Skoda Kodiaq vRS review

You sit nice and high in the Kodiaq, looking down on folk in their conventional hatchbacks and even smaller SUVs, such as the Audi Q2 and Seat Ateca. Pull up alongside a Range Rover, though, and you suddenly feel quite small.

The driving position is hard to fault, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel to set everything up just how you like it. Not only are the seats comfortable, but they also offer plenty of side support for enthusiastic cornering.

The Kodiaq’s dashboard is logically laid out and a doddle to use. There are plenty of big, clearly labelled buttons, such as those for the climate control, which you can hit easily on the move, while the configurable digital instruments are crystal-clear and legible at a glance.

Visibility is good all round, thanks to the Kodiaq’s boxy shape, and you get front and rear parking sensors to assist during tight manoeuvres. You also get powerful LED headlights to help see in the darkest of conditions. A 360deg camera and self-parking system are optional.

Infotainment is taken care of by a crisp, clear touchscreen with sat-nav, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. The menus are easy to navigate, although rotary dial-controlled systems such as that in the Mazda CX-5 are easier to use on the move.

The Kodiaq’s interior is a smorgasbord of soft-touch materials and nicely damped buttons and switches; harder plastics are for the most part kept well out of sight. It makes rivals such as the Nissan X-Trail and Hyundai Santa Fe feel decidedly low-rent inside and even edges the Kia Sorento for outright quality. That’s helped by the vRS’s perforated leather steering wheel, leather and Alcantara suede seats and carbonfibre-effect trims.