Living / 8 August, 2019 / Ellie Thompson

Is This The Best 4×4 Family Car for Your UK Staycation?

We enlisted the help of the Skoda Kodiaq Scout to transport our family and the kitchen sink to and from our UK staycation this summer. We decided our current Hyundai was never going to accommodate us. Two adults, one toddler, one baby, two cot beds, one baby bath, one high chair, steriliser, baby pillow, three suitcases, and five or six separate bags of other must-take, can’t-live-without paraphernalia. Nope, we needed something big. Something with a bit of grunt. Something that would get us and our heavy load to Devon, safely.

7 seater

The 7 seater Kodiaq Scout has a huge boot if you fold down the back seats and believe it or not, our ridiculous amount of luggage organised nicely in the back, with a little jiggery pokery. Bye bye seats six and seven – hello HUGE boot, I love you. Massive box ticked.

Scout make over

The subtle Scout sub-brand makeover includes 4×4 as standard, and a whole lot of tech including an off-road mode. The Skoda Kodiaq Scout is basically an SE L spec car. The addition of ‘off road’ bumpers, unique wheels and a little bit of Scout badging and branding around the car. The Scout stamp has given the SUV a definite rugged appeal.

The drive

The 2.0 TDI 150PS engine and its 19inch alloy wheels towed us and all of our worldly belongings down to the west country at a steady pace. There were times when hauling a full load that a manual gearbox would have come in handy, but the automatic drive allowed us to easily tackle the slow moving traffic on the first weekend of the summer holidays. On the clearer roads with cruise control it was an effortless and enjoyable fast drive.

The super-smooth suspension meant our 3-month old baba slept the entire way, helped in spades by the dual zone air con, which we thanked a variety of gods for, travelling on the hottest day the UK had ever witnessed on record. Oh how we laughed, as we pulled out of the drive leaving our double-aspect south-west facing oven – I mean house – and made our way onto the A3 with a crisp cool breeze on our faces.

Super-Fun Day Out Products That’ll Score You Some Serious Parent Points
London Bleisure Travel with The Kids? Here’s Where You Need to Book

Off-road driving

The Kodiaq Scout is a big car, there’s no doubt about it, but it handles well both on and off road. There were definitely a few squeaky bum moments reversing into passing places down those picturesque hedgerow-lined single lane roads. A few bushes gently brushed, but no car to car contact – thankfully.

The Kodiaq we tested didn’t have a reversing camera, but it did have parking sensors, both front and back, which is a must in such a large vehicle with a lot of luggage in the boot obscuring the view.

Our accommodation in Beer welcomed us with a huge pothole at the base of the drive, followed by an abrupt vertical climb. The off-road package included an engine guard and underbody stone guard – pretty handy for the biggest pothole Devon’s ever seen. In comparison, my sister’s low front bumper on her Honda Civic banked up on it, causing damage to the underside of the car (cue complaint to Air BnB) but thankfully the Skoda sailed over it with ease.

We were also pretty impressed with the Kodiaq Scout’s Hill Descent Assist which came in handy a fair bit travelling in and around Devon’s unpredictable countryside.

Interior

The interior of the Kodiaq Scout is pretty slick, as you might imagine. The interior Alcantara seat and door trim with wood finish dashboard and door inserts definitely gives the Kodiaq Scout one handsome edge.

The cabin was spacious and intuitively designed, with storage space, drinks holders, USB ports etc. The infotainment system and Columbus sat nav were super-easy to use.

There was plenty of leg room up front, even with two car seats plumbed in directly behind the driver and passenger seat.

I tried out the middle space in the back in between the two car seats, and it’s a little tight, but doable, for the odd occasion you’d need to take a third person a short distance.

We’re always a huge fan of customisation at My Baba, and we love that you can literally build your own Kodiaq online.

The Skoda Kodiaq Scout gets a huge thumbs up from us, as SUVs go, this  4×4 is a bit of a beefcake. If cars were rugby players, this one would be Richard Hill, known for always delivering an exceptionally well-rounded performance.

The Kodiaq Scout tackles all-terrains brilliantly, offering a holidaying family of four a safe, spacious and comfortable ride.

The Summer’s Must-Have Travel Cot You Can Assemble with One Hand
Holiday in Style This Summer with The Ultimate Compact Travel System

For competitions and offers from our favourite brands, click here.