2025 Skoda Kodiaq first drive review: Luxury on a budget

How do you improve upon perfection? There was very little to complain about the last generation of the Skoda Kodiaq. It was spacious, practical, had a powerful engine and was very enjoyable to drive. It had a presence on the outside and luxury on the inside. If you were an enthusiast, you would have enjoyed the performance and dynamics. If you were chauffeur-driven, you would have appreciated the nap-friendly headrests and great ride quality. Apart from having a bit of a drinking problem, it was perfect. It isn’t often that you would fully recommend a car even at the tail end of its lifecycle, yet that was the case with the last-generation Kodiaq. Skoda sold nearly a million of these SUVs globally over its first generation, for good reason. What have the engineers been up to, to bring it to Gen 2? We spent some time with the Kodiaq in the still of the night in Mumbai to find out.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq styling

More evolution than revolution is how I would describe the exterior styling of the new Skoda Kodiaq. The face is still instantly recognisable, with its four eyes and strong grille. The L&K variant we’re driving (there’s also a Sportline) gets an illuminated grille that looks very cool, along with brushed metal accents on the grille and badges. In contrast, the Sportline misses out on the light-up grille and gets blacked-out accents. The bonnet is more chiselled and you get the impression that the Kodiaq has put on some muscle. In profile, it remains a very long car. The wheelbase hasn’t changed with the update but it has grown longer by 59mm — the extra length in the rear overhang improves the third row and boot space. Wheels are 18 inchers with both L&K and Sportline getting different wheel designs. The L&K gets aero-optimised wheels with aero-inserts but I’m not the biggest fan of them, I think the Sportline wheels look infinitely better. The rear section gets new tail lamps and what seems to be a light bar, but the LEDs don’t connect down the middle. There’s been a clear focus on aerodynamics to improve fuel efficiency, and Skoda claims the coefficient of drag has gone down from 0.33 to 0.28 — a significant amount.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq interior and features

This is where you really see the big changes to the Kodiaq. There’s a new steering wheel — two-spoke on the L&K, three-spoke on the Sportline — but that is just the start. The gear selector has moved from the centre tunnel to a stalk behind the ’wheel, freeing up a whole load of space between the passengers. There are now two wireless phone chargers, two cupholders that can be expanded to four and plenty of cubby holes and trays for knick-knacks. The big screens will draw your attention — a 10.25-inch infotainment cluster and a big 13-inch screen for the infotainment. The seats in the L&K come with heating ventilation and cooling and are AGR-certified. Those three letters meant nothing to me too, but I googled it and AGR is an independent organisation with medical, therapeutic and research experts that promote back health. What I can assure you of, is that they are very, very comfortable. Worth noting that Sportline gets firmer seats with different upholstery, and also misses out on ventilation and massage.

Of course, equipment is well taken care of: Canton audio, electric seats and panoramic sunroof plus you get a smattering of Simply Clever features. It may look like there’s a stark lack of physical controls but the three dials on the dash pull more than their weight — each one has multiple functions. The ones on the side control cabin temperature, seat heating and cooling. The centre dial is configurable and you can programme it with up to four different functions including fan speed, air direction, drive mode selector, map zoom and volume. That takes care of most functions you will use on the go and they’re quite intuitive to use. ADAS? Not on the cards for now. Skoda says that you can expect it in future updates of the Kodiaq. Their reasoning is that the European-spec ADAS is too reactive to our conditions and needs to be reprogrammed for our roads. Which is in the works. Don’t expect it to be activated retroactively though.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq second and third row

Space is certainly generous in the second row. There’s been no real change in wheelbase, but it's not like the Kodiaq was lacking in space and needed improvement. The seats are mighty comfortable, with a comfortable base and good recline angle. There are some interesting solutions to make the backseat more comfortable — commonplace ones like three-zone climate control and a sun blind, plus unique ones like a tablet holder and a tray on the transmission tunnel. One thing that is missing compared to the last generation car is those unique headrests that were part of the Power Nap Package. Turns out, regulators in the EU didn’t think they were too safe for third-row passengers, and have tightened the screws here.

