New Laurin & Klement trim: distinctive styling and enhanced comfort
The new range-topping Laurin & Klement trim combines elegance with enhanced comfort and is available with a choice of powertrains. Equipment highlights include seats with a massage function, complemented on the outside by silver roof rails, body-coloured front and rear bumpers and side sills, and alloy wheels designed specifically for this trim. Laurin & Klement badges inside and out make the new trim instantly recognisable.
New 200 kW plug-in hybrid: more power and DC fast charging
The new plug-in hybrid raises the system output to 200 kW, up 50 kW from the current 150 kW version. Improvements to the combustion engine and revised software for the powertrain control unit deliver the extra power. A 1.5 TSI four-cylinder petrol engine producing 130 kW works alongside an 85 kW electric motor, drawing energy from a traction battery with a gross capacity of 25.7 kWh (19.7 kWh net). The battery supports DC fast charging at up to 50 kW, making it convenient to recharge during stops on longer journeys.
First-generation Škoda Kodiaq: Alaskan roots and a Nürburgring record
As Škoda Auto marks ten years of the Kodiaq, the model continues to build on its success, having attracted 1.2 million customers across 70 markets worldwide. The first-generation Škoda Kodiaq SUV was unveiled in Berlin on 1 September 2016, with customer deliveries beginning in spring 2017. Škoda’s first large SUV based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, it was available with five or seven seats, a wide range of petrol and diesel powertrains and optional all-wheel drive.
The Škoda Kodiaq captured worldwide attention even before its market launch. On 6 May 2016, the Alaskan city of Kodiak was renamed Kodiaq for one day in honour of the new model from the Mladá Boleslav-based carmaker. The model’s name was inspired by Alaska’s Kodiak Island, with the final ‘q’ derived from the language of the indigenous Alutiiq people.
In 2018, the sporty Kodiaq RS was introduced, becoming the first Škoda SUV to bear the RS badge. It was powered by a 2.0 BiTDI turbodiesel engine delivering 176 kW (239 hp). In June 2018, racing driver Sabine Schmitz took a production Kodiaq RS around the legendary Nordschleife of Germany’s Nürburgring, setting a lap record of 9 minutes 29.84 seconds for seven-seater SUVs that still stands. An update followed in April 2021, introducing Matrix LED headlights and a new 2.0 TSI petrol engine for the Kodiaq RS, delivering 180 kW (245 hp).
The first-generation Škoda Kodiaq was produced from 2016 to 2024, with a total of 866,100 units manufactured. Around 60% of customers chose all-wheel drive, and the five-seater proved slightly more popular than the seven-seater. Its key markets in Europe were Germany, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.
Second generation: Modern Solid design elements, more space and a new plug-in hybrid
The current, second-generation Kodiaq was unveiled on 4 October 2023, with series production starting in Kvasiny in mid-January 2024. The model has built on its predecessor’s success, with almost 330,000 units produced to date. Compared to the first generation, it offers more space, incorporates elements of the Modern Solid design language and features multifunctional rotary Škoda Smart Dials. This generation also introduced a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the range: the Kodiaq iV, with a maximum system output of 150 kW (204 hp) and an all-electric range of over 100 kilometres.
Popular with customers and experts alike
The Kodiaq has proved popular with customers and critics alike. The first generation earned more than 40 accolades, including Top Gear’s ‘Best Car for Big Families’ award and ‘Car of the Year’ titles in the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria. The second generation has continued that success, winning the SUV import category at the Auto Bild Allrad Awards for the third consecutive year in 2026 and receiving further honours from Auto Express and What Car? The Kodiaq RS also reached the final of the 2025 Golden Steering Wheel awards.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does the new Laurin & Klement trim bring to the current-generation Škoda Kodiaq range?
Enhanced comfort.
What is the system output of the new Kodiaq plug-in hybrid?
200 kW.
What is the gross capacity of the traction battery, and what is the maximum DC fast charging power?
25.7 kWh and up to 50 kW.
How many Škoda Kodiaq vehicles have been sold worldwide since the model’s debut?
1.2 million.
