Skoda Kodiaq vs BYD Atto 3

What's the difference?

It might not be the sportiest SUV on the market, but it balances its extra performance with its core family carrying duties with aplomb. 

Seven seats, plenty of equipment, practicality for days and with enough grunt to keep you smiling, the Kodiaq RS ticks plenty of boxes.

The only question mark really remaining is does it justify the extra spend over 132TSI model?

Like its interior design, you may find the BYD Atto 3 Extended Range to be a divisive experience. On the one hand, I like how well it handles in the city and the playful design.

The car feels roomy and the boot is a good size but this is not an open-roader. If you plan on doing weekend escapes in this, think again. This is a car that likes the city and will complain if you venture outside of its limits.

I do like the affordable price tag, considering it's an EV, and the features you get but that open-road ride needs improvement.

A lot like a Skoda Kodiaq, just with more sportiness. It never screams "look at me", but in our humble opinion, that's no bad thing.

You do get a bespoke front bumper arrangement, and the grill, under bonnet meshing, roof rails and and side skirting are blacked out. The wheel arches are filled by those jumbo 20-inch alloys, and, stepping around to the back, you'll find two squared-off exhaust outlets.

Inside, I'm a big fan of the super-supportive front seats, finished in leather and Alcantara, but for mine, the carbon-look trimming is less effective, and feels thin and hard to the touch.

That said, Koda deserves props for sending the best front-seat design elements into the second row, and if you forget the RS stuff completely for a moment, you'll find the cabin to be a clean, comfortable and tech-focussed space, with the the big central screen especially giving the cabin a modern feel, and the switch gear all emitting a commendable sense of quality.

The exterior is quite understated and you might not necessarily pick this out as being an EV at first glance. It has a nice-looking profile that immediately identifies it as a medium SUV and it should appeal to owners who want something that looks smart but won't stand out on the road.

There are some cool design elements like the textured chrome panelling on the C-pillar and bonnet, which enhances the BYD badging. The LED strip lighting for the daytime running lights and tail-lights do lean more towards the futuristic vibe that EVs usually showcase.

The interior is where the fun has been had but it's likely to be divisive. The three-tone synthetic leather trims have some pizzazz but not everyone will like the black, white and navy combo.

That said, I like the contrasting red detailing on the piping, stitching and elastic door pocket cords.

The curvy dashboard features a white panel that looks like a flexed muscle (and not in a Magic Mike way!). The air vents remind me of the Echo Base on planet Hoth in Star Wars, which will always be cool to me, but my husband thinks they look like stacked drink coasters.

The rotary door handles are a total vibe and the adjustable ambient lighting manages to tie it all together but while it's great that BYD has had fun in here, not all of it lands for me.

The Kodiaq RS pulls of an incredible party trick in managing to not look like a cruise ship from outside the car, while also serving up a big and spacious-feeling cabin.

To be clear, the Kodiaq isn't small, stretching 4699mm in length, 1882 in width and 1685mm in height, but its crisp design ensures it never looks slab-sided, looking more like a five-seat SUV than it does a full-time seven-seater, like the Mazda CX-9.

Those riding up front have plenty of space to stretch out, with the two seats separated by a wide centre console toped by an armrest that slides backwards to reveal a really usable storage space below. There are pockets in each door and two cupholders between the seats, too.

The front seats are electronically adjustable, and there's wireless charging, a USB connection and everything else you might need to make your life a little easier (including umbrellas hidden in the front doors).

Space in the backseat is genuinely impressive, even for taller passengers. I'm 175cm (so no giant) and there was so much room between my knees and the seats in front I could cross my legs comfortably, and more than enough headroom, too.

Yes, space will get considerably tighter should you attempt to squeeze three adults in the second row, but should you instead deploy the seat divider (itself home to 2.5 tiny cupholders), you'll find the back seat a pleasant place to spend time.

For a start, the nicer cabin materials from the front make their way to the second row, and you'll also find air vents with their own temp controls, a 12-volt charge point, bottle holders in the doors and two ISOFIX attachment points, one in each window seat.

The third row is tighter, of course, but these are intended more as occasional jump seats rather than a permanent solution, and because the second row is on rails, there can be a surprising amount of leg room, provided the seats in front are pushed as far forward as they go.

Step around to the auto-opening boot and you'll 270 litres of space with the third row in place, 630 litres with the Skoda in five-seat mode, and a huge 2005 litres (to the roof) with the second row folded flat, too.

As soon as you slide in, you're pleasantly surprised by how roomy it feels. I have plenty of leg- and headroom in both rows for my 168cm (5'6") height. Which is impressive given the massive panoramic sunroof.

Both front seats are heated and electric with the driver's side sporting a six-way adjustment, while the passenger is only four-way.

