2025 Skoda Kodiaq details
This lavishly equipped Euro family car shapes up as a surprisingly affordable alternative to rival SUVs.
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.
MORE: Porsche of off-road: Aussie ute’s wild claim
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.
MORE: Instant regret as EV gamble fails
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.
MORE: Bloodbath as big EV firm files for bankruptcy
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.
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.
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
Originally published as 2025 Skoda Kodiaq details
Is this the world’s best car?
One of Australia’s greatest ever drivers reckons this is the ‘best car in the world’. But is he right?
Motoring giant stuns with ‘Temu Toyota’
China’s answer to some of our most popular cars has just stepped things up, in a massive way.