be able to do is have more than five people onboard. 

That's because Skoda's had to sacrifice the rear set of seats in order to find space for the 25.7kWh battery pack (19.7kWh). That means you can't get yourself a seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq PHEV - you'll have to make do with five seats. For some though that won't be an issue, but for many potential buyers looking at the Kodiaq the flexibility of seven seats is one of the main attractions. It's something that I've found to be really handy - and this is coming from someone that wasn't really expecting to need them. 

One thing you do notice when driving the Kodiaq PHEV is the extra power from the motor. Our Kodiaq feels quite pedestrian as the 9.9 second time it takes to hit 62mph might suggest, and while on paper at least the 8.4 second time from the Kodiaq PHEV isn't dramatically quicker, under EV power alone it's much more refined and responsive.

Which one would I pick then? The Kodiaq PHEV makes the most sense if you can live without the third row of seats and can regularly top of the battery. Call me flash, but I'd be tempted to stump up an extra £2,500 over the standard SE L spec car and get a seven-seat Kodiaq in snazzy SportLine trim and still have a few quid in the bank over a plug-in hybrid. 

Report 8: It's a fond(ish) farewell to our Skoda Kodiaq

One last software gremlin spoils our last few weeks with the Kodiaq

Date: 10 February 2025 | Current mileage: 9720 | Claimed economy: 44.4mpg | Actual economy: 43.9mpg

I think I must have jinxed it in my last update. A few days later and I got a suite of warnings on the Kodiaq's dash pop up notifying me various things we no longer available ('Side assist unavailable', 'Lane assist unavailable', 'Front assist unavailable', etc). Hoping that these would clear themselves as they had done initially on my first Kodiaq, I'm ashamed to say I ignored them for a day or two. And I really shouldn't have as going to unlock it one morning and nothing happened...even the central-locking wouldn't do anything. After a bit of a faff getting the lock cover off on the door and getting inside, still nothing and so a flare was sent up for the AA to come and take a look.

When the VW Group specialist AA man appeared, he got the jump pack on it and fired into life. Question was, why was it dead in the first place? The prognosis was that the car wasn't shutting down properly, hence why the battery was now drained. It needed what was called a 91SV software update, which wasn't something that could be done remotely. So back it went to Skoda for some TLC before coming back to me for a week or so before the man from Skoda comes to collect it for a final time.

It's a shame I've experienced these bugs on two Kodiaqs now, because otherwise it's been a brilliant family SUV. The cabin is huge - as I've talked about previously, the amount of space for the four of us and luggage has been excellent. With the rear seats down there's a whopping 875 litres of boot space don't forget that'll swallow up pretty much anything.

Then there's the versatility that those extra rear seats bring. I really thought that I wouldn't need them, but we've been able to go out as an extended family with the in-laws in a single car, while it's been really useful to have when ferrying the girls and their friends around on short trips when needed. And you've still got a boot that isn't much smaller than that those found on small hatchbacks. 

The infotainment has been pretty easy to get to grips with, while the smart control dials really do make a difference to the usability of the Kodiaq. But why does the whole CarPlay display have to disappear when you tinker with the temperature? Another little niggle I have is the dual wireless charging - I'm not sure if its a Tim Cook fan, but wireless charging is a lot more stable with an iPhone compared to an Android smartphone, which often resulted in regular alerts interrupting the display to inform us that wireless charging wasn't possible. 

While I'm having a moan, what else annoyed me? One of the wing mirrors squeaked when it folded in or out. It was on the left mirror on the black Kodiaq I originally had, on the right with this one, and the left with the PHEV version I also tried out. 

But that's about it. It's been brilliant on long journeys, comfy and pretty economical to boot, sticking close to the claimed 44.4mpg during most of its time with us. It also looks like really good value when up against a lot of other 7-seat SUVs (and some 5-seat SUVs for the matter), which all makes it easy to see why its proved to be such a popular car for families. It's just a shame that these software gremlins have marred our experience with it.