Skoda Kodiaq review: The seven-seat SUV might just be the perfect car for battling ice, snow and storms
The £20,000 Skoda Kodiaq is a lot of car for the money and with four-wheel-drive will cope with anything the British winter can throw at it
IF you've got a big family, do a lot of driving in dodgy weather conditions and want value-for-money then look no further than the Skoda Kodiaq.
The big seven-seat SUV might just be the perfect car to tackle ice, snow and storms without breaking the bank.
The Kodiaq - named after an Alaskan bear - starts from around £20,000 and even our test car that's loaded with extra kit like lane assist, blind spot detection and the handy children's pack is just £33,995.
You might be put off because a hulking crossover like this normally comes with a diesel engine - and that means hefty tax penalties.
But think again because there's a petrol option - and we've driven it.
The manual 147bhp 1.4-litre petrol to be precise with an official economy figure of 40.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 156g/km.
With the 147bhp engine there's plenty of grunt to get you where you're going (we'd probably avoid the lower-powered 124bhp petrol).
The gearbox is slick and through the corners the Kodiaq hides its size well without too much body roll.
We even got a chance to trial the "snow mode" during the blizzards that hit the UK earlier in the month, arriving at our destination without any dramas.
So what's not to like? In truth, not very much.
Badge snobs may still turn their nose up at the Skoda emblem but they'd be wrong to because for many years now Skoda has made great, affordable cars.
Strip the badges off the Kodiaq and it's a smart-looking motor with a sleek almost coupe roofline that doesn't look out of place next to most premium rivals - and that includes the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Facts and figures
Skoda Kodiaq SE L 1.4 TSI 4x4
Power: 147bhp
0-60mph: 9.6 seconds
Top speed: 121mph
Economy: 40.9mpg
CO2: 156g/km
Price: £33,995
Inside, the premium feel continues with a 9.2-inch touchscreen on our range-topping SE L model.
There's cruise control, a 360-degree aerial cam to help with parking (£1,300 option), heated front seats, umbrellas in the front doors, LED lights and keyless entry.
And you can fold the seats down for a massive boot and loading area for your next house move, staycation or just a bumper shopping spree in the sales.
With seven seats in use you'll get 270-litres of space - similar to most superminis.
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In the five-seater guise this increases to up to 765 litres and if you go fully flat there's 2,005 litres.
Some will say the Kodiaq is too big and brutish and that's a fair point. It certainly wasn't ideally suited to life in the city given its size.
But if you think this you're not the target market that the SUV is really aimed at.
For those who live in more rural areas with a big family and need something like this, then it really is hard to look past the Kodiaq in terms of ability and value for money.
