DriveLife has been a huge fan of the Škoda Kodiaq since its launch in 2017; a 7 seat, medium-large SUV that drove brilliantly, looked good, and started at under $40K? What a recipe for a sales success.
And succeed it did. We gave the Kodiaq our Best Value Car of the Year Award in 2017, and in the same year, the model took out New Zealand Car Of The Year. To date, over 3,600 Kodiaqs have been sold in New Zealand.
Since then, there’s been the odd model tweak, such as the RS coming along, and we reviewed that model in 2022. First launched in 2017, the Kodiaq was then revised in 2021, and to be honest, the Kodiaq has lingered on the shelf a bit, not really getting much Skoda-love along the away.
Until 2025, that is, when Škoda invited us to the launch of the new model. Will it be at least as good as the previous model? For many people, it’s the value that counts, something that the Kodiaq has always provided. Will we see a well-priced ‘base’ model? We headed to Auckland to find out.
ŠKODA NEW ZEALAND: UPDATE
Alex Brown, General Manager of Škoda New Zealand, opened with a sobering statement: “Most of us want to forget last year”. He was referring the sales numbers across the industry after years of models being sold out, and car companies taking backorders. But then, 2024 hit.
But he does see 2025 as being far more active, as far as the market goes, with Škoda planning of a group of new or refreshed models, and in the first 6 months:
- The new Kodiaq, released today
- Launch of the updated Superb
- Launch of the new Octavia RS
Later this year we’ll see the new Kodiaq RS (May), the all-new Elroq (a smaller SUV EV, launching in July), and the updated Enyaq, also in July.
ŠKODA NEW ZEALAND: PRODUCT OVERVIEW
2025 ŠKODA SUPERB
This will be the second refresh of the third generation of Superb; it’s bigger, more aerodynamic, has more headroom all front and rear, and also has an extra 30 litres of boot space in the Combi (an extra 20 litres in the hatchback model).
The turning circle is a tight (for the size of the car) 11.1 metres.
Superb Wagon TSI 195kW
Initially, we’ll see only one model of the Superb Wagon, the all-wheel drive TSI 195kW. It’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol motor that outputs 195kW of power and 400Nm of torque. It’s priced at $74,990 and has updated features including LED headlights, heated, vented and massaging front seats with 4-way electric lumbar adjust, and has a 13” centre display.
This model uses around 8.2L/100km of petrol, meets the EURO6 standard for emissions, and gets to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds.
Superb Sportline Wagon 195kW – coming later in 2025
Later on, we’ll get the Superb Sportline Wagon. This is a sportier version of the ‘base’ Superb Wagon, and has 19” alloys, rear LED taillights, 2nd generation matrix LED headlights, sports bumpers, and roof rails, as well as:
· Progressive steering with a steering damper
· Massaging, ventilated and heated front seats
· A CANTON sound system
· Rear headrests with “sleep functionality” headrests to help you sleep, blinds, and a blanket
This model is on its way now, and expected to arrive in April.
2025 ŠKODA OCTAVIA WAGON TSI 110kW
The Octavia model was first launched back in 1959, and apparently was the platform for the Trekka – who knew? That 1959 date does mean that the Octavia has been around for 66 years, and mention was made that this is longer than the 50 years the Volkswagen Golf is celebrating.
The design is crisp and fresh, while carrying the current Škoda family design. There are optional LED matrix headlights at the front and a new grille. The Octavia will be powered by the standard 1.4-litre, turbocharged petrol engine and is priced at $58,990.
This year will see the 4th generation revised model, and it comes with features such as:
· 10” or 13” centre touchscreen
· Optional LED matrix headlights
· Qi wireless phone charging
· Optional heads-up display
· Walk-away door locking
2025 ŠKODA OCTAVIA RS
This year will see the new Octavia RS, and it comes with some tasty features, like:
· A VAQ electrohydraulic limited-slip front diff
· Progressive steering
· A 195kW EVO 4 engine
· Second-generation matrix LED headlights
· 19” alloys
· RS Sports suspension (lowered 15mm)
· A 13” centre screen
· Adaptive chassis control
· A sports exhaust
There will be two models of Octavia RS available here;
RS Fabric $67,900
RS+ $73,990
The RS plus has the same powertrain, but adds electric seats, suede-leather seating, and a Canton audio system.
