Skoda Kodiaq price revealed

Skoda is coming in from the SUV wilderness. 

The Czech car maker is set to launch its first family-focused seven-seat Kodiaq SUV in late May, doubling the brand's SUV footprint. 

Priced from $42,990 before on-road costs, the Kodiaq undercuts many of its base all-wheel drive competitors like the $46,490 Mazda CX-9 and $47,550 Toyota Kluger. 

The Kodiaq shares its underpinnings with Drive's reigning Car of the Year, the Volkswagen Tiguan, but is slightly larger to accommodate a third row. 

Power for the Kodiaq comes from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit that produces 132kW and 320Nm and is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto with power delivered to all four wheels. Claimed fuel use for the Kodiaq is 7.6L/100km. 

Initially Skoda will only offer the one model specification, but the range will expand later in 2017 to include a turbocharged diesel variant most likely to be powered by the 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre oil burner found in the Superb. 

Standard safety technology for the Kodiaq includes autonomous emergency braking, multi-collision braking and auto-tensioning seatbelts while standard equipment extends to adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, LED headlights, adaptive headlights, electric park brake, auto tailgate, rear sunshades and auto folding side mirrors. 

Inside, the new SUV scores an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth and voice commands, as well as Alcantara and leather trimmed upholstery, LED interior lighting and a leather wrapped steering wheel. 

Skoda is also offering three optional packs to upgrade the specification of the Kodiaq.  

The first is a Tech pack which costs an additional $2500 and includes adaptive damper control with several driving modes, an upgraded Canton 10-speaker sound system and auto parking assist with brake functions.  

A $4,900 Luxury pack adds ventilated, heated and power adjustable front seats, rear heated seats, perforated leather trimmed seat upholstery in either black or beige, surround view camera, anti-dazzle side mirrors, rear traffic alert, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and traffic jam assist. 

Early adopters in Australia can also choose a Launch pack which costs $5900 and includes all the features from the aforementioned Tech pack as well as 19-inch dark grey alloy wheels. The Launch pack also includes several elements of the Luxury pack such as lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, traffic jam assist, rear traffic alert, surround view camera and anti-dazzle side mirrors. 

The Skoda Kodiaq is also covered by the brand's five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. 

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