2017 Skoda Kodiaq review, test drive

What’s it like on the inside?

Where all that exterior girth pays off is on the inside. Skodas are known for their cabin space, and this one carries that torch beautifully. The middle row can be slid back and forth a long way, and even pushed all the way forward, there’s enough place for most to sit without scuffing their knees. Slide them back and you’ve got as much, if not more, space than a Superb. The middle row doesn’t tumble forward like in the new Toyota Fortuner (they only slide and fold), but access to the third row isn’t too bad as the whole car is a bit lower. Of course, with the middle row pushed all the way back, the third row is a bit tight on space, but you’d be surprised at how much kneeroom you can liberate by pushing it forward only a little. What’s more, even with the third row up, boot space is pretty reasonable – if not very tall – and you can get a full-size suitcase in there with no problem. With it down, of course, you could very well move house. There is a five-seat version of the Kodiaq too but, understandably, Skoda is only bringing the seven-seater to India.

As we’ve seen with the new Superb and even the Octavia, some of that solid, luxurious feeling from the last generation of Skodas is missing from today’s cars. They’re still very well put together, but the plastics and trims just don’t feel as rich or special as they used to. With the Kodiaq, Skoda has alleviated this to a great extent by adding some much needed character to the dashboard. It’s nice and chunky, befitting the SUV, with tall vertical AC vents and thick slabs of textured trim. The rest is quite familiar, with the same AC controls, steering wheel and switchgear as most modern VW Group cars. A standout feature is the eight-inch touchscreen, which now uses capacitive, rather than physical, buttons. 

Staying with the touchscreen, the Kodiaq’s full equipment list reads like a treasure trove of cool gizmos, and we can only hope Skoda India ticks as many of those checkboxes as possible. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SmartLink, 360-degree cameras with a ‘virtual exterior’ view (like we saw in the new BMW 7-series), adaptive cruise control, park assist, a powered tailgate, a massive panoramic sunroof, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot warning, Qi wireless phone charging, three-zone climate control, emergency assistance, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition and an on board WiFi hotspot. Phew! And on top of that, cool little features include a magnetised flashlight that you can stick onto the car to help with, say, a puncture repair at night, there are charging facilities via 12v sockets, USB and even a 230v plug, and finally, little rubber protectors pop out to cover the door edges from scuffing when you open the doors, and hide away when you close them.