2025 ŠKODA KODIAQ
There will be three versions of the new Kodiaq, and initially, none of those are the very popular RS model. The ‘old’ model RS will continue until the new one comes along later in the year. The Kodiaq RS is Škoda New Zealand’s biggest-selling model.
The three models are:
· TSI 110kw – $54,990 (entry-level, 5-seater)
· TSI 110kW+ Price TBC (7 seats, adds an electric seats and tailgate)
· Selection TDI 142kw $74,990 – diesel AWD (7 seats)
The two 110kW models are powered by 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo-petrol motor, while the TDI has a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine. That 1.4-litre petrol motors is a carry-over from the previous Kodiaq, while the 2.0-litre diesel is a Škoda unit that has been reworked to apparently emit fewer emissions than the 1.4-litre petrol engine, and manages 142kW of power and 400Nm of torque. Both engines are mated to Škoda’s 7-speed automatic DSG transmission. The new diesel engine meets Euro 6 standards.
Globally, the Kodiaq is available as a plug-in or mild hybrid, but those models are not coming here (yet).
Both petrol models are front-wheel drive only, while the diesel is all-wheel drive.
Boot space in the new Kodiaq has grown by 75 litres, while the car is also slightly longer, lower, and narrower. Škoda claims the boot space is larger than its competitors, such as the Mazda CX-80, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, and Volkswagen Tiguan. That space is large, with 2,035 litres available with the seats down in the 7 seater, and 2,105 in the 5-seater.
The two 110kW models get a 10” centre display, while the TDI moves up in size to a 13” unit.
Other changes overall include updated Travel Assist, a column-mounted gear shift, waste bins in the doors, a knee rest for the drive, crystal LED matrix headlights, and finally the Kodiaq has Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR).
Another change on the inside is a digital driver’s dashboard at 10” wide, and also use of soft materials below the centre screen, to rest your wrist on while tapping the screen. It’s a nice touch.
Thankfully, there are no haptic steering wheel buttons, and Škoda has retained thumbwheels on the steering wheel. They’ve also kept physical aircon controls – so it’s all buttons and dials, and that’s fine with us. The dials are multipurpose, so one dial will do the driver’s side aircon temperature and a push of the dial will change its function to turning on the heated seat.
There’s also a new ‘Smart Dial” between those two knobs, and this can be programmed to do up to four tasks, such as change the air direction, map zoom, volume, or Smart Climate control.
An annoying feature on the previous Kodiaq was the adaptive cruise control stalk; it didn’t work as you thought it should. This has been rectified, and is now much simpler to use. We’ll test it out on the drive today.
Safety has been a big part of the new Kodiaq; for example, there are now side-rear airbags fitted, even thought these are not required (yet) for a 5-star ANCAP rating. The new Kodiaq hasn’t actually been ANCAP rated yet, but it does carry a 5-star Euro safety rating in the meantime. There’s a long list of safety features that we’ll cover off in our full review.
Door edge protection have made a welcome return. These were removed in a refresh of the Kodiaq, as the company found users were holding them to open or close the door, and then breaking them. That was a shame, as they were one of the best features of any car of the time. Now, they’re redesigned to be stronger and less prone to breaking.
Inside, there’s now a Phone Box that can charge up to two cell phones wireless, and it’s also ventilated, so will keep your phones cool while they charge.
Note that only the top-spec diesel TDI model Kodiaq is available now, the base petrol model should be arriving next month, with the mid-spec model arriving later.
2025 ŠKODA KODIAQ: DRIVE IMPRESSIONS
In the flesh, the new Kodiaq feels far removed from the previous generation, especially when it’s finished in the Bronx Gold Metallic of the car we were going to drive – what a stunning colour.
The Kodiaq has really moved into 2025 with this styling update, while the family DNA is definitely still there.