However, due to the sports-like seat style, the headrests are fixed which may annoy taller drivers. There is no lumbar support either and, trust me, you'll notice it on a longer trip. Ouch.

Up front, the individual storage is good with an extra deep middle console and a shelf that sits underneath the 'e-shifter'. Plus, there is a glove box and a handy utility tray that houses the wireless charging pad.

The back seat is very comfortable and individual storage is adequate for the odd passenger with two map pockets and four device pockets available.

The drink bottle holders and cupholders (two in each row) are a tad skinny, though, and two regular-sized takeaway coffee cups will overlap at the lid.

Charging options are good throughout with each row getting an USB-A and USB-C port, the front also gets a 12-volt socket.

However, the ports are hidden in the shelf of the middle console and I'd prefer to have the media port up top as it's wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks massive on the pared back dashboard and it rotates, allowing you to choose portrait or landscape mode. However, this function is disabled while using Apple CarPlay.

The system is pretty simple to use and the graphics are clear but a lot of functions are buried in sub-menus. Like the heated seat function. I honestly kept forgetting it had them.

I like to drive with the headlights on, as a defensive driving technique, but that dims the screen during the day so much you can't really see it.

The Dirac sound system with eight speakers is sufficient but I noticed the sound quality on my calls was a bit tinny.

The 5.0-inch digital instrument panel's positioning on the steering wheel means you don't miss having a head-up display but the alignment is off by a millimetre or so. Just enough to annoy someone with mild OCD.

The boot space is the highlight for me, though, with its 440L of capacity. You can bump that up to 1340L with the rear seats folded and the rear seats have a 40/60 split-fold.

You'll be making do with a puncture repair kit as there isn't a spare tyre but the powered tailgate was super handy this week on my grocery run.

Curiously, there is no 'frunk' storage, despite there being plenty of room for one.

There's something appealing about BYD's simple and straightforward marketing and purchasing strategy - what you see, is what you get.

There are only two models to choose from, the Standard Range and, our model, the Extended Range. As the name suggests, our model has the longer driving range but there's not that much difference in the specifications between the two outside of that.

One colour - 'Ski White' - is no cost, while 'Parkour Red', 'Surf Blue', 'Boulder Grey' and 'Forest Green' cost $700 extra.

Our model will now cost $51,011 to purchase (before on-road costs), that's a $3630 price hike since the start of the year! Even with the new price, it's more affordable than its nearest rivals with the MG priced at $55,990 and the Leaf e+ at $61,490.

However, you do get a decent number of features for your cash, like heated front seats, electric front seats, a panoramic sunroof, synthetic three-tone leather trims, adjustable ambient lighting, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and some decent tech (more on that later).

All external lights are LEDs, with headlights having an automatic function and there are two levels of regenerative braking to choose from.

There are some great practical features, too, like a darkened headliner, powered tailgate and 'lock charging port' function (in case you need to leave you car while it's on charge).

Skoda has fitted the Kodiaq RS with the most powerful diesel it has, a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder bi-turbo unit that produces a healthy 176kW at 4000rpm and 500Nm at 1750rpm.

It's pared with a seven-speed DSG automatic, and power is sent to all four wheels.

The Atto 3 Extended Range is a full EV with a single motor powered by a 60.48kWh lithium-ion blade battery. It is a front-wheel drive and has a maximum power output of 150kW and 310Nm of torque.

So, it’s not the most powerful on the market but will certainly get you from A to B with ease and you can go from 0-100km/h in just 7.3 seconds.

It's here that the joy of diesel power makes itself clear. The Skoda Kodiaq RS, with its seven seats and half-tonne of torque, will drink a claimed 6.2 litres per 100km on the combined cycle. Emissions are pegged at 167g/C02 per kilometre.

It means you should theoretically get close to 1000kms out of the Kodiaq's 60-litre fuel tank.

Let’s talk charging. The Atto 3 has a Type 2 Combo CCS charging port and the on-board DC charger has up to 80kW of capacity.

What does that mean? Well, if you were to plug it in at home on a 7.0kW AC charger, you'd be able to go from flat to a full charge in roughly 10 hours.

Plug it into a 50kW fast charger, and you'd see that time drop to around one hour to get from 10 to 80 per cent charge. However, that capacity means it can't accept the faster 350kW charging speeds on ultra-fast chargers.

The official energy consumption is 16kWh/100km and my on-board figure was 14.7kWh.

It has an official driving range of 480km NEDC (420km WLTP), which is better than some on the market but I got major range anxiety this week!

It feels like it chews through its power. Since it's school holidays, I’ve been doing mostly longer open-road drives and have had to charge it three times already! Over three road trips, I've averaged a little over 200km of driving and saw my percentage go from 100 down to an average of 34 per cent at the end of each trip. 

