2026 Kia Sorento Vs Skoda Kodiaq: What Do You Get For Your Money?

Kia has recently launched the all-new Sorento in India, marking the debut of its latest 7-seater premium SUV in India. The Sorento is offered in both a diesel and a petrol hybrid iteration. What we have in today's comparison is the latest Kia Sorento going against the Skoda Kodiaq, which, for reference, is sold solely with a petrol engine option. 

While both the SUVs cater to buyers looking for a premium, practical, feature-loaded family SUV with modern technology and powerful engine options, they differ in terms of design, pricing, features, and overall value proposition. So, in this report, we compare the Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq across their prices, dimensions, colour options, features and safety, powertrain options, and specifications to find out which one makes more sense for your needs.

Price 

All prices ex-showroom

• The Kia Sorento is offered with a total of 32 variants, spread across a turbo petrol engine with strong hybrid and a diesel engine option. The Skoda Kodiaq, on the other hand, is available with only 3 variants and a single turbo petrol engine option.

• The Kia Sorento starts at a lower Rs 27.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base diesel variant and goes up to Rs 40.39 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-spec petrol+hybrid AWD variant.

• The Skoda Kodiaq starts at a higher Rs 36.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant and goes up to Rs 46.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-spec trim. 

• Top-spec variants of the Kodiaq are more expensive by around Rs 6.6 lakh. 

• The Sorento diesel is cheaper by Rs 9 lakh, and the petrol hybrid by Rs 7.5 lakh as compared to the Kodiaq. 

• Both cars cater to a similar audience, but carry a huge price difference. They also differ in the amount of space and features they offer. 

Let’s find out what you get in each car for similar money:

Dimensions 

• As seen in the comparison table, the Kia Sorento is overall the bigger of the two, being larger in every dimension, which also means that it has a significantly more spacious cabin. 

• The Skoda Kodiaq comes very close in terms of length, width, and wheelbase, which makes their overall dimension quite similar. The Sorento wins in height comparo by a huge margin.

• The Sorento can be specced in both a 6-seater and a 7-seater configuration. The Kodiaq, however, gets a 5-seater layout for the base trim, while all other variants get a 7-seater configuration.

• In terms of boot space, comparing the space with the third rows up, the Kodiaq does have a significantly larger boot. 

Colour Options 

• Both cars get a set of minimalistic and fancy colours, with the Sorento offering more colours to choose from compared to the Kodiaq. 

• The Kia Sorento is offered in seven different colours, which include Glacier White Pearl, Gravity Gray, Aurora Black Pearl, Pewter Olive, Imperial Blue, Magma Red, and Ivory Silver. 

• The Skoda Kodiaq, on the other hand, is offered in five colours, which include Moon White Metallic, Graphite Grey Metallic, Magic Black Metallic, Bronx Gold Metallic, and Race Blue Metallic. 

• Neither of the two cars gets dual-tone paint schemes. 

• The Sorento is also offered in a Dark Gun Metal shade with a matte finish, which is reserved exclusively for the higher HTX trims. 

Features And Safety 

• As seen in the comparison table above, both cars are very well equipped, offering a long list of features spanning from premium touches to essential and convenience needs like a large touchscreen infotainment system with wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, premium speakers, a digital instrument cluster, ADAS, connected car tech, multiple parking sensors and cameras, auto park assist, a panoramic sunroof, powered and ventilated front seats, multiple airbags, wireless charging, and an all-LED exterior lighting kit.

• The Kia Sorento costs fairly less than the Kodiaq but offers a very strong list of features. Features like a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, rear ventilated seats, heads-up display, boss mode, remote park assist, and a digital IRVM are exclusive to the Sorento in this comparison. 

• Tackling the long equipment list offered on the Sorento is not very difficult for the Skoda Kodiaq, as it has its own positives. The Kodiaq offers features like a larger touchscreen infotainment, a more premium sound system with high output, front seats with heating and massage function, thigh support extender, 8-way powered front seats with memory function, a three-zone climate control, and ORVM with memory feature, auto-dimming, and heating, which are absent on the Sorento.

• In terms of Autonomous Driving features, the Sorento offers a Level-2+ ADAS suite with over 29 features, while the Kodiaq struggles with a Level-1 ADAS with basic operations. 

• To sum up, the Kia Sorento holds its ground very strongly to be classified as the better value-for-money offering. 

