New Skoda Kodiaq Walkaround: Bigger, Better, Brilliant

If you’re in the market for a premium 7-seater SUV, the Skoda Kodiaq should be on your shortlist. The Skoda Kodiaq has won multiple critical awards in the past, and it has always been an understated car that redeems itself with its driving experience and clever features. And now, Skoda has entirely revamped the Kodiaq, with all-new looks, all-new underpinnings, and brand-new interiors. Here, Yash Agarwal of The Cornea Impression takes you across all that’s new and clever and better with the new and improved Skoda Kodiaq.

New Skoda Kodiaq Walkaround: Exterior

The previous generation of the Skoda Kodiaq looked sleek, looked long, and looked more like a classy estate with a long line running across the length of the car. With the new Kodiaq, Skoda has adopted its new “Modern, Solid” design philosophy, which means the new Kodiaq looks more SUV than ever. The stance is more big and brawny, part of that is thanks to the new headlights with new LED DRLs (standard across all trims by the way), a much bigger grille with a more pronounced octagonal shape and a LED light elements running behind the grille that light up at night along with new aggressive bumpers.

The obvious changes on the rear comprise the new Skoda lettering instead of the Skoda badge and a new, width-spanning tail light which looks sharp and boasts details on the edges, which lends it a bigger, wider look to the car. Even the C-pillar gets blacked out in certain trims.

New Skoda Kodiaq Walkaround: Interior

Right from the moment you sit inside, there are a couple of things that will be noticed by an existing Kodiaq owner. It feels more airy, partly because of the panoramic sunroof. The instrument cluster has no instrument binnacle, and the infotainment system now sticks out like a tablet instead of sitting flush within the high dashboard, and because of all that, the dashboard sits lower so the driver can see out better.

Then, there’s minimalism. There’s a new X-themed dashboard with multiple materials that looks cool and clean. There are fewer buttons everywhere and more importantly, the gear lever is not any more in the center console but on the steering column, freeing up space for wireless chargers and storage spaces, the latter doubling up cupholders which can all be hidden out with this slider. Clever. What’s even more clever are these Smart Dials, which allow you to change air-con settings but pressing them, and you have more settings like seat ventilation and heating on the same dial. And these can be customised to control more functionalities like media volume control, driving modes, and even map zoom. Very well executed by Skoda. Which brings us to the screen itself – a 13-inch HD screen (optional extra under Technology package, 10-inch standard trims). Eight speakers are standard, but a Canton 14-speaker setup is available as an optional extra.

And while we’re speaking on the subject of options, the interior upholstery also has about three options – which lets you choose between fabric, suede microfibre upholstery which feels nice and good old leather – all made from recycled materials, including the carpets and even the headliner to keep the sustainability quotient of the Skoda Kodiaq high.

Though there are some similar elements carried from the previous generation such as the steering wheel, the umbrella within the door, the ice scraper in the fuel tank lid which may not be of any use in the UAE but what will be of heavy use is a new display cleaner offered in the center console to keep the Kodiaq’s touchscreen fingerprint free.

New Skoda Kodiaq Walkaround: Practicality

In terms of practicality, the rear bench can now slide forward and backward to create more space. The rear parcel compartment can also be taken away entirely to create more space for the middle passenger. Now, Skoda says the new Kodiaq is longer than before with minimal increments to the width and height. For you, what that means is the third-row passenger can now sit without making their leg completely numb, provided the middle-seat passenger isn’t very tall.

And the luggage space now holds a lot more storage than before. Approximately 340 litres with all seats up, that’s 70 litres more than before, and hatchback levels of boot space. Fold the third row down, 845 litres carrying capacity – that’s 80 litres more than before, and fold all except the front seats, 2035 litres – 30 more than before. It seems Skoda didn’t want any storage space complaints with the new Kodiaq at all.

New Skoda Kodiaq Walkaround: Engines and brief drive experience

I got the chance to drive both available trims briefly. While the powertrain, a 187 hp 1.4-litre engine mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox, remains the same in both trims, the major difference maker is the Adaptive Chassis Control available on the top-spec Sportline trim. It truly changes the drive dynamics of the car. With that turned on, the car handles its weight better around corners with minimal body roll, lending a more sporty and more agile experience for the driver.

So, if you’re someone who yearns to enjoy a superior driving experience known to be offered with European cars, the Adaptive Chassis Control becomes a necessity for you. Without it, the base car still offers a soft, comfortable ride with a planted feel at highway speeds, which is great for most people who will be using the Kodiaq to ferry people between cities.

New Skoda Kodiaq Walkaround: Prices

The new Skoda Kodiaq will be available in three trims in the UAE – Selection, Selection Plus, and Sportline. Prices will range between AED 140,000 to AED 175,000. At launch, Skoda only had the 1.4-litre engine on offer, but Skoda UAE claimed a 2.0-litre engine will also be available to buy after Q2 2025.

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