Skoda Kodiaq iV – plugged in to value

SPEC CHECK

MAKE: Skoda.

MODEL: Kodiaq iV 1.5 TSI SE L Plug-in Hybrid.

ENGINE: 1.5-litre TSI petrol + 85kW electric motor.

POWER: 204PS.

PERFORMANCE: 0-62 in 8.4 secs, top speed 130mph.

ECONOMY: 686.3-609.9mpg Combined, electric range 73 miles.

CO2 EMISSIONS: 35g/km.

BiK RATING: 5%.

INSURANCE: Group 25 (1-50).

PRICE: £44,745 on the road.

WHAT’S HOT: Space, practicality, economy, comfort.

WHAT’S NOT: No seven seat option.

RATINGS (out of 10)

LOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

RIDE AND HANDLING . . . . .8

PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . .7

VALUE FOR MONEY . . . . . . 8

THE breadth of choice for prospective buyers of a family car has never been more varied, but identifying the perfect model narrows the field considerably.

Close to top of the list has to be Skoda’s large SUV flagship the Kodiaq, a major player in the Czech brand’s record UK market share last year.

There’s plenty in the line-up to choose from too, with petrol, diesel, mild hybrid and PHEV plug-in hybrids all available in five or seven-seater versions with two or four-wheel drive and all with twin-clutch DSG auto transmission.

Prices start at £39,045 but you pay a fair bit more for our tested iV plug-in hybrid that offers a wealth of equipment and some serious efficiency for the £44,745 price tag.

But let’s be clear, the Kodiaq is designed as a no nonsense family SUV – with that touch of class and quality that edges it closer to the premium, much more expensive, end of the market.

And it ticks all the relevant boxes courtesy of its degree of interior space, huge boot, refined engineering and standard equipment, all wrapped up in an eye-catching design.

A comfortable, well sorted cabin ensures plenty of stowage with the likes of deep bins in the doors, a pair of gloveboxes, an armrest container plus a centre console housing two smartphone charging pads and several USB-C sockets. You also get climate controls in the rear.

Space in the square-shaped boot allows a capacity of 910 litres with the rear seats upright and 2,105 litres with them folded down.

A 10.25-inch driver’s display controlled via the steering wheel is standard across the range along with a 13-inch infotainment touchscreen from which most of the car’s functions can be accessed.

Solutions to everyday problems come in the form of Skoda’s time-honoured Simply Clever initiative and in the case of the Kodiaq that means handy features including an ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, umbrella hidden in a door panel, smartphone holder pocket in the front seat plus a screen cleaner for wiping marks off the display.

If seven seats is an important consideration then the iV model isn’t for you – it’s limited to five in order to accommodate the 25.7kWh battery pack in the back.

On the positive side though it’s a plug-in hybrid, combining the Skoda’s 1.5-litre petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor and the battery for a 73-mile electric range.

That said, as a PHEV rather than self-charging hybrid you need to be disciplined by keeping the battery charged and reap the reward of being able to complete an average commute without using any petrol.

To that end the Kodiaq iV can support 50kW DC rapid charging, making for a 10-80 per cent boost in 26 minutes, in under three hours using a home wallbox or about 8.5 hours using a domestic three-pin socket.

Out on the road the transition between electric power and the combustion engine is pretty seamless and while the car’s performance is acceptable rather than exhilarating it is also very smooth.

That’s near ideal for family motoring – a bit of kick when you need it (0-62 in 8.4 seconds), light steering, suspension tuned for comfort and bags of practicality.

As a high-spec option in the Kodiaq line-up the iV SE L trim comes with kit like Matrix LED headlamps, 19-inch alloy wheels, 14-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory function, power operated tailgate, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and blind spot detection with door exit warning to name but a few standard features.

And many of the car’s fabrics are made with sustainable materials like recycled plastic bottles and in the case of leather seats the tanning has been done using coffee beans.