2025-26 Wheels Car of the Year Top 8: Skoda Kodiaq Sportline 4x4

After the first stint behind the wheel of the Skoda Kodiaq the judges – all of whom had tested the previous iteration – were unanimous. It looks and feels like a Skoda Kodiaq. There’s been no deviating from the well-worn path and in effect, that’s a good thing because the Kodiaq has always been a sensible choice for family buyers.

With its seven-seat capability and clever cabin, the Kodiaq aims to take down stablemate Volkswagen with a more sensible approach. For buyers the issue is that the price is almost lineball. The Sportline 4×4 on offer for Wheels COTY starts from $58,990 before on-road costs, and at the time of testing was available for $61,990 drive-away. Which means it’s effectively price positioned right alongside the Tayron. Like the Tayron though, the model we’re testing here sits in the middle of the three-model Kodiaq range.

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Skoda does run hard on its value proposition, though, countering Volkswagen’s five-year warranty with seven years of coverage and capped-price servicing to match. The question is whether Skoda’s value-first proposition has been eroded somewhat by its climbing price? The judges agreed that it has.

“As good as the Kodiaq is, why wouldn’t you just buy the Volkswagen?” That statement was uttered more than once during testing.

One reason for choosing the Skoda, however, are its points of difference, from its exterior looks to the set-up of the cabin. Some people might simply prefer to have a less recognisable badge in the driveway. Make no mistake, it is still a well-executed Volkswagen Group large SUV, and very deserving of making it to Round Two.

The judges noted Kodiaq’s excellent cabin, not just its design but its layout and positing of key controls and storage, as well as the choice of materials throughout. The seats are comfortable for occupants of all heights and sizes, visibility is a strong point, and the cabin has a bright, light-filled ambience to it – vital for family road trips.

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Skoda has stayed the course we’ve come to expect from the brand – that is, clever and functional use of space with a point of difference. The hidden umbrella in the door that some owners don’t even know about is there, the rubbish bins that sit neatly into the door pockets, and general storage options throughout the cabin that ensure this large SUV makes a hell of a lot of sense for family buyers.

Like the Tayron, the judges noted the lack of space for adults in the third row and its ‘occasional’ use scenario. That aside though, the cabin is excellent, with wide door apertures opening to comfortable second-row seats that don’t feel like a park bench, where the kids will be able to charge their devices and store smaller items.

Kodiaq’s control systems and infotainment are an exercise in the simplicity of the old way of doing things. And an example of why the old way isn’t always a bad way. There are enough buttons and dials to ensure crucial functions can be easily and quickly accessed, with no messing around via the touchscreen. Call the judging team curmudgeons, but when you’re trying to change the radio station or blower fan setting on the fly, the presence of conventional controls is a godsend.

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Having said that – and this is where Skoda’s smarts come to the fore – the Kodiaq has still delivered a slew of modern amenity in the form of a whopping 13-inch infotainment screen and configurable 10-inch driver display. Proof once more that you can cleverly mix old with new, and the controls that Skoda has included all work as they should without any recurring issues.

The judges liked the smoothness that’s been engineered into Skoda’s seven-speed dual-clutch, one of the better DCTs you’ll experience. Around town, in low-speed driving, the Kodiaq is precise and punchy, easy to manoeuvre and feels almost a segment smaller than it is. There’s a lightness and response to the controls that means it doesn’t feel heavy or underdone.

Out on the open road though, you’ll notice the heft a little more. The run from 80-110km/h, for example, when you roll out to overtake, doesn’t feel as sharp as the power delivery does lower down in the rev range. The judges also thought the Kodiaq didn’t deal with the nastier bumps as easily as the Tayron did, when driven back-to-back over the same rutted surfaces, and agreed that the ride tune erred more on the side of firm than it did comfort.

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The other departure from Tayron, as noted by the judges, was the amount of noise intrusion into the Kodiaq’s cabin at highway speed. On coarse chip surfaces especially, tyre roar and wind noise make their way into the cabin, disturbing the otherwise comfortable confines.

On the positive side of the ledger, as noted by all the judges, was the way in which the Kodiaq feels tied down and balanced on any road. Turn in is sharp and reliable, the steering is excellent, and the firm suspension takes significant effort to unsettle. “You’d never feel bad about owning this car,” Gover said. “It’s a great thing to drive on roads that most Aussies will take on a family road trip.”

Skoda’s challenge now then – as solid as this revised Kodiaq is – is to keep punching from its higher price point against more premium badges that aren’t much more expensive. There’s more space and more equipment now with the Kodiaq, but it does come at a price. The third row is something of a novelty, like Tayron, and for now there’s no hybrid version when the segment almost demands it.

The updated Kodiaq is another high-achieving SUV from a manufacturer that has made a habit of impressing. It’s just not quite high achieving enough to get right to the pointy end of this year’s Wheels Car of the Year.

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