When it comes to performance vehicles, we're usually the first to begin waggling our fingers at a car that's not loud enough, angry enough, stirring enough, to wear the hallowed go-fast crown.

Usually the "hot" part of a car's description refers to a booming exhaust, super show-off looks and a suspension tune stiff enough to double as one of those weight-loss vibrating plates. And yet the Skoda Kodiaq RS really does none of those things. And to be honest, it's a better car for it.

The more subtle way the Kodiaq approaches its sportiness perfectly suits the nature of a car like this. This is, after all, a (sometimes) seven-seat SUV, and so it will likely be spending a lot of it's time with a family on board. And having kids in the back is even less fun if they're bouncing off the roof lining every time you hit a bump.

In the Kodiaq, they won't be. In its Normal drive setting (you can also choose between Eco, Comfort, Sport, Snow or Individual), the Kodiaq definitely lingers on the firm side of comfortable, but not so much so that it neuters its worth as a family hauler.

And even when you engage Sport, the Kodiaq remains comfy enough. The exhaust perhaps takes on a more noticeable, artificial timber (thanks to the Dynamic Sound Boost function) and the car tightens, but it's never feels overly aggressive or sharp.

Skoda's engineering team has done a terrific job of minimising body movement here, and you can legitimately throw the Kodiaq up and down a twisting road without ever feeling sea sick when you get to the other end. So much so, in fact, that you can forget you're driving a 1.8-tonne, seven-seat SUV,  the predictable steering and composed ride helping convince you you're in something much smaller and more nimble.

It's not lightning-quick, with the bi-turbo diesel propelling you to 100km/h in 7.0 seconds (1.2secs quicker than a 132TSI version), but there's more than enough punch to get you up and moving in a hurry, and the engine has a fine relationship wth the seven-speed gearbox, with shifts largely occurring when you want them to (though it can feel a tough jumpy when you first start it up in the morning).

It's like a performance for responsible adults, then. It won't blow your socks off, but it offers just enough of everything to keep you engaged on the right road.

The only lingering question you need to ask yourself, though, is does that make it worth the extra bucks over a petrol-powered car?

The driving lets this down for me. It's not as zippy as other EVs I've sampled and can even feel a bit sluggish when you accelerate from a full stop. However, it has enough kick for open-road driving, if you're desperate.

Desperate is the key word, though, because this is a total city-slicker. Around town, it handles itself well in tight streets and corners (that 11m turning circle is a charm) but isn't as confidently placed on the road at higher speeds.

And if you happen to be driving on the open-road on a blustery day, it's no fun at all. It shifts and squirms in the lane, with the cabin noise rising to din levels.

Ride comfort is generally good with suspension that feels cushioned but not floaty around the city. Different story on the open-road!

The controls and e-shifter are all well-placed in the middle console but I'd prefer the start-button to be located somewhere else. I mistook it for the ‘Park’ button a few times, which annoyed me.

The regenerative braking can be adjusted to two levels, low and high. Even on the highest setting, it doesn’t have a big physical presence but there's enough to know it's working.

The Atto 3 earns back a couple of points for being stupidly easy to park. The 360-degree view camera system is super clear and I didn’t have to be too choosy with car spaces either because of its size.

This has a good list of safety features coming as standard, like blind-spot monitoring, lane departure alert, lane keeping aids, rear cross-traffic alert and braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, 360-degree view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors.

It has autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning and features car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assistance. It's operational from 4.0-85km/h (up to 150km/h for car detection).

The Atto 3 was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022 and has seven airbags, including a front centre airbag.

If you have a couple of kids, you’ll like the ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. 

Curiously, there is evidence of ISOFIX mounts on the front passenger seat which need to be removed for our market, instead of just being 'disabled'.

The Kodiaq RS is covered by Skoda's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000kms.

You can also pre-pay your servicing at the point of purchase, with five years costing $1700, and three years setting you back $900.

Skoda also offers a nifty guaranteed value program, which allows you to settle on a kilometre window when you purchase your vehicle, then return it to the dealership after three years with no more payments to make.

BYD backtracked from its original warranty launch offer of seven years/unlimited km and the Atto 3 now comes with a six-year/150,000km main warranty.

But the battery has an eight-year/160,000km warranty, which is more in line with the market.

You can choose between two servicing plans – 'Light’ for those who do under 12,000km per year and a ‘Standard’ plan for those who do more. 

Given my open-road and charging experience, I'd say it's a good bet you'll be on the light plan.

On the light plan, services are capped at $189 per year for five-years or up to 60,000km – whichever occurs first.

On the standard plan, which spans eight-years or up to 160,000km, you can expect to pay an average of $299 per service. 

Both plans are fairly affordable but the recommended servicing intervals are every 12 months/20,000 which is a term you often see on a fuel-based car, not an EV.