Inside Skoda's Kluger fighter

Skoda started the official reveal campaign for its first seven-seat SUV – and its first direct rival for popular seven-seat SUVs like the Toyota Kluger – in May, when it announced it will be called the Kodiaq.

Since then it has been spied testing several times, revealed in camouflage as part of Skoda's Tour de France sponsorship in July and teased in a series of tightly-cropped exterior images earlier this month.

The drawn-out teaser campaign ends in Berlin late tomorrow (September 1, or very early Friday in Australia), when the all-new Skoda Kodiaq, which has been confirmed for Australian release around mid-2017, is revealed ahead of its global public premiere at the Paris motor show on September 29.

Taking one last bite of the cherry before its full reveal, Skoda has now revealed yet more teaser shots before tomorrow's full reveal, this time showing its upmarket dashboard and expansive seven-seat interior.

As you can see, the Kodiaq dash mixes a typically functional Skoda layout with modern design by featuring two symmetrical zones and a pair of upright air-vents flanking a large, central "touch display in sophisticated glass design", which will bring the car-maker's next-generation infotainment system.

Perhaps the biggest news is what Skoda claims is a class-leading – in terms of size -- boot and third-row seat. The company says that in five-seat form its first large SUV will swallow 720 litres of cargo behind the rear seats, and a sizeable 2065 litres with them folded.

The latter figure is likely to be same for the seven-seat version in these pictures, which also show a sizeable pair of third-row seats complete with quick-release levers to stow the rear seatbacks flat into the load floor, as well as a boot-mounted 12-volt power outlet.

To be available in both front-wheel drive and AWD (as seen here, with a six-speed manual transmission) layouts, the Kodiaq measures 4.70 metres long and 1.88 metres wide.

Apart from 30 ‘Simply Clever’ standard features (including door edge protection, electric child safety locks and 'sleep headrests') options will include a heated steering wheel and surround-view camera – the first Skoda to do so.

Full details including engine options, spec levels and pricing are yet to be announced, but the Kodiak pictured here is likely to be a top-spec 'Style' version equipped with LED ambient lighting, an optional Canton sound system and alloy pedals.

Engine options are expected to include the Volkswagen Group's latest 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, the latter available in both 110kW/340Nm and, for AWD variants, 140kW/400Nm outputs. A plug-in hybrid version is expected to follow, but remains unlikely for Australia.

Following the Kodiaq in 2018 will be a larger, all-new Yeti that will be joined in rapid succession by two further SUVs, one of which is likely to be a smaller rival to Mazda's CX-3, while the other is thought to be a sporty coupe version of the Kodiaq to rival the BMW X4.

Like sister brand Volkswagen's new Tiguan SUV family, all models will be based on the German giant's modular transverse MQB platform.

Watch this space on Friday morning for full official Kodiaq details and images.