2022 Skoda Kodiaq arrives

Following its announcement in August, the facelifted Skoda Kodiaq has arrived in Australia, offered in three model grades and priced from $52,990 ride away.

The three grades are Style, Sportline and RS, with changes for this upgrade including a mild design makeover for the exterior, the addition of sequential rear indicators, new dashboard décor, the addition of luggage nets and Skoda logo welcome lights on most grades, as well as a grade-specific changes.

The most noteworthy change is that the Kodiaq RS’s 176kW/500Nm 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine has been deleted, replaced with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 180kW and 370Nm.

Both the Style and Sportline grades are powered by the existing 132kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and four-wheel drive are common to all grades.

Styling changes vary depending on model grade, with the majority applied to the entry-level Style, including chrome trim and detailing on the grille, slimmer headlights and a reshaped bumper with Scout elements front and rear, while the tail lights are slimmer.  Inside, the Style grade adds ‘Linear Diamond’ dashboard décor.

The Kodiaq SportLine grade has no major styling upgrades of its own, but does add Matrix LED headlights with AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) with cornering functionality that automatically adjusts the lighting to suit different conditions, like provide increased side illumination on rural roads and increases the intensity of lighting directly in front of the vehicle in bad weather.

On the Kodiaq RS, there are new ‘Sagittarius’ 20-inch alloy wheels and restyled sports seats with contrasting red stitching and embossed ‘RS’ logos in the front seat uprights. Red contrast stitching also features on the sports steering wheel, shifter boot, centre console, doorcards and dash.

Kodiaq Style highlights

Features on the entry-level MY22 Kodiaq include 19-inch ‘Crater’ alloys, chrome window trim, silver roof rails, power adjustable and heated mirrors, privacy glass, LED headlights and DRLs, a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, suede-appointed seat trim, ambient lighting and a tablet holder.

Convenience and infotainment features include dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning, the 10.25-inch ‘virtual cockpit’ dash display, a 9.2-inch centre console touchscreen, MIB III Columbus navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, electric parking brake, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, auto tailgate, USB Type-C ports and easy-entry third-row seats.

Safety features include a rearview camera, seat belt reminder, fatigue detection, tyre pressure monitoring, multi-collision brake assist, front and rear parking sensors, passenger protect assist and nine airbags.

Kodaiq SportLine highlights

Over the Style grade, the SportLine adds 20-inch ‘Vega’ alloys, and a SportLine Design Package that includes black door mirrors, roof rails, window frames and interior, a ‘black shine’ grille, body-coloured side trim, Alcantara seat and door trim, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, paddle shifters and aluminium-finish pedals.

Fog lamps with cornering functionality, progressive steering, driving mode selection and a customizable ‘Performance Monitor’ are all SportLine upgrades over the Style.

Kodiaq RS highlights

Aside from the aforementioned new ‘Sagittarius’ wheels, the RS is defined by the RS Design package that includes a specific front and rear bumper, red brake calipers, carbon fibre-look dash and door trim, and RS badging.

The RS also gets a panoramic sunroof and heating on the front and rear seats, while the front seats also come with power adjustment, memory function and ventilation.

Safety and driver assistance tech additions unavailable on the lower grades include driving mode selection with Adaptive Chassis, Auto Parking Assist, Manoeuvre Braking Assist and the ‘Off road Mode’ driving assistant for rough terrain, as well as Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Assist, Side Assist with Blind Spot Detection, Emergency Assist and Rear Traffic Alert.

Three-zone air con, a surround-view camera, 12-speaker Canton sound system and the Sleep Package (that’s essentially fold-down wings on the outer seat headrests, dark tint windows and pull-down blinds) also feature on the RS.

Options and Packs

Skoda offer numerous options for the 2022 Kodiaq, including a towbar and side steps, as well as the Tech Pack and Luxury Pack, which are available for the Style and SportLine grades, priced from between $2,900 and $6,500, depending on the pack and the model grade it’s applied to.

The Tech Pack features several items that are standard on the Kodiaq RS, including Adaptive Chassis Control, Automatic Parking Assist, Off road Mode, hands-free tailgate opening and closing, the Sleep Package and Canton sound system.

Like the Tech Pack, the Luxury Pack adds a long list of features that are mostly standard on the RS, including heated front and rear seats, power front seats, a multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifters, multi-function mirrors, Lane Assist, Side Assist with Blind Spot Detection, Rear Traffic Alert, Emergency Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, surround view camera and Matrix LED headlights.

Australian Release and Pricing

The updated Kodiaq Style and SportLine grades are available now, with the Kodiaq RS to come in Q1, 2022. Reflecting improved specification levels on all grades, prices have increased across the board.

2022 Kodiaq Style - $52,990 drive away

2022 Kodiaq SportLine - $57,990 drive away

2022 Kodiaq RS - $74,990 drive away.