Skoda Kodiaq - MPG, emissions & running costs

The Skoda Kodiaq is surprisingly efficient despite being larger than the old model thanks to improvements in drag coefficient (now 0.28 compared to 0.31 of the first generation), and a range of efficient engines. The 1.5-litre petrol has cylinder deactivation technology that’ll switch off two cylinders at a constant cruise to save on petrol, and returns a fuel efficiency of 47.4mpg on a combined cycle. That easily beats the old Kodiaq’s non-hybrid 1.5-litre petrol, which barely got over 40mpg - although the new car’s figure does drop to 46.2mpg in the seven-seater.

The diesel is even more frugal, as you’d expect, with 53.2mpg (51.7mpg in the seven-seater) and the more powerful 4x4 diesel returning 44.1mpg, making it more frugal than the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe with their 2.2-litre diesels. During our test, we managed to coax 47.7mpg out of the 148bhp diesel seven-seat model on a mixture of roads. 

The petrol and diesels' emissions numbers are all in a similar ballpark. The mild hybrids predictably emit less (136g/km and 139g/km for the five- and seven-seater, respectively), while the diesels emit 139g/km to 143g/km in the 148bhp model, although the extra weight of the 190bhp model with seven-seats and four-wheel drive increases emissions to 168g/km. 

The plug-in hybrid's fuel efficiency hasn’t been revealed yet, but it’ll certainly be the best version to run for company car drivers – as long as the battery is topped up. With 62 miles of electric-only running, it matches the Volkswagen Tiguan plug-in hybrid for electric range – hardly surprising given it shares the same PHEV system. During our test, we got a real-world predicted range of 55 miles, which isn’t too bad.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

With a 40kW charging capacity, you can recharge the 25.7kWh battery from 10-80 per cent in 25 minutes, meaning most could realistically run the Kodiaq iV on electric power for the majority of journeys – although rapid charging a PHEV would be a lot more expensive than plugging it in at home on a cheaper overnight tariff. 

Warranty information regarding the battery pack hasn’t been announced yet, but we know that the similar Volkswagen Tiguan plug-in hybrid is guaranteed to retain 70 per cent capacity over five years and 100,000 miles. We anticipate the Kodiaq having a similar warranty period.

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Tax

You will have to pay £270 in car tax for the mild-hybrid petrol and the lesser diesel models although it’s worth remembering the higher-spec SE L with seven seats costs over £40,000, and will incur an additional fee of £410 a year for five years from the second time the vehicle is taxed. The 190bhp diesel will cost £680 a year to tax. The plug-in hybrid should avoid the first-year road tax fee due to it being an alternative fuel vehicle, but we’ll have to wait for pricing to be announced to find out if it’ll cost more than £40,000 when new.

Insurance groups

Insurance group rankings haven’t been released at the time of this review, but we’ll update this section as soon as they are.

Depreciation

It’s too early to tell how the new Kodiaq will fare in terms of depreciation, but the old model retained 52 per cent of its value on average over three years and 36,000 miles. Given the new car will appeal to a similar customer base and sits in the same class as before we should see similar depreciation figures.