Skoda Kodiaq review - Interior & comfort

Skoda hasn’t gone for groundbreaking or innovative interior design, but has instead focused on improving quality and usability through simple, but effective solutions. There’s a little more flair compared with the cabin of the outgoing Kodiaq, though, and we like the brand’s new ‘Smart Dials’, which help retain a good balance of physical and virtual controls.

Is the Skoda Kodiaq’s infotainment and navigation system easy to use?

While it doesn’t get the 15-inch screen of the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Skoda Kodiaq uses a 13-inch infotainment screen that we think is substantial enough and is clear and crisp. The menus are simple, but easy to navigate, and the sat-nav system is intuitive and easy to follow. The configurable shortcut buttons are a little small, but easy enough to use while driving.

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Thankfully there’s no annoying touch-sensitive panel underneath for the climate controls and volume in the Kodiaq – instead, the brand has implemented its ‘Smart Dials’ which are also found in the latest Superb. These are physical dials which can change function by pushing the face, meaning you don’t have to have a million controls cluttering the dash, but still get the benefit of intuitive physical controls. Our only gripe with them is that they don’t feel very solid – instead, they’re a little cheap to the touch.

Ahead of the driver, there’s a 10.25-inch display which is clear to use, though the map readout is a little lower resolution than that of the main infotainment screen.

Is the Skoda Kodiaq well equipped?

Skoda’s ethos is to offer good value for money, and the Kodiaq feels well-equipped as a result. Entry-level SE cars get niceties you might not expect, like heated front seats and wireless smartphone charging. For now the only other trim is the SE L which brings a few extras like larger wheels, adaptive LED matrix headlights, leather upholstery and a powered tailgate. We think SE is well equipped enough for most buyers, however.

SportLine looks the most aggressive until the vRS trim arrives, and brings 20-inch alloy wheels (with black aero inserts), black exterior trim, microsuede interior upholstery with grey stitching, aluminium pedals and three-spoke sports steering wheels with paddle shifters for the DSG automatic gearbox. 

There are some options available for the Kodiaq, and we’d be tempted by the Winter Pack that adds heated front and rear seats, along with a heated steering wheel to SE and SE L trims for around £300. If you’re a fan of head-up displays, it’s also available for SE L and SportLine cars, but you’ll need to stump up just over £500.