Skoda Kodiaq 2017 Review

Skoda's Kodiaq was a marked contrast to MINI's Countryman tested the week before. Where the MINI was fun to drive and full of raw-boned vigour, the Kodiaq was an SUV cut from entirely different cloth.

Refined and comfortable, the Kodiaq was easy to drive and right-sized for a seven-seat SUV. Yet, despite its decent size, the Kodiaq felt compact from behind the wheel. Part of that was no doubt due to the light steering, which was reasonably communicative nonetheless, and complemented by Kodiaq's handling and grip.

Pitched into a corner, the Kodiaq was impressively nimble, holding a steady line and providing adequate warning when the tyres were beginning to reach the end of their tether.

And the strong brakes were up to par, pulling up the Kodiaq softly when needed, with good pedal feel for modulated stopping.

As I found from driving the Kodiaq in Spain, the refinement was almost remarkable. There was a whisper of wind noise and very subdued road noise at cruising speed, but as for the drivetrain, it was nowhere to be heard unless pushing the Kodiaq up to speed. About the only aural blot in the Kodiaq's copybook was some suspension noise over cobblestones and speed humps.

Noisy the suspension may be, but it was pitch-perfect for a balance of body control and ride. Over smaller bumps the Kodiaq was very composed and settled. It was firmer over the heavier hits, but the upside was the lack of body roll, squat and dive.

The sporty engine delivered abundant torque from the mid-range. It would rev cleanly through to the redline, but, such was the turbocharged four-cylinder's flexibility, the driver could achieve much the same performance results shifting up before 6000rpm. Fuel consumption for the week was 10.3L/100km.

We have come to expect dual-clutch transmissions to be occasionally agricultural, but there's almost no sign of that in the Kodiaq. On the final day it clanked once accelerating at moderate speed away from a street corner, but the DSG was flawless otherwise.

The Kodiaq was well equipped for driving at night, with headlights which lit up some distance ahead on low beam.

Volkswagen DNA in Kodiaq's lineage
Inside is where an SUV's design counts. And in the case of the Kodiaq's stylish interior, the simple but elegant instruments were clear and easy to read. Skoda designers have largely obfuscated the fact the switchgear comes from Volkswagen's parts bin. The wiper and indicator stalks were not as nice to use as the counterparts offered by some other brands. There were sharpish edges, harder plastics and the shape didn't fit the hand (or finger tips).

The 'Green Score' readout in the infotainment screen I found a little perplexing. A higher score presumably indicated better driving for the environment, but did the longer bars in the bar chart mean more fuel used, or more economical driving? It's something owners would probably work out from reading the manual over the course of the first weekend.

The infotainment screen itself was highly legible and easy to use. It took a while to work out how to adjust the individual drive setting mode, until I noticed the icon in the upper right corner of the mode screen.

Ambient lighting in the cabin added a touch of luxury at night.

At the side of the steering column there was a starter button, where the lock barrel would be in a vehicle with a conventional key-start set-up. It was much easier to find than buttons located in the dash.

I found the acoustic parking guidance to be over-sensitive, beeping on both sides as the Kodiaq backed into the narrow driveway at home, but there is a means of adjusting that sensitivity through the infotainment system.

The forward-collision warning system wouldn't activate prematurely, which was welcome, and when it did it flashed up a large red icon in the instrument binnacle and emitted a constant pipping tone, rather than the strident beeps of other brands. It was less alarming, but still provided the notice the driver needed to ensure the Kodiaq wouldn't run up the rear of end of a car in front.

Bruce Newton's review of the 2017 Skoda Kodiaq

Some packaging hits and misses
Bottle holders in the front door bins were certainly accommodating, and there were plenty of knick-knack nooks for storage in the centre console. The centre armrest lifts up for additional storage and it slides forward for the comfort and convenience of shorter drivers sitting closer to the wheel.

Seats in front were not a match for the Kodiaq's roadholding. They were firmly cushioned, but comfortable for touring. However, the shape was lacking and the side bolstering provided inadequate support when the car was subject to higher lateral g forces.

There was plenty of room in the second-row seat, and accoutrements such as adjustable air vents, pull-up window blinds, mounts for tablet devices and fore/aft slide and reclining adjustment were all welcome features. All in all, the Kodiaq's second-row seating is a very kid-friendly space, but frankly the seats were heavy to adjust and took some muscle to slide, even for adults.

As for the third-row seat, this was no place for anyone over the age of 10. It's occasional seating at best. There were no air vents back there and headroom was limited to folk under about 175cm tall. Knee-room was the same story. To accommodate anyone of teenage years or older, the second-row seat would have to be slid forward.

Actually gaining access to the third-row seating was not well handled from a brand we've previously come to regard as very focused on practicality. The narrow section of seat which tips forward for access to the third row was on the driver's side of the vehicle, not the kerb side - fine for left-hand drive markets, not so good in Australia. And it took two hands to operate – the left hand to lift the lever to tilt the squab forward, the right to reach under the front and release latch to slide the base forward. Otherwise, kids would have to be lifted into the rear or climb in there themselves, over the second-row seating.

There was plenty of luggage space with the third row folded flat, along with an additional compartment under a lift-up section of floor at the very rear of the boot. This is where the cargo blind was stored, when not in use. Flip-out levers in the sides of the boot were located there to release the second-row squabs for the seats to fold down. But they don't drop down flat. The user must place weight on the unlatched squab to push it into place in a flat position, flush with the rest of the boot floor. To Skoda's credit, the seats lock into place in the folded position.

The Kodiaq on test was fitted with the Launch Pack option, costing $5900. One of the items in this pack was a gesture-controlled powered tailgate, which thankfully came with a switch at the driver's seat and a separate button on the key fob, since I don't seem to have the knack for opening tailgates with a wave of my foot.

Skoda’s self-deploying door protection was innovative and sensible. If only all cars offered this sort of system to protect one's new car from damage when opening a door.

In the final wash, the Kodiaq cleaned up brighter than expected. It's more a part-time seven-seater, than a vehicle which will carry the full load on long trips every day. But, as a more urban-ready wagon for the family, the Kodiaq is a very competitive offering.

2017 Skoda Kodiaq 132TSI pricing and specifications:
Price: $49,590 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 132kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 168g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP, 2017

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