The third row in the Kodiaq is a compromise. Knee room is adequate if you move the second row forward, but it is a knee-up position that isn’t very comfortable. The longer overhang has allowed them to increase the height of the third-row backrest by 15mm for better support, but no one is going to be too comfortable in here for very long. Use it in a pinch, but what the Kodiaq is a real monster at is boot space: even with all three rows up it manages 281 litres (11 more than before), and with the third row folded it has 786 litres (21 more than before) and with two rows folded it has a massive 1976 litres.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq engine

Under the hood is an updated version of the EA888 engine which was already doing duty on the Kodiaq in the last generation. In this version, it makes 201bhp and 320Nm. It comes mated exclusively to a DSG transmission and comes with a Haldex AWD as standard — both of which get software updates. Skoda hasn’t quoted any performance figures to us yet but my guess is 0-100kmph will be in the sub 8 seconds. It certainly does give the impression of being rather energetic, particularly if you’ve dialled the drive modes (only available on the L&K) up to Sport. Even in Comfort mode, it is plenty quick and will make quick work of overtakes. Refinement is great, the engine likes to rev and it is buttery smooth even as you approach the redline. The DSG remains as snappy as I remember it to be, delivering quick shifts without hesitation and keeping you happy in the driver’s seat. Paddle shifters are always nice to have. Skoda does claim an improved ARAI fuel efficiency of 14.86kmpl, though we do know real-world figures will be less than that. Those aerodynamic improvements will pay dividends at high speed, but fuel efficiency with these TSI engines is ultimately a function of your driving habits. I know the follow-up question to this is always about diesel: Skoda did confirm a diesel Kodiaq for India and that could still be on the cards. It will, however, be some time away. For now, we’re only getting the petrol.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq ride and handling

The fact that the wheelbase hasn’t changed may lull you into thinking that changes under the skin aren’t significant, but they are. Fun fact: the platform and suspension have both been upgraded for this generation. (Not so) fun fact: you don’t get DCC on the Kodiaq any more. This was an intentional decision — one that stemmed from keeping prices in check. Sure, this is a downgrade but the bigger question is, how does it drive without DCC and do I miss it? To answer the first question: it's very comfortable. The Kodiaq has always had great ride and handling balance and they’ve certainly got the ride sorted here. At lower speeds, a certain kind of sharp bump may fool you into thinking it is firm but you soon realise that it does a very good job of absorbing bad roads. At higher speeds, it soaks up undulations confidently and remains incredibly stable and composed. All of those characteristics of European cars that we love? They’re still in here. The handling bit is territory we haven’t broached yet. We were testing the car at night in south Mumbai and Atal Setu, and didn’t really get close to its limits. I suspect this is where DCC would come in handy — to simply firm things up for better body control and responses. Which brings me to my second question: unless you’re going to be chasing apexes on your favourite hill road, you won’t miss the DCC. Whether it is city driving or highway driving, the standard springs and dampers do a competent job.

Anything else to note about the 2025 Skoda Kodiaq?

A few notes that I made during testing: the car is very quiet at high speeds. It does get double-glazed acoustic glass and that really elevates the cabin experience on the highway. I found the seating position a bit too high for my liking. I’m not sure if it was the height of the dashboard, the position of the cluster or if the seat is mounted differently but it felt like I was sitting on top of, rather than inside of, the SUV. This is a personal preference though, and while it took me a few minutes to get accustomed to it, it faded into the background after that. The control weights also feel a little lighter than before — in terms of the accelerator, brake and steering. I’d have to drive it back to back with an older Kodiaq to confirm, but that was what it felt like on first impression.

Skoda Kodiaq price and verdict

Prices of the Skoda Kodiaq should be out by the time you’re reading this. Considering the Kodiaq is a CKD, it should undercut the recently launched VW Tiguan (₹49 lakh) which is a CBU. The Kodiaq continues to present itself as a brilliant middle-of-the-road SUV — one that does everything, without really having too many red flags. Sure, keen drivers will miss the DCC and sleepy passengers will miss the nap package but that aside, the new Kodiaq is better than the last one in every way. It slots itself into a nice gap in the SUV market, promising the feeling of a big luxury SUV, but at a much more affordable price point. From that perspective, I think it builds on the legacy of the Gen 1 car. Skoda says they have big ambitions for the Gen 2 Kodiaq in India, and if this is how they are starting, then they’re on the right track.