Škoda Kodiaq priced to please

Skoda's first seven-seat large SUV -- the Kodiaq -- will be available in Australia from May 31, priced from $42,990.

Just one model will be offered initially, an all-wheel drive turbo-petrol seven-seat variant featuring umbrella holders, hidden torches and a mechanical door protection function for tight spaces.

Škoda is touting the new Kodiaq as an innovative, value-for-money offering.

The $42,990 price positions it $500 above the $42,490 Mazda CX-9 – among the segment leaders and Carsales.com.au's 2016 Car of the Year – but offers a longer warranty of five years, as opposed to Mazda's three.

Škoda’s Kodiaq also gets AWD as standard. We reviewed the Kodiaq in November 2016 on European roads and scored it a very respectable 77/100.

Stay tuned for a local launch review with Aussie-specified vehicles on Aussie roads.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine worth 132kW/320Nm paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Kodiaq will be equipped as standard with features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), all-wheel drive, nine airbags, fatigue detection, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a child safety lock toggle from the driver's position.

The Kodiaq will target other mainstream seven-seat SUVs such as the Toyota Kluger, Nissan Pathfinder, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, and like the latter pair will offer a 140kW turbo-diesel engine, which will arrive later in 2017.

Standard features on the new SUV include adaptive LED headlights, dual-zone climate-control, a pair of umbrellas hidden in the front doors, adjustable second row seats with 'easy entry' third row seat function, sun blinds for rear windows, and plenty of cargo area doodads, including a net system, power tailgate and a removable LED torch in the boot.

Adaptive cruise control that uses radar to regulate vehicle speed is also standard, as is keyless entry and engine start along with other time savers such as an electric push-button operated park brake with auto-hold function.

Passenger comfort arrives via Alcantara and leather-appointed seats, and the driver is greeted by a multi-function flat-bottom leather steering wheel.

It's not yet clear if the sleepy time headrests will be included as standard, offering airline-like fold-out side panels. The Kodiaq also gets tablet holders behind the front-seat headrests in some markets and a special in-car communication system with hands-free microphone.

Škoda Australia wouldn’t confirm or deny if these features would be standard, or even available on local models but stated that more would be revealed when the car launched here.

The Tech Pack ($2500) adds adaptive dampers, which adjust the suspension firmness at the touch of a button, automatic foot-swipe rear tailgate opening, a 10-speaker Canton sound system, automatic parking, an off-road mode, driver personalisation settings, and manoeuvre braking assist.

The Luxury Pack ($4900) brings more safety and comfort items, such as electronically adjustable front seats with memory and ventilation, full leather upholstery in black or beige, three-zone climate control plus front and rear heated seats, 360-degree parking cameras, traffic jam assist, rear traffic alert, lane assist, emergency assist and blind spot detection.

Finally, the Launch Pack ($5900), available for a limited time, gets everything from the Tech Pack, along with 19-inch alloy wheels and several optional features from the Luxury Pack including 360-degree parking cameras, traffic jam assist and auto-dimming side mirrors.