What We Like
Spacious, comfortable and familiar cabin
Sufficiently perky 1.4-litre engine
Easy to drive
Affordable choice, hopefully
What We Dislike
Can be quite bouncy on poorly-paved roads
Not the seven-seater version we're getting in Singapore
The brand new Skoda Kodiaq is one of the two new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) offerings from the Czech brand (the other being the Karoq), as the brand looks to further expand its model range.
Okay, tell me about it...
First things first, we need to get something out of the way - this car that you see here isn't exactly the same as what is presently available in Singapore. This is a 1.4-litre front-wheel drive (FWD) five-seater version, whereas the Kodiaq is presently available in Singapore with a 2.0-litre engine, all-wheel drive (AWD) and with seven seats.
The Kodiaq is one of the two brand new SUV offerings from the Skoda brand
What?
Yeah, well, it happens. But, Singapore will eventually get a 1.4-litre FWD seven-seater version sometime in the near future, expected to be in July. So, this story isn't entirely irrelevant.
Visually, the Kodiaq is reasonably good-looking, with its sharp lines, angular details and sizeable presence. From some angles, particularly from the rear, it bears more than a passing resemblance to an Audi.
The cabin is a spacious, comfortable and familiar place to be inInside, it's promising. There are a lot of parts picked from the Volkswagen parts bin (obviously), and that lends it an immediate sense of quality and familiarity. In the centre console, you will find a 8.0-inch touchscreen display running the 'Bolero' infotainment system, which also offers SmartLink+ connectivity between your smartphone and the vehicle. The only part that feels dated is the dashboard, which still uses the older, analogue dials.
The 'Bolreo' infotainment system is pretty to look at and easy to use
And how does it drive?
We drove the car around Mlada Boleslav (where the Skoda factory is), and even with a fairly short time with the car, there were all sorts of road conditions thrown our way - highways, well-paved country roads, poorly maintained country roads, even train track crossings. The Kodiaq copes well with highways and reasonably well-maintained roads - the suspension is definitely on the softer side, which aids in cruising comfort.
Okay, tell me about it...
First things first, we need to get something out of the way - this car that you see here isn't exactly the same as what is presently available in Singapore. This is a 1.4-litre front-wheel drive (FWD) five-seater version, whereas the Kodiaq is presently available in Singapore with a 2.0-litre engine, all-wheel drive (AWD) and with seven seats.
What?
Yeah, well, it happens. But, Singapore will eventually get a 1.4-litre FWD seven-seater version sometime in the near future, expected to be in July. So, this story isn't entirely irrelevant.
Visually, the Kodiaq is reasonably good-looking, with its sharp lines, angular details and sizeable presence. From some angles, particularly from the rear, it bears more than a passing resemblance to an Audi.
And how does it drive?
We drove the car around Mlada Boleslav (where the Skoda factory is), and even with a fairly short time with the car, there were all sorts of road conditions thrown our way - highways, well-paved country roads, poorly maintained country roads, even train track crossings. The Kodiaq copes well with highways and reasonably well-maintained roads - the suspension is definitely on the softer side, which aids in cruising comfort.
However, the trade off is that on the bumpy roads that wind through some of the small towns in the area, the car does feel quite bouncy and a little unsettled (especially if you try to drive it aggressively). Of course, the good news is that you shouldn't have such issues in Singapore, since our roads are generally quite smooth (and quite straight, too).
In five-seat guise, the Kodiaq offers 630 litres of boot space, expandable to a massive 2,005 litresAs far as power is concerned, this 1.4-litre TSI engine produces 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. For normal city driving, that's more than sufficient. Overtaking manoeuvres are not instantaneous, but still brisk enough that you wouldn't have to think twice about it.
The Kodiaq also packs a fair number of safety and assistance systems that help the car feel more modern. There's Driver Alert, Front Assist, Blind Spot Detect and Rear Traffic Alert, as well as Park Assist.
The turbocharged 1.4-litre engine dishes out 148bhp and 250Nm of torque
You're saying it shows promise?
Yes, from our brief time with it, we do think that it has more than a fighting chance of being successful in Singapore. The powertrain (1.4-litre engine, FWD) is more than sufficient in our city, and we think the 2.0-litre AWD could be a bit overkill. What's more, this variant will be cheaper to buy and cheaper to run.
Unfortunately we can't really pass any kind of judgment as far as it being a seven-seater SUV is concerned, since we didn't actually drive that variant. For that, you'll have to wait till we do a local drive to find out.
The Skoda Kodiaq is a promising new addition to the wealth of SUV offerings in SingaporeHowever, when you piece those parts together, it's a recipe with good promise. Generous space, immense practicality, comfortable drive, it's all promising enough. Of course, the big question remains - how much will it end up costing? That will probably be the biggest factor in the Kodiaq's success in Singapore.
The Kodiaq also packs a fair number of safety and assistance systems that help the car feel more modern. There's Driver Alert, Front Assist, Blind Spot Detect and Rear Traffic Alert, as well as Park Assist.
You're saying it shows promise?
Yes, from our brief time with it, we do think that it has more than a fighting chance of being successful in Singapore. The powertrain (1.4-litre engine, FWD) is more than sufficient in our city, and we think the 2.0-litre AWD could be a bit overkill. What's more, this variant will be cheaper to buy and cheaper to run.
Unfortunately we can't really pass any kind of judgment as far as it being a seven-seater SUV is concerned, since we didn't actually drive that variant. For that, you'll have to wait till we do a local drive to find out.
