Czech brand’s family SUV range broadens with the addition of plug-in hybrid power for the popular Kodiaq large SUVReview Location
Berrima, New South Wales
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power has finally made its way into Skoda’s Kodiaq family SUV range, bringing more choice for Aussie buyers wanting the benefits of an EV, without the commitment. Offering around 100km of EV-only driving range, the Kodiaq PHEV is offered in a single Select trim grade with five seats, bridging the gap between mild-hybrid and top-spec RS grades. Priced from just over $63K, the Kodiaq Select PHEV brings an impressive list of standard equipment along with a decent driving experience, but with mounting competition in the PHEV space, is it a worthy contender?
How much does the Skoda Kodiaq PHEV cost?
The 2026 Skoda Kodiaq PHEV is available in a single Select trim grade, priced from $63,490 before on-road costs, or $68,990 drive-away from launch.
Unlike petrol-powered versions of the large SUV which are offered with 4×4 and seven seats, the PHEV comes exclusively in front-wheel drive (FWD), with five seats, due to packaging restrictions.
It slots between the recently launched mild-hybrid Kodiaq Select mHEV (from $49,990 d/a) and the range-topping Kodiaq RS 4×4 (from $76,990 d/a).
Building on the Kodiaq mHEV’s powertrain, the PHEV is powered by the same 110kW 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine but adds an 85kW/330Nm e-motor and 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack to produce combined outputs of 150kW/350Nm, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed DSG (automatic).
It’s also good for a claimed 110km of electric-only driving range, while sipping a combined 1.9L per 100km on the combined cycle, compared to the mild-hybrid’s 6.0L/100km claim.
The Kodiaq PHEV is supported by 11kW AC and 50kW DC charging, the latter of which is claimed to take around 25 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent. However, when plugged in to a household power point, it’ll take around 11 hours for a full charge (0-100%).
Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, heated side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, an electric tailgate and roof rails. Inside, a 10-inch virtual cockpit sits ahead of the driver while a 13-inch central display brings digital radio, navigation, and wireless smartphone mirroring.
Leather upholstery (in black or optional Cognac brown) with heated and power adjust front seats also feature, along with dual wireless phone charging pads, multi-function smart dials, dual gloveboxes, rear window sunshades and a removable storage cubby that sits over the transmission tunnel in the second row.
The Kodiaq comes well equipped on the safety front, with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane assist, rear cross traffic alert and more, which are all standard.
If you want additional luxury items like ventilated front seats with eight massage programs, memory for driver’s seat, Matrix LED headlights, head-up display, intelligent park assist, a premium 13-speaker CANTON sound system, a backlit front grille and more, you’ll have to tick the $6500 Signature package our tester was adorned with.
A panoramic sunroof is also offered for an extra $2000, while all exterior colour options are offered free, except for Velvet Red Premium Metallic, which costs another $770.
The Kodiaq PHEV is covered by Skoda’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.
What’s good about the Skoda Kodiaq PHEV?
Australia saw huge growth in PHEV sales last year, so adding the powertrain choice to one of Skoda’s most popular models – and its 2025 top-seller – only makes sense.
The 2026 Skoda Kodiaq PHEV’s arrival also comes at somewhat convenient timing, given Aussies are warming to PHEV and EVs in even stronger numbers amid extraordinarily high fuel prices spurred by conflict in the Middle East.
From the driver’s seat, it’s a pleasant experience. The cabin is well insulated from outside noise, there’s a very healthy dose of acceleration when you plant your right foot and the Kodiaq PHEV, while slightly firm in its setup, feels resolved on uneven surfaces, smoothing over pockmarked roads and tackling speed bumps and the like without shaking up passengers.
Electricity and petrol power blends seamlessly and you barely feel the petrol engine tick over when it chimes in.
Pricing and Features
Select PHEV2026 SKODA Kodiaq Select PHEV Auto MY26SUV
Automatic Front Wheel Drive
It’s clear that Skoda put plenty of thought into the cabin, with lots of quality materials, nooks, crannies and storage cubbies throughout. The fact that there’s no third row means no compromises for second row passengers and as such, there’s enough room for a pair of adults or three kids.