Starting off as a passenger, I was gladdened to see that Škoda has retained the double glovebox arrangement of the previous model. You can never have too many places to store the rubbish you never use.
Testing out the car’s SatNav, the new centre screen is a decent size at 13”, it’s also very crisp, and is quick to flick between screens. No complaints here.
One bonus Škoda didn’t mention is that the car has two Qi wireless charging pads at the front of the centre console. At least, we’re seeing this a little more often, and it’s a welcome change, instead of having a single Qi charger.
After a while driving, it was noted that there’s almost no wind or road noise coming into the cabin – it’s all very serene and calm. There’s occasional tyre noise on coarse-chip seal, but overall there’s a huge improvement in ambient noise in the cabin. Not that the previous generation of Kodiaq was bad, but this new model is really something else.
Thirty minutes into the drive, my driver from AA Directions Magazine and I remark on how quiet the engine is. Embarrassingly, it took us about a minute to realise that we were driving the diesel version of the Kodiaq, as that’s all Škoda can get at the moment. That engine has been updated, with a large amount of R&D sunk into it, and it shows. It’s incredibly smooth and quiet. You really have to listen to pick up the occasional noise that might make you think it’s a diesel. Top marks so far, for this engine.
Swapping seats, it was time to experience what the new Kodiaq is like. It’s punchy and smooth, with ample torque for quick and easy overtaking manoeuvrers.
The transmission is a bit of a highlight; it’s not a new unit, but it’s perfectly matched to the engine’s needs. Driving this car is an absolute pleasure when everything is working so well together.
While the ride is firm on some bumps, overall it’s relatively smooth riding, and the slightly firmer suspension means that the new Kodiaq handles easily as well as the old model, and likely better. You can really punch it through the bends if needed.
Heading back to the motorway, and it’s time to test out the new adaptive cruise controller; it’s still a stalk, but the operation has been changed to reflect how everyone else does it, which is a sensible move. Now, to increase your speed is a quick tap up to go up by 1km/h, or a push-up to go up 10km/h. To slow down, it’s taps or a push-down instead of up. Easy!
It’s silky smooth, too. While we’ll need to spend a week behind the wheel testing the new Kodiaq properly, the adaptive cruise was excellent in the short time I drove the car.
Probably one of the simplest and best new features is something that likely costs around $1 to produce; a screen cleaner. It’s a small, plastic rectangular object with felt on 4 sides, and it lives in its own little holder down on the centre console. You can wipe the screen while the screen is on, and no ‘buttons’ will be pushed. Simply Clever? Definitely.
That was our drive over, but first impressions – of the new diesel model at least – are excellent, and we look forward to carrying out our normal full and comprehensive review of the 2025 Škoda Kodiaq soon.
EUROPEAN MOTOR DISTRIBUTORS: PARTS DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
There was one more treat for the day; a quick tour of the ‘new’ European Motor Distributors (EMD) part centre. While it’s 18 months old, I’m never one to turn down any sort of factory tour.
The place is huge, and even better, it’s still joined to the old parts distribution centre, so the EMD parts pickers can utilise both buildings for storage.
With over 66,000 part numbers and their allocated number of spares held, the shelves are around 30 feet high, and loaded to the max with bits and pieces for the brands that EMD represent, like Škoda, Audi, and Volkswagen.
The parts pickers collect between 50 and 90 parts per hour – so roughly one part picked per minute. This might seem impossible, but the whole place is an example of systems working perfectly.
Up on the huge roof are many solar panels that see the building not needing any extra power from the national grid, if there is enough sun. There are also two massive water tanks, so that rainwater is collected and used for all the building’s needs, including drinking and toilets.
There are other nods to sustainability, such as the special concrete that used but emits no carbon. Thought has been made around every aspect of the building’s design, sustainability, and usability, with lessons learned from the older building.
Walking among the parts is mind-blowing. On one rack, there are 4,500 front or rear screens for various models, and the racks for bumpers stretches well into the distances.
The new building is 9,000 square metres in size, and allowance has been made for growth in spare parts retention, if it’s needed. A mind-blowing experience to see this place in action.
