THE Kodiaq is a success story, a vehicle that takes Skoda up a level and a challenger in the premium segment.

|It's a classy SUV available with either five or seven seats and keenly priced - against premium competition that is.

That does not mean its cheap. This model comes with a variety of trims and engine options and with the choice of two or four wheel drive and uprated suspension.

It is right up there challenging the likes of its VW, SEAT, Audi siblings, not to mention the likes of Volvo, Lexus and Jaguar

It has been around for a while now, since 2016, and had a mini makeover to offer, what the manufacturer describes as taking sustainability via the use of 100 per cent recycled materials and efficiency to the next level.

It also offers for the first time LED Matrix headlights and ergonomic seats.

It is available with two diesel and two petrol engines delivering various outputs and the first Kodiaq plug-in hybrid powertrain.

It is bigger both inside and out and in the seven-seat version, passengers in the third row of seats now have 920millimetres of headroom, 15 millimetres more than in the predecessor.

It certainly looks the part and when offering motors at stratospheric prices it needs to be to give potential customers that option.

This particular model, the Sportline offers comprehensive equipment, typical blackaccents and a metal-look trim in the interior. Equipment includes just about everything you could need for a seven seater, with uprated interior design and equipment.

It has an imposing, high off the ground road presence, sitting on 20-inch alloys and featuring sport font and rear bumpers, spoiler with integrated LED brake light and Sportline badges on each wing. Black roof rails, door mirrors and radiator grille also enhance the sporty look.

It is packed with standard kit including the usual electric aids and gizmos, plus rear view parking camera, auto dimming mirror, climate control and a full complement of safety equipment.

It now features a 13-inch display, innovative smart dials and haptic controls. The touchscreen operates the sat nav, infotainment and smartphone connectivity, which includes Skoda's Connect which provides live journey information and real-time navigation details plus remote access to assistance.

The dashboard features sports dials and there are alloy pedals and sporty badging throughout the cabin, just to remind you in case you forget which model you are driving.

There is a smart multifunction sports steering wheel and the rest of the dash layout is clear and logical with the entire cabin feeling put together with high-end material and quality finish,

It is a large cabin with good head and legroom and good all round vision. In practical terms, five adults can be seated in comfort, with the third rearmost pair only really suitable for children.

Luggage capacity has also increased and in the five-seater version, it has grown by 75 litres to 910 litres without folding the rear seats down. With the rear seats folded down, capacity has increased by 40 litres to 2,105 litres.

The 190ps petrol engine driven here is smooth, flexible and economical. Mated to the VW Groups seven-speed DSG auto box, it proves a comfortable drive, slipping through the gears without any fuss.

Acceleration is brisk for such a big vehicle and hits 60mph in just over seven seconds while delivering decent economy of around 35mpg. Acceleration is excellent and it is a fine motorway cruiser, with little noise intruding into the cabin.

All-wheel-drive versions also offer Snow mode, which adapts the operation of the ABS, ASR and ACC (if fitted) systems, as well as the engine management and electronically controlled, all-wheel, multiplate clutch to slippery road conditions.

Handling is also decent for this type of model, with little body roll, while the ride adapts well to road or rougher terrain.