Skoda Kodiaq review

Prices now start at £36,645 for a base Kodiaq SE in 148bhp petrol form. Add £860 if you want this to have the third row of seats, or £2,300 if you’d rather have an identically powered diesel engine.

Equipment is strong. The 13in central touchscreen, 10.25in digital dash and tri-zone climate control are all standard, as are heated front seats and keyless start (if not keyless entry, weirdly). You get 18in alloys and front and rear LED lights, too, as well as a tonne of active safety stuff.

Optional are a host of smart parking systems that see the car remotely park from outside via an app, as well as remember common manoeuvres in order to automatically perform them as it recognises the location.

It's a £3,560 upgrade to SE L spec, which means larger 19in wheels, keyless entry, multi-talented LED matrix lights up front, leather seats inside plus electrical operation for the driver’s seat and boot opening.

Top level Sportline trim starts at £47,135 for the five-seater and comes with 20in wheels, upgraded suspension, sportier body kit, adaptive cruise control and microsuede interior trim. Coming soon are the posh L&K range topping trim, as well as a new performance vRS car that’ll take your Kodiaq past £50k. That really is rarefied air for a Skoda.

Which one should I pick?

The UK is the Kodiaq’s second most voracious market behind Germany and ahead of Skoda’s Czech homeland. The pressures of company car schemes suggest many buyers on our shores will go for the plug-in hybrid. As a private buyer, we might be tempted to stick to simple internal combustion to save money and weight. The 148bhp mild-hybrid in SE trim ought to be enough while the diesels feel right on point for comfort and ease of use.