A trio of top tethers feature in the rear seat, along with ISOFIX anchorage points for the outboard pews.
I love that persistent driver aids – they’re actually not too annoying in the Kodiaq – can be quickly switched off using either a button and scroll wheel on the steering wheel, or with a shortcut button in the top corner of the touchscreen.
Skoda loves to bang on about its ‘clever’ features: an umbrella in the driver’s door trim, door edge guards that magically appear as you open the door and tuck back in on closure, and little rubbish bins, which are admittedly a little flimsy and difficult to use.
Truth be told, it’s these little things that can often sell a car or at least differentiate it from an otherwise monotonous sea of family SUVs that are all very similar.
It’s a pricey investment, but the $6500 Signature pack fitted to our tester feels worth every cent.
The Matrix LEDs are incredibly bright at night – so much so we were flashed by another driver who clearly thought our high beams were on –, the massage seats offer a meaningful beating to your back (in a good way), and the ventilated seats are a must-have in summer.
The panoramic sunroof is also a nice touch, letting loads of light into the cabin when opened, then closing with a proper block-out type shade – as opposed to the cheap mesh screen we tend to see a lot these days – to prevent heat filtering in on hot days.
What’s not so good about the Skoda Kodiaq PHEV?
With a growing number of electrified SUVs Down Under, the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq PHEV arrives at a time when competition is stiff, and its $63K price point makes it as – if not more – expensive than many rivals.
That includes recent arrivals from legacy brands, including the Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80, not to mention the pioneering Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and fresher cut-price competition from China, the BYD Sealion 8.
But unlike those rivals, the plug-in hybrid Kodiaq isn’t offered with seven seats, restricted by the packaging of its PHEV technology – the battery sits under the back seats.
For bigger families, the fact you can only have the Kodiaq PHEV with five seats could be a sticking point.
At 745 litres, it unsurprisingly has the least luggage capacity of all Kodiaq models. However, it’s only about 50L less than petrol-powered 4×4 variants and honestly, it’ll be spacious enough for most families.
Meanwhile, the reverse camera is surprisingly fuzzy given how crisp the touchscreen’s graphics are otherwise, the wireless phone charging pad made my phone overheat (even though Skoda says it has ‘active ventilation’ and then there’s a common complaint I’ve had in many a Volkswagen Group vehicle: the position of the brake pedal.
It sits significantly higher than the accelerator pedal, meaning if you have short legs and/or small feet, you need to crank your ankle to press brake pedal because it sits much higher off the floor, so you don’t mistake one pedal for the other. You get used to it, but it can become rather tiresome (for your ankle) in stop-start traffic.
We also struggled to match Skoda’s measly 1.9L per 100km combined consumption claim, which is really only achievable if you keep the battery constantly topped up.
Once depleted, average consumption is much higher because you’re lugging around added weight without necessarily benefiting from the electrical gubbins.
So yeah, our less impressive as-tested figure of around 5L/100km is what you can expect when you’re not diligently recharging after each long drive but it’s worth noting that includes plenty of highway kilometres, as well as some around town, stop-start traffic.
Should I buy a Skoda Kodiaq PHEV?
The 2026 Skoda Kodiaq Select PHEV is yet another addition to an increasingly crowded market.
Does it completely change the plug-in hybrid SUV game? No.
But it does combine high equipment levels and luxe finishes with strong ownership credentials and that predictably good driving experience we’ve come to expect from Skoda.
And those clever touches? They’re genuinely useful.
So, while it may lack the seven-seat versatility and all-wheel drive grip offered by many rivals, the Kodiaq PHEV’s impressive resume makes it a compelling offering, and one worth checking out.
2026 Skoda Kodiaq PHEV at a glance:
Price: $63,490 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 110kW/250Nm (electric motor: 85kW/330Nm)
Combined output: 150kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed DSG (automatic)
Battery: 25.7kWh lithium-ion
Range: 110km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 14.8kWh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 1.9L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 42g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2024)
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