They were told by stand-up comics, some of whom would struggle to raise a titter these days.
And while some of their gags might have aged well, the Skoda ones certainly haven’t. Skoda of 2025 is a world apart from Skoda of the late 1970s and anyone under 50 must find it odd that this brand was once held in low esteem.
Not so now. It is a prized brand and it is buoyant. Sales are up 12.3 per cent last year compared to 2023 and it has four per cent of market share. That would have seemed inconceivable a generation ago.
Karoq, Enyaq and Kodiaq, tested here, lead the way. In fact, Enyaq saw sales soar by 43.6 per cent making it the sixth best-selling electric vehicle in the UK. It just shows much of a reset the arrival of EVs was, giving smaller brands a chance to overtake the big boys.
Tested here is Kodiaq, a monster of an SUV which offers the sort of size and ability that Range Rover, Jeep, Audi and BMW offer for much more. It starts around £35,000 and even this very well equipped version is less than £50,000, which is good value when you compare it to other premium rivals.
Kodiaq is part of a formidable set of SUVs which alongside Karoq and Kamiq is proving popular with UK buyers. Karoq, the brand’s best-selling model, recording 14,648 registrations in the 12-month period from January to the end of December against 13,435 in 2023, while the Kamiq recorded 10,994 registrations (10,410 in 2023).
Kodiaq managed 12,447 sales (up 31.2 per cent) which shows how well regarded it is by the British motoring public. The reason? Good value, subtle style and a broad range from petrols to diesels and hybrids.
Kodiaq is well regarded. It was named Car of the Year by the equally well-regarded Overlanded 4x4 magazine.
In addition to winning the overall award, the new, second-generation Kodiaq was crowned Best Medium SUV by the title. The judging panel, made up of 4x4 experts and motoring journalists, praised the new Kodiaq’s all-round ability and exceptional practicality.
Despite only arriving in the UK earlier this year, the second-generation Kodiaq has already inherited its predecessor’s winning streak. Earlier this year it was named Family Car of the Year in the Scottish Car of the Award, Best Large Family Car 2025 by Carbuyer and was Highly Commended in the Carwow Awards and Parkers New Car Awards.
The previous model, launched in 2016, won more than 120 industry titles during its production run.
So, what do you get for the money? It has a 10.25in virtual cockpit which is remarkably easy to fathom, plus adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, powered tailgate, parking sensors, a lane keeping system and even an umbrella tucked away in a door.
The 1.5 litre petrol model will be many people’s choice because of its value but stepping up to 2.0 litre or the plug-in hybrid at £42,000 will also appeal. Badged the Kodiaq iV, this new version will come with Skoda’s second-generation plug-in-hybrid system. It comprises a 1.5-litre TSi turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor that produces a combined 201bhp and 330Nm of torque.
The new system enables a claimed 75 miles of electric driving for the SE model.
It’s all from a 25.7kWh battery pack which can be fast charged using a DC connection to take charge levels from 10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes.
AC charging can also be used with the Kodiaq iV, with a maximum charge rate of 11kW. At this level, the car can be charged at home in around two and a half hours.
All models come with three driving modes – E Mode, Hybrid Mode and Sport Mode – with each tweaking the powertrain slightly.
E Mode, for example, allows the vehicle to always start under electric power, Hybrid Mode finds the most efficient use of its electric motor and petrol engine and Sport Mode enhances a more dynamic driving experience.
There are two trim levels on offer, the base SE starts from £41,935 and is equipped with a 13-inch navigation screen, a 10.25-inch virtual cockpit instrument cluster, heated front seats and LED front headlights.
The top-of-the-line SE L comes in at £44,635 and benefits from 19-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, electric tailgate and an electric driver’s seat with memory function.
Meanwhile, Skoda – forever proud of its sporting heritage - has added a new vRS variant to the Kodiaq range.
The new vRS arrives with a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with 261bhp – 20bhp more than the older performance Kodiaq – driving all four wheels for better traction in poor and slippery conditions.
Other performance upgrades include two-piston brake calipers on the front axle to bring improved stopping power, while ventilated discs can be found on all four wheels. All versions get a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox as standard, too.
A number of notable changes have been made to help differentiate the vRS from the rest of the Kodiaq range, too. There’s a gloss black finish for the grille, for instance, as well as gloss black on the wing mirrors, upper parts of the window frames and roof rails.
Skoda Kodiaq SportLine
Price: £48,725. Range starts at £35,720
Engine: a 2.0 litre petrol engine generating 150ps
Performance: Top speed 134mph and 0 to 60mph in 8.0 seconds
Costs: 44.6mpg combined
Warranty: Three years, 60,000 miles