All the sevens

We're big fans of the Skoda Kodiaq, but can it do a number on its new seven-seat rival from Volkswagen?

- DAN JONES

Skoda KODIAQ 1.5 TSI 150 e-TEC SE L

List price £41,700 Target Price £36,250

Skoda's largest SUV has already seen off rivals such as the latest Peugeot 5008, thanks to its combination of great practicality and fine value for money

NEW VOLKSWAGEN TAYRON 1.5 eTSI 150 Elegance

List price £42,700 Target Price £41,153

The replacement for the Tiguan Allspace is closely related to the Kodiaq and pitched slightly more upmarket. Does it offer any benefits over its stablemate?

SOMETIMES, BUILDING AN extension on your house is a perfectly adequate and affordable way of achieving extra living space. Similarly, retrofitting extra insulation, double-glazed windows and more efficient heating systems and appliances can be a reasonable way of making an old building more habitable. But at other times, the best solution is to start again, with something purpose-built.

That's what Volkswagen has done with its seven-seat SUV. You see, the old Tiguan Allspace was essentially a regular five-seat Tiguan with a couple of small extra seats squeezed into the boot. Sure, it was capable of seating seven, but not all that comfortably for taller occupants of the third row.

Its replacement, though, is more fit for purpose. The all-new Tayron has grown compared with the Tiguan Allspace in order to offer more suitable space for taller folk in the rearmost seats.

The Tayron is up against some formidable rivals, though – including the closely related Skoda Kodiaq. This model sits on the same underpinnings as the Tayron and has already proved its worth by beating the latest Peugeot 5008 in a comparison earlier this year.