Skoda’s family-focused Kodiaq will return with an all-new model later this year

Skoda has given us a new glimpse of its next Kodiaq SUV via a teaser image of the car’s bare shell. The Czech firm also announced that a full unveiling for the Kodiaq will take place in Autumn ahead of a market launch in 2024. 

Although the outgoing Kodiaq was launched way back in 2016, it’s still one of our favourite family-size SUVs, we even gave it our coveted Large SUV of the Year award in 2022. The seven-seat SUV has garnered popularity for its practicality and also its strong range of powertrains.

The range of powertrains is set to expand with the new Kodiaq, however, as new plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid units arrive. Elsewhere we shall see fresh styling and plenty of new tech, allowing the Kodiaq to continue rivalling key competitors in the segment from Hyundai and Kia, as well as in-house rivals from the Volkswagen Group, such as the VW Tiguan Allspace and SEAT Taracco.

• Top 10 best large SUVs to buy 2023

We’ve also caught the next-generation Kodiaq testing as well. Our spy images suggest it will have an evolutionary style that features familiar elements brought right up to date alongside Skoda’s latest design language that will feature on the firm’s new range of electric vehicles such as the Enyaq and upcoming Elroq. Classic Skoda SUV details like the two-piece headlights are instantly visible, with a more upright grille and the signature bonnet dip looking more assertive and less sleek than on the current generation. The body appears to retain the previous car’s basic silhouette, with the roofline staying high all the way back to the tailgate to ensure sufficient headroom for passengers in the third row. The rear lights also look much slimmer and are mounted higher up.

The big changes for the Kodiaq will be focused on its underpinnings. The current Kodiaq sits on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A2 platform – the same used by all the group’s family SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and SEAT Tarraco. However, we expect the next-generation model to move onto the more recent MQB Evo platform, which is used by the current VW Golf, Cupra Formentor, and Skoda Octavia, as well as the upcoming third-generation Tiguan.

Skoda has now confirmed that it will offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the new Kodiaq from launch, featuring the same mechanicals as the upcoming VW Tiguan. This will be sold alongside a range of mild-hybrid and diesel and petrol variants, too, but a full-electric variant is off the cards because the MQB Evo platform does not support pure-EV powertrains.

Another big change will come in the interior design and infotainment. Expect large and crisp displays to be fitted, with an overall layout derived from the current Octavia. Skoda has been on something of a roll with its interior design of late, combining surprisingly sumptuous materials and excellent build quality, while retaining physical controls for things like the heating, ventilation and media. 

Yet despite the Kodiaq’s popularity, the new version will almost certainly be the last offered with regular petrol and diesel engines, as the VW Group, like the entire industry, prepares for widespread electrification. Until then, the new Kodiaq is likely to keep all the features that made the original so popular with family buyers, but this time with even more technology and sophistication. 

Skoda says we can expect a full reveal of the new Kodiaq in autumn 2023, alongside the fourth-generation Superb – with which it will share the same production line in Kvasiny, Czech Republic. The current car starts from £34,760 and we expect a slight increase on pricing for the second-generation model.

Now check out our list of the best family cars to buy now…

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