Powertrain Options

Speaking of powertrain options, the Kia Sorento is available with two engine options, including a diesel and a turbo petrol engine with strong hybrid; however, the Skoda Kodiaq offers only a single turbo petrol engine option. The Sorento offers an additional AWD on higher variants, whereas the Kodiaq comes equipped with 4x4 as standard across all variants. But overall, with Sorento’s multiple engine options, it seems more accessible to people with different demands, needs, and driving styles. Here’s a quick look at all the powertrain options in detail:

Let’s take a look at the specifications:

FWD: Front-Wheel Drive;  AWD: All-Wheel Drive;  DCT: Dual-Clutch Transmission (automatic);  AT: Automatic Transmission (torque converter)

• Both cars offer strong engine options, but it is the Sorento’s lineup that has the edge here, with a diesel engine along with a hybrid setup on the petrol motor.

• When comparing the petrol engines of both cars, the Kodiaq provides slightly more power and torque on paper, whereas the Sorento has a strong hybrid on offer, providing an all-electric driving range in the city. 

• For diesel enthusiasts, the Sorento’s diesel engine can be a delight to drive with its high torque and an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Higher variants of both diesel and petrol iterations of the Sorento can be had with an AWD drivetrain. 

• Considering the price gap between the two SUVs here, the engine options on the Sorento seem like the overall better deal, but the Kodiaq is not far behind. The 2-litre TSI motor has a loyal fanbase in the country and can be seen in multiple other VAG performance cars as well. 

Rivals 

The Kia Sorento and the Skoda Kodiaq, though they look very similar in size and overall offerings, fall in different segments because of their pricing, and hence have a long list of rivals. 

While entry-level variants of the Sorento also compete with cars like Mahindra XUV 7XO, Tata Safari, Toyota Innova Hycross, Maruti Invicto, Jeep Meridian, and the MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV, the higher variants make it enter the territory of Kodiaq’s rivals with cars like the Toyota Fortuner and Legender, Volkswagen Tayron, and MG Majestor.

CarDekho Says… 

The Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq offer a similar combination of space, premium features, and three-row practicality, but differ significantly in size, pricing, and powertrain choices. The Sorento is the larger SUV of the two and is available in a much wider range of 32 variants, with prices ranging from Rs 27.99 lakh to Rs 40.39 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kodiaq, on the other hand, is offered in just three variants, priced between Rs 36.99 lakh and Rs 46.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

Both SUVs are well-equipped with features such as large touchscreen infotainment systems, premium audio systems, ADAS, connected car tech, panoramic sunroofs, powered and ventilated front seats, and wireless charging. The Sorento gets a 2.2-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol strong hybrid, with AWD available on both, while the Kodiaq gets a 2-litre turbo-petrol with 4x4 as standard. The Sorento also gets rear ventilated seats and a head-up display, while the Kodiaq offers additional features like 8-way powered front seats with memory function, front-seat massage, and a three-zone climate control.

For buyers looking for a spacious and feature-rich three-row SUV, the Sorento offers more flexibility with its wider powertrain and variant choices, while also undercutting the Kodiaq by a significant margin. The Kodiaq does offer a strong package, particularly with its 2-litre TSI and standard 4x4, but the Sorento's larger dimensions, broader powertrain choice and considerably lower pricing make it the more value-for-money offering overall.

Which one of the two SUVs do you like more? Let us know your thoughts below!

Other Options To Consider 

The Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq are both great products in their respective domains. While the Kodiaq has already built a loyal fanbase in the country throughout all its generations, the new Sorento looks equally capable as well. But you can still have a look at some of the alternatives to these cars in the segment and what they bring to the table: 

• Toyota Fortuner / Fortuner Legender: For their commanding road presence, strong diesel performance, proven reliability, and capable 4x4 setup, making them well-suited to buyers who prioritise toughness and long-term ownership.

• Volkswagen Tayron: For its premium and sophisticated cabin, strong driving dynamics, refined turbo-petrol engine, and European character, while also offering the practicality of three rows.

• MG Majestor: For its imposing road presence, spacious cabin, long list of premium features, and capable 4WD system, along with a powerful twin-turbo diesel engine.

• Jeep Meridian: For its premium cabin, comfortable ride, and capable 4x4 system, combined with Jeep's distinctive styling and strong road presence.

• Mahindra XUV 7XO: For its value-focused package, powerful petrol and diesel engines, feature-rich cabin, advanced technology, and available AWD.

• Tata Safari: For its spacious and comfortable three-row cabin, strong road presence, feature-rich interior, and multiple safety features, along with the option of a diesel engine.

• Toyota Innova Hycross / Maruti Invicto: For buyers prioritising comfort, practicality and fuel efficiency, with a spacious three-row cabin, strong-hybrid powertrain and Maruti and Toyota's reputation for reliability.

• MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV: For its feature-loaded cabin, spacious interior and plug-in hybrid powertrain, which combines the convenience of an EV for shorter trips with the flexibility of a petrol engine for longer journeys.