- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
132kW, 320Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 7.6L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4X4
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2019 Skoda Kodiaq 132 TSI (4×4): owner review
I had purchased my MY19 Skoda Kodiaq about three months ago, and because it has been three months, I feel I have enough experience to talk about the car.
- Clever Features, Space, Part-time 7 seater capability, Value for money
- USB port, Small cup holder
If you are looking for 7-seater SUV, the Kodiaq must be part of your shortlist. Back when I was searching for a car, the Kia Sorento, Mitsubushi Outlander, Mazda CX-9 and Skoda Kodiaq were on my basket. I ruled out diesel as the car was mainly to serve short-distances for my wife to pick up children. Also, after Dieselgate, I feel the future of diesel seems quite gloomy.
The value proposition for this car is outstanding. I have added the Luxury pack (lane-keep assist, 360 view cameras, leather seats, traffic jam assist etc) and the Tech pack (chassis control, virtual pedal etc). I did not add a virtual cockpit, as I like a conventional needle over graphic design, and I omitted the panoramic sunroof (OMG). The Sportline options are a joke, as they are only a cosmetic upgrade with no engine change (also you cannot get ventilated seats if you choose Sportsline).
Compared to other vehicles on the market, I see the Kodiaq as quite competitive, as the CX-9 and Sorrento pricing was far too stiff ($70k and $60k mark, respectively).The Outlander was something you could get for $30k back then, but I only considered that car due to its cost.
For the Kodiaq itself, it has all the smart/clever features to get you excited. I'm still quite happy with door edge protector and umbrella, as they are not just featured for marketing or advertising. The driving is just good. Would not say it has ample power to drive, but in my own humble opinion I do not understand people who buy a car like a Grand Cherokee SRT, as I think the SUV is not for sport driving. It is just a new form of people mover.
The steering is typical VW/European and the 2.0-litre turbo does its job without a problem. The 7-speed dual-clutch seems much better than the initial development. It gives a swift shift when needed. Maybe this is the nature of DCT, but on a downhill, even though the speed goes up, it remains in its gear ratio. Please feel free to give me some advice on whether this is normal behaviour or not.
For seating space, bear in mind that this is a part-time 7-seater. If you are looking for full-time 7-seater, you'd be better considering a people-mover like a Kia Carnival or Toyota Tarago. Second-row seating space in the Kodiaq is vast for kids, while access to the third row is okay. Boot space is good! It's wide and high enough to put a pram, bicycle and other big stuff.
Fuel efficiency is about 11 litres per 100 kilometres, as ours serves short distances or the urban traffic conditions in about 80 per cent of the time. When I take my family out over the weekend, it returns about 7L/100km on a highway. So, all in all, I would not complain too much about it.
My main complaints about this car would be the USB port situation. I cannot believe that there is only one USB port in a car manufactured in 2019. Yes, there are cigar jacks that can be used to recharge, but I'm still not happy with it. Secondly, the cup holders are too small for tumblers. Those could be stored in the door pocket, but the kids are too small to pick them up from there.
All in all, I'm generally happy with the car and would recommend one to my friends if they were looking for 7-seater SUV.
NOTE: With no photo supplied, we have used a CarAdvice image for this story.