Skoda Kodiaq Review & Prices

As a big, dependable family hauler the Skoda Kodiaq is almost unmatched, because it’s one of the most sensible, most practical, seven-seater SUVs on sale. It has a clever interior, a wide range of engine options and an enormous boot, but it's not fun to drive and the plug-in hybrid is only available as a five-seater.

The Kodiaq is incredibly versatile; the swiss-army knife of family SUVs, because it looks posher than it is, is oh-so-spacious inside and it has lots of handy little features that surprise you. It’s so good that it received a commendation in the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.

It’s got some compelling seven-seater alternatives though, from the extra-stylish Peugeot 5008 to the bare-bones Dacia Jogger. The mechanically-similar Volkswagen Tayron is worth a look at, too, as is the much more expensive but far posher Hyundai Santa Fe.

Though the big Skoda isn’t quite as interesting to look at as its alternatives. That’s not to say it's ugly - far from it, in fact, as the aggressive, split-level headlights, broad grille and rear light bar bestow it with plenty of road presence, they’re just all contained in a fairly generic big, boxy shape. Top-spec models get fancy 20-inch wheels and LED light details which help set it apart.

The cabin is our favourite part of the Kodiaq, because the dashboard design is really very smart, with a dashboard reminiscent of a bow-tie; the 13.0-inch infotainment system popped in the middle as the knot. The two-spoke steering wheel is great to use, as are the climate control knobs, and overall material quality is superb - comparable to more expensive alternatives.

Interior space is where the Kodiaq shines, with what feels like acres of room for the front two rows. The seats are highly adjustable - the middle row slides too, so passengers three, four and five get lots of legroom with the bench slid all the way back. The third row isn’t huge, but with the middle row shifted to the front you’ll fit a pair of adults back there, though long journeys will be taxing for anyone larger than a teenager.

Five-seater models have a cavernous 910 litres of boot space at the expense of the back seats, but seven seaters still have a huge 845-litre boot with the last seats folded away. This drops down to 340 litres with them up, but that’s still around as much as a Renault Clio or Volkswagen Golf.

You can choose from petrol or diesel engines, while the plug-in hybrid has an impressive 75-mile electric-only range.

Around town the Kodiaq’s prodigious size means it’s not the easiest car to thread through tight streets, but good forward visibility helps take some of the stress away, as does the tight turning circle. It’s more at home on the motorway, because aside from its gruff engines it’s very quiet and comfortable at a cruise. Take country lanes at a sedate pace, because while the Kodiaq feels stable and secure, your six passengers won’t appreciate getting hurled around bends - especially in the sporty Kodiaq vRS.

Check out the latest Skoda Kodaiq deals on Carwow, or Kodiaq lease deals instead. There are plenty of used Skoda Kodiaqs to choose from, or other used Skodas from our range of trusted dealers. Carwow can even help you sell your car when it’s time to switch.

The Skoda Kodiaq costs just over £39,000 in base specification, making it a few hundred pounds cheaper than the Peugeot 5008, a couple thousand pounds less than the Volkswagen Tayron and a few thousand pounds less than the Kia Sorento.

It’s not quite as plush inside as any of the aforementioned alternatives, neither is it as interesting to look at, but it’s more comfortable than the Kia, more practical inside than the Peugeot and the Volkswagen isn’t quite good enough to justify the price increase over the Kodiaq.

A top-spec Kodiaq Sportline iV (PHEV) costs a whopping £47,000, so be sure you want all of the fancy extras before you buy - and that you can offset the extra cost of the hybrid system with cheap charging during your time with the car.

Pleasant to drive and great on the motorway, but alternatives are more comfortable

In town

The Kodiaq is a big SUV, but doesn’t feel too intimidating to drive around town - it lacks the overall bulk of something like a Hyundai Santa Fe or Land Rover Discovery. Visibility out the front is quite good, and there isn’t even too much of a blind spot over your shoulder.

The suspension is quite comfortable, though a Peugeot 5008 has a softer edge to it that rounds out potholes and speed bumps just a little better. The steering’s nice and light and considering the size of the car, the turning circle is excellent. It’s a shame that a surround-view camera is only optional equipment. The gearbox can also be a bit hesitant at junctions, though if you’re driving on electric power in one of the plug-in hybrid models you don’t notice this.

On the motorway

The Kodiaq is an extremely accomplished long-distance cruiser. Neither of the engines are very quiet when you’re accelerating but at a cruise they settle down, and wind and road noise are both well-contained - though you can opt for an Acoustic Package which adds even more interior soundproofing.

All the engines are powerful enough to cope well with a fully-loaded Kodiaq though you might want to upgrade from the entry-level petrol if you’re planning on being heavily loaded very often - it’s up to the task, but the diesels feel more relaxed.

Regular cruise control is standard-fit, but if you want an adaptive system you’ll have to either go for the top-spec trim level or pay for quite a pricey optional pack.

On a twisty road

The Kodiaq’s firm suspension makes it feel a little more tied down to the road than a Hyundai Santa Fe or Peugeot 5008, though it does lean a little more in the bends than a Volkswagen Tiguan would. Really, it comes down to personal preference, and while none of these cars are very much fun to punt down a twisting back road they’re all perfectly capable of staying safe and stable when you’re hoofing it.

A clever interior packed with smart little touches, but the third row is really for occasional use only

Skoda’s mantra of ‘Simply Clever’ is alive and well in the Kodiaq, but there’s not much point being clever if you don’t have lots of space to play with in the first place. That’s not a problem here, as the Kodiaq is a big car with loads of room for all the family. The big, comfortable front seats have lots of adjustment, and storage up front is great.

