Mazda CX-9 VS Skoda Kodiaq

Being an SUV that’s 5075mm long, 1969mm wide and 1747mm tall, practicality is arguably the most important thing for the CX-9, and with the option of six seats for the first time with the new Azami LE, it’s even more versatile.

All seven-seat grades have a 60/40 split-fold second row that manually slides and reclines the same as before, with only the Sport missing out on one-touch tumble operation, which makes accessing the 50/50 split-fold third row even easier, even if it’s still not graceful.

But the six-seat Azami LE is configured differently, given its second row has two captain’s chairs instead of a bench. That said, it operates in a very similar manner, just with power adjustment.

I still had around eight centimetres of legroom and four of legroom behind my 184cm (6'0") driving position, while the large transmission tunnel that’s a foot-space issue in seven-seat versions... isn’t.

One key difference with the very roomy and comfortable Azami LE is it only has four top-tether child-seat anchorage points, while all other grades have five thanks to their extra seat. Either way, four ISOFIX child-set anchorage points are split across the second and third rows.

Alternatively, the third row can be used by adults on shorter journeys, although they won’t have a lot of space to enjoy. Again, I'm 184cm tall and it’s tight back there, with no headroom or legroom on offer, but children will, of course, fare much better.

The CX-9’s boot is still pretty usable with all three rows in action, with 230L of cargo capacity available, but you can stow the two rear seats to get 810L in total.

And if you want maximum cargo capacity, the middle seats can also be folded, but not in the Azami LE, annoyingly.

Either way, the CX-9 doesn’t have a load lip but does have a flat floor, so loading bulkier items is a cinch, while two bag hooks and four tie-down points are on hand for securing loose items if they can’t fit in the double map pockets on the front seat backrests.

There are two cupholders in the third row, another two in the second row’s fold-down armrest (seven-seater versions) or large centre console (Azami LE), and another two in the first row’s larger centre console, while the front and rear door bins can also take bottles – and other knick-knacks.

All grades get USB ports in the first row, while the Touring and above also have them in the second row, and the GT and above also feature them in the third row. It’d be nice if there was no differentiation, though.

The space inside the Kodiaq feels enormous no matter which seat you’re in, with a tall roof and plenty of width. Up front, there’s a commanding view of the road, while adjustability for the seats seems extensive (although we only tested a high-spec car with electrically adjustable seats).

The new screens offer sharp software which is much better laid out than before. This makes it relatively easy to find all the functions of the car, although the resolution is so high some shortcuts can be a little hard to jab at.

The real win here is the new set of three rotary dials set below the screen in place of the touch-based sliders in other VW Group products. The two outside dials control the temperature of the climate zone, or it can cycle through the heating and ventilation for the outside seats. The centre dial controls fan speed, drive mode, or volume. It’s even customisable so you can remove functions you don’t want if you’re tired of having to press it a few times to get the function you want.

There’s no shortage of storage up front including large door pockets, cupholders in the centre console, and a massive rubberised tray for the wireless charger which disappears below the rotary dials up front.

The centre console is now enormous and features a set of floating trays that can be removed. These feature conveniently-sized brackets for quick access to keys or wallets, and included here is a little suede-style cleaning block for the touchscreen. It’s part of Skoda’s signature ‘simply clever’ features and I must say I’ve never seen it before, so props to the brand for including something new.

The rear seat is, of course, enormous, offering me plenty of room at 182cm tall behind my own driving position. Unfortunately, this car’s platform requires a significant raise in the floor below the centre seat position, which eats into legroom for centre passengers.

Back here, there’s also plenty of amenities. In the car we tested, which is reflective of what high-spec cars in Australia will be equipped with, there's a rear climate zone (rare for the segment) with an independent controller, adjustable air vents, USB-C ports, and even built-in sunshades and heated outboard seats.

Unfortunately I couldn't test the third row in our brief time with the car, although the second row is on rails, so the amount of room on offer isn’t fixed at any rate. Check back for our Australian launch review for a better analysis of the third row.

With the third row seats folded the boot offers an impressive 910 litres of space, or an ambitious 340L with the third row up. It also has its share of ‘clever’ touches, like velcro cargo dividers, an included cargo net (in addition to the sliding cover), and bag hooks on either side.