v.SURPRISING (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Jonathan Crouch thinks Skoda's second generation Kodiaq vRS could be all the car he might ever need....

Ten Second Reviewword count: 88

Skoda's idea of a performance mid-sized SUV is different to many other rival brands - and more appealing for that. The Kodiaq vRS, here revitalised in second generation form, sells for the kind of money that could alternatively buy you a faster premium-badged crossover but this seven-seat Czech contender delivers more character, more space and family flexibility, more traction, more equipment: more of just about everything really. None of which would matter if this wasn't really a credible piece of performance engineering. But, rather surprisingly, it actually is.

Backgroundword count: 144

In the normal run of things, you wouldn't consider a Skoda Kodiaq, the Czech brand's mid-to-large 7-seat 'D'-segment SUV, as being an ideal candidate for performance engineering. It's a family conveyance intended for suburbia rather than Silverstone. Firming it up, adding on a body kit and shoe-horning a powerful engine beneath the bonnet ought to make little sense. Yet, against the odds, it did with the original version of the Kodiaq vRS, which featured a bi turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine and was one of our favourite family SUVs, until emissions legislation forced this variant out of production. Unwilling to abandon the idea of a sporty Kodiaq, Skoda re-introduced this top variant to the line-up in petrol form in 2021 and continues with it as part of this model line's second generation line-up, again with 2.0-litre TSI petrol power. Surprising Skoda? In this case, yes.

Driving Experienceword count: 345

The original diesel-powered Kodiaq vRS actually held the Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record (for 7-seat SUVs), so from that, you can gather that this crossover isn't a complete duffer through the turns. Pointless accolades of that sort speak of Skoda's rather desperate need for this model to be taken seriously as a performance car - which you can understand to some extent. It's not only the manufacturer branding here that rather handicaps this car in the showroom but also its crossover genre, its 7-seat interior and, as if all that wasn't enough, a rather exalted price tag. So in the unlikely event you were even aware that this car existed, you might easily dismiss it out of hand. But you shouldn't. Not if you want family transport with seven seats, a bit of character, sensible running costs and a searing sense of speed anyway, not a combination easy to find for less than £60,000 in today's market. In place of the bi turbo 240PS 2.0-litre TDI diesel unit that was used in this car until 2021, the Kodiaq vRS these days uses the uprated version of the VW Group's familiar 2.0 TSI petrol powerplant, which originally made 245PS in this Kodiaq but in this second generation model is tuned to 265PS. The 62mph from rest sprint occupies just 6.4s, 0.2s quicker than the previous model could manage. It's also nearly a second faster than the old diesel vRS. Top speed is 144mph. More direct Progressive steering is standard and a 'Dynamic Sound Boost' system is supposed to deliver an 'emotive' engine sound. Various drive modes are on offer and thanks to the improved (and standard) 15-setting DCC Plus adaptive damping system, those settings influence ride quality - as well as steering feel, throttle response and the change timings of the DSG paddleshift auto gearbox that's necessary to harness the twin turbo powerplant's prodigious grunt. Plus there are huge brakes and proper off road tractional capability too, including a selectable 'Snow' mode. In addition, you can tow a trailer weighing up to 2.5-tonnes. It's all very practical.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227