The large glovebox has an upper section that’s a perfect size for something like an umbrella, and you can slide the lid for the cupholders over so you get space for four drinks instead of just two. There are twin wireless charging pads, too, and the capacious door bins are lined with felt to stop items rattling around.

Simply Clever touches up front include nubbins in the cupholders which grip the base of bottles, making it possible to open them one-handed, as well as a useful parking ticket holder in the corner of the windscreen. You even get an umbrella in each front door, Rolls-Royce style.

Space in the back seats

The middle row of seats has loads of room for adults. Both headroom and legroom are generous, and the seats slide and recline - the former is useful if you’re trying to balance space for those in the third row.

There’s a nice almost-flat floor so everyone has room for their feet and big windows give you a great view out. You also get cupholders in the centre armrest, easy-to-access ISOFIX points (as well as one in the front passenger seat) and big door bins, though they’re not felt-lined like the ones up front. In the centre you’ll find two USB-C ports and a storage slot.

The third row of seats isn’t as easy to access or as spacious as a Hyundai Santa Fe, but it’s on par with a Nissan X-Trail. They’re definitely occasional seats, better suited to children than they are to adults for long journeys - but it’s nice to have them. You can, however, ditch the third row of seats for a larger boot - and all plug-in hybrid Kodiaqs are five-seater only.

Boot space

The biggest Skoda Kodiaq has a massive 910 litres of space - that’s for five-seater models, though. If you have a seven-seater model, you get 845 litres of space with the third row down - but that’s still way above the Nissan X-Trail (565 litres) or the Land Rover Discovery Sport (840 litres).

With the third row in place, there’s 340 litres of space, which is still quite impressive - it’s a little smaller than you get on a hatchback such as the VW Golf. There’s also space under the floor to keep the load cover, which is quite nice. It’s annoying that the third row of seats doesn’t fold unless you move the middle row forwards, though. You have to do a lot of walking around the car to get the seats totally flat.

Not as stylish as a Peugeot 5008, but solidly built and easy to use

Skoda isn’t going to win any awards for interior style any time soon, but the Kodiaq’s dashboard is clean, simple and well-built. What’s particularly nice is that Skoda hasn’t succumbed to trends by totally removing all physical switchgear - you retain some in the form of what it calls ‘Smart Dials’.

They’re a trio of multifunctional buttons which can control the air-conditioning, stereo volume or even the heated seats and drive mode. It’s a great way to keep a clean-looking dash without forcing you to dive into a complex touchscreen menu every time you want to make a simple adjustment.

The touchscreen itself isn’t at all bad, though. It’s a massive 13.0-inches across, so all the onscreen buttons are easy to hit. You get configurable shortcut bars at the top and bottom, allowing you quick access to your most-used function. While the interface isn’t the zippiest, the screen itself is bright and clear.

Interior build quality is for the most part very good. It’s a shame that those in the back get cheaper materials on their door cards, but up front everything you interact with feels nice and plush and it’s only lower down on the dashboard that you start to notice the occasional hard, scratchy plastic.

The Skoda Kodiaq has quite a wide range of engines and so emissions and economy will vary. The entry-level option is a 1.5-litre petrol with 150hp - best suited to shorter journeys, you can expect to see around 40mpg from this engine if you drive carefully. There’s a more powerful 190hp 2.0-litre petrol available exclusively on the top-spec Sportline, which is more likely to return around 30-35mpg.

There’s a 2.0-litre diesel which will provide the best long-distance fuel economy - in excess of 50mpg. Our test car was seeing 45mpg with quite heavy right feet. However, this won’t be the best choice if you do a lot of short journeys, as diesels need time to warm up.

The plug-in hybrid is a very interesting option. It can offer up to 75 miles of pure-electric driving, officially - even though that’s going to be closer to 60 miles in the real world, it’s enough to put it in one of the lowest company car tax bands available, beaten only by pure electric cars. That sort of range is easily enough to cover most commutes on battery power alone, saving the petrol engine for longer trips - though you’ll get slightly worse economy than the regular petrol model when you do due to the added weight of the batteries.

It’s worth remembering that the PHEV model can only be had with five seats, too - if you want a seven-seat plug-in hybrid, you’ll have to look to the Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento.

The PHEV has the lowest first-year tax costs of all the Kodiaqs, but as it’s much more expensive it automatically pays the additional Expensive Car supplement for the first five years of ownership. A sensibly-specced petrol or diesel Kodiaq slips under that threshold.

The Skoda Kodiaq is reassuring as a family car thanks to its five-star Euro NCAP crash test safety rating. An 83% score for child occupant protection is particularly impressive.

Every Kodiaq gets the mandatory safety features including speed limit assistance, lane-keeping aids and autonomous emergency braking. But Skoda does also include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard, though on all but the top-spec car you have to pay extra for adaptive cruise control.

You also get an ISOFIX point in the front passenger seat, making the Kodiaq one of few cars that can happily take three child seats.

Skoda came 12th out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction, putting it in the upper-class of the leaderboard, if not a stellar showing.

The new model hasn’t been out long enough to give a decisive verdict on its reliability but we wouldn’t expect it to be anything but dependable, however with the current generation of Skoda models some owners do report software glitches

Skoda’s warranty is sadly only the bare minimum at three years and 60,000 miles - you get five years of cover on a Hyundai Santa Fe, seven on a Kia Sorento and up to ten on a Toyota RAV4.