Luxury upgrade for Skoda Kodiaq

Unless you’re a fully-fledged car nerd, it’s unlikely you’ll have heard of either Václav Laurin or Václav Klement. So here’s a bit of back story for you.

Back in 1895, those two gentlemen went into the business of building bicycles. In 1905, the company made the switch from bicycles to cars, very quickly becoming the largest automotive manufacturer in what was then, Austria-Hungary. In 1925, the firm of Laurin and Klement was acquired by an industrial conglomerate and rebranded as Skoda Auto. The rest is history, and the names of Laurin and Klement live on in the latest range-topping Skoda Kodiaq L&K trim-level.

Skoda is expanding its award-winning Kodiaq range with the introduction of a new flagship model. The latest L&K edition builds on the success of its predecessor to offer one of the most comprehensive specification lists in the Skoda line-up.

Excellent news for anyone considering leasing a roomy and practical SUV then...

The new Kodiaq L&K model will sit above the current SE L version in the updated line-up and will be available with three drivetrain options. Like other models in the Kodiaq range, the L&K trim-level continues to set the benchmark for luxurious practicality, offering outstanding versatility for larger families.

All-wheel drive models will offer a choice of 2.0-litre powertrain options, one petrol and one diesel. Both generate around 200bhp, and both are bolted to a seven-speed DSG gearbox as standard. Regardless of engine choice, you also get a seven-seater layout with a boot space that expands from 340-litres to a smidge over 2,000-litres depending on how many of the seats you’ve folded down.

L&K model offers plug-in hybrid option

For the first time, Skoda is also offering the range-topping L&K model with a plug-in hybrid engine option. Like the traditional combustion engine options, Skoda’s 1.5 TSI iV hybrid drivetrain also produces around 200bhp, as well as offering up to 71 miles in electric mode, making the new model the most fuel-efficient Kodiaq L&K to date. The only downside, for some at least, is that the hybrid version is only available in five-seat format and has a slightly smaller boot space of up to 1,945-litres. But it will certainly be of interest to business users and those on salary sacrifice schemes supplied by our partner The Electric Car Scheme.

In terms of exterior design, the Kodiaq L&K sits on stylish 20-inch alloy wheels and features running boards, metallic paint, and bespoke L&K badging as standard. As with the first-generation model, the real focus of the new Kodiaq L&K is also to deliver a first-class travelling experience on the inside as well.

Welcome to a luxurious interior

The comprehensive specification list includes a range of comfort and technology features as standard, along with the brand’s most luxurious leather interior design selection, ‘Suite Cognac’. Front seat passengers benefit from electrically adjustable seats with memory settings, massage function, and ventilation, while those in the back can also keep warm and toasty thanks to the heated rear seats.

Adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and traffic jam assist, area view camera, and a trained parking and remote parking assist are also part of the L&K’s generous specification, alongside a ‘Virtual Pedal’ electric boot opening function, head up display, and premium sound system. The new Skoda Kodiaq L&K also boasts a heated windscreen, aluminium pedals, a variable boot floor for flexible storage solutions, and exclusive L&K floor mats that complete the exclusive range-topping feel.

When it comes to comfort and practicality, it’s hard to beat the flexibility and sense of rugged solidity a large SUV can offer.

The Skoda Kodiaq was already an excellent choice in its segment; the new range-topping L&K model will only serve to reinforce that fact when Skoda opens the order books on 17 December.