This is the all-new Skoda Kodiaq, and it is angry

This is the all-new, second-generation Skoda Kodiaq, and it’s a rather big deal. Since it was launched in 2016, Skoda has sold over 841,000 examples of its biggest SUV. In fact, it was the Czech firm’s second biggest seller in 2022 behind the smaller Kamiq.

And as is always the way, the Kodiaq has grown for this second iteration. It’s over 6cm longer than the previous gen and offers more headroom inside thanks to that elongated roof line. Plus, the boot has grown to a huge 910 litres in the five-seat version and a mightily impressive 340 litres behind the third row in the seven-seater. Skoda says it has been designed using its ‘Modern Solid’ design language, and there are chunky wheel arches and an extremely angry face. There are new split LED lights up at the front too, and you can add more bulbs to light up the whole grille as an option if you so wish.

We’re told this generation is more aerodynamic than the last, with a drag coefficient of 0.282cd thanks to things like the extended roof spoiler and the aero-spec wheels. Overall it looks pretty good, no? Particularly in the sharp Sportline trim which might give us a little preview of a future vRS version.

In terms of powertrains there’s plenty of choice. The five options kick off with a 148bhp 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with mild hybrid tech. Then you have a 2.0-litre turbo petrol option that makes 201bhp, plus a 2.0-litre turbodiesel that can be had with 148bhp or 190bhp. The more powerful petrol and diesel offerings both feature four-wheel drive as standard and this is a DSG-only zone.

There’s also a new plug-in hybrid powertrain which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a 25.7kWh battery for 201bhp and over 60 miles of all-electric range. Not bad.

On the inside, the Kodiaq copies the Enyaq’s idea of offering different ‘Design Selections’ that pair different colours and materials. Lots of those materials are recycled or sustainable, and up front the console is a lot cleaner looking with the drive selector moved to the steering column.

The dash is now dominated by a 13-inch infotainment screen and a head-up display is optional, though Skoda has at least included some proper buttons down below. In fact, these are new ‘Skoda Smart Dials’ that include a little 32mm display and can be customised to scroll through different functions. Neat.

A successful update to Skoda’s largest SUV?