2025 Skoda Kodiaq details

This lavishly equipped Euro family car shapes up as a surprisingly affordable alternative to rival SUVs.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq. Picture: Supplied

If you like your saviours with cognac-coloured massage seats and an umbrella in the

door, the new generation Skoda Kodiaq is here to win hearts and sales.

The Czech brand needs a hero, and this smart, feature-rich seven-seat large SUV is

primed to reverse Skoda’s sales slide.

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2025 Skoda Kodiaq. Picture: Supplied

You see, last year wasn’t kind to this Euro challenger.

Numbers fell 37 per cent, not helped by supply issues and Skoda dropping some of

its entry-level, popular picks. Its Fabia city car, for example, came in high-spec only

and price-matched a prestige Audi A1.

But green shoots emerge as Skoda’s range quickly evolves: there’s fresh metal,

cheaper drive-away pricing and it’s the only European brand with a seven-year

warranty.

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2025 Skoda Kodiaq. Picture: Supplied

The new Kodiaq’s a strong trump card. We had a brief poke through Skoda’s largest

of SUVs ahead of its March on-sale date. But alas, no test drives.

Exterior design’s hardly revolutionary, but the cabin – where you’ll actually spend

your time – is altogether fabulous.

Even entry level Select grades score seven perforated leatherette seats (power and

heated upfront), tri-zone climate, power tailgate, five USB-C ports, wireless CarPlay

and Android Auto, a cooled wireless charge pad, digital driver display and whopping

13-inch infotainment screen.

A fancier Sportline adds lots of black trim, Matrix LED headlights and sports seats in

suede and leatherette, while loaded Launch Editions offer that cognac leather (it’s

gorgeous if maybe not family-friendly), eight massage programs for the ventilated

memory front seats, panoramic roof, surround view camera, heated rear seats and

adjustable suspension.

Cabin presentation’s excellent in all, bar thin plastics for the centre console, and

kudos for new “smart dials” which combine user-friendly rotary dials with digital

centres to control climate and audio. A flair touch.

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2025 Skoda Kodiaq. Picture: Supplied

It’s chockers with safety, all are all-wheel-drive, and the cabin’s grown so third row

seats are now more tolerable for adults and larger kids.

Boot space betters the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe no matter

if two, five or seven seats are in place.

The new Kodiaq’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine’s familiar, but performance

numbers grow to 140kW/320Nm, while a hot RS version lands in September.

Fuel economy and service packs are fair and Skoda’s warranty betters the likes of

Mazda, Subaru and Toyota.

It all looks and sounds rather convincing, so can the new Kodiaq get the sales it

arguably deserves? Aussies but ten times as many Subaru Outbacks and Kia

Sorentos, and last year even the KGM SsangYong Rexton and Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

outsold these big Skodas.

No hybrid will lose the Kodiaq some buyers, but a plug-in hybrid (already sold in

Europe) is under consideration.

But building brand awareness, getting buyers in showrooms and bums in cars is

something Skoda must crack, and quickly.

2025 Skoda Octavia RS. Picture: Supplied

In these cost-of-living times, value and drive-away prices are key for many shoppers.

Skoda now has its Fabia and Scala hatchbacks – plus its Kamiq small SUV – all

between $31,990 and $33,990 on the road.

The recently facelifted Octavia is criminally ignored because Australians buy SUVs

and not sedans and wagons; a new-generation of its big brother Superb lands by

mid-year, alongside a new Enyaq and new model Elroq electric SUVs.

More EVs are under consideration in future, including 2026’s Epiq compact SUV and

Vision 7S large SUV.

2025 Skoda Octavia RS. Picture: Supplied

If you believe this is a lot of fuss for a brand you barely recognise, the Czechs have

fair right to expect us to buy more Skodas.

Last year, you see, it was Europe’s fourth biggest brand, ahead of Ford, Kia,

Hyundai and Mercedes, and behind only BMW, Toyota and Volkswagen. Eye-

opener, that one.

New Skoda Australia director Lucie Kuhn told us: “Last year was not the plan for the

brand, and we achieved a number of (sales) volumes we were not very happy with.

“It’s my role to strengthen and re-boost the position of the brand in Australia again.”

Pivotal will be how Australians respond to the new Kodiaq, as we’re buying more

large SUVs than ever before.

Kodiaq pricing’s announced in March, and if there’s not a huge leap over the

outgoing model’s $53,290, it deserves to kick off something big for Skoda.

SKODA KODIAQ VITALS

PRICE TBC, but from around $63,000 drive-away expected.

ENGINE 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 140kW/320Nm

THIRST About 8.2L/100km

WARRANTY/SERVICE 7 years/unlimited km, $2450 for five

services/75,000km

SAFETY 5 Star (Euro NCAP), advanced AEB, lane assist, adaptive cruise

control, blind spot monitor, rear traffic alert, exit warning, turn assist, traffic

sign recognition, traffic jam assist, front and rear sensors, rear camera

LUGGAGE 289L/794L/2035L

SPARE Space saver