New 262-bhp Skoda Kodiaq vRS gets greater poise and performance

Skoda’s largest SUV has received a fiery performance overhaul. Find out how the Czech firm has turned up the Kodiaq’s wick, below.

Whether it’s BMW M, Mercedes AMG, or Ford ST, almost every brand now has its own in-house performance skunkworks. And, in Skoda parlance, it’s the vRS department where the most piquant variants take shape. Honing common-or-garden models into faster, sharper, and more thrilling alternatives than their regular siblings, vRS models are the petrolhead’s pick of the range. However, while these sporty models add dynamism, they never compromise on practicality or daily drivability.   

What happens, then, when Skoda’s bulkiest, most cumbersome model goes to vRS boot camp? You end up with a 4.8-metre long, three-row Golf GTI. Well, not quite, but the two do share the same engine and athletic aspirations. Dropped into the Kodiaq, that stalwart EA888 2.0-litre turbo four produces the same 262 bhp as in the Golf, only here it’s linked to an all-wheel drive system and has significantly more weight to propel. That means acceleration is pegged at a brisk, but hardly hair-raising 6.4 seconds from 0 to 60 mph; the top speed is a respectable 144 mph. Meanwhile, a snappy-shifting 7-speed dual clutch gearbox should keep that engine spinning within its power band at all times.  

So it’ll not live with an Audi SQ7 or BMW X5 M50i in straight line, but those are likely to cost around twice as much as the Skoda. In fact, when it comes to rivals, there aren’t many close contenders. We think Land Rover’s Discovery P360 is the nearest match for performance and practicality, though even it should command a significantly higher MSRP, and lacks the Skoda’s polish in the corners and under braking.

Indeed, the vRS’ chassis and stopping enhancements should elevate this boosted family bus into a class of its own. Standard adaptive suspension and Dynamic Chassis Control Plus will ensure the Kodiaq makes the most of the traction offered by the all-wheel drive setup. Then, when you need to scrub off some excess speed in a hurry, large, ventilated brake discs with 2-piston calipers won’t struggle to contain the Skoda’s significant mass. 

It's unlikely you’ll ever spot one on a track day at Brands Hatch, but for the family man or woman who’s looking for an engaging drive on a relatively modest budget, this vRS looks tricky to top. Plus, it’ll look the part in just about any environment: black exterior accents, more aggressive bumpers, and 20-inch polished black alloys all contribute to a greater road presence without looking too gaudy.

It's business as usual behind the wheel. For the most part, the vRS looks like the regular second-gen Kodiaq inside. That means you get plenty of premium, soft-touch materials and a swooping dashboard layout. In high-performance guise the Kodiaq gets chunkier seat bolsters to grip you more tightly in the bends, plus lashings of a material called microsuede, and a Canton sound system which will likely augment the engine’s turbocharged burble.

Few niche machines answer their design brief quite as succinctly as Skoda’s high-performance Kodiaq, so we expect it to be met with considerable interest when it lands in April 2025. As for the cost, well that’s still undisclosed, but given Skoda’s pricing structure, the vRS will likely set you back around £50,000. Not what you’d call cheap, but certainly excellent value.

Are you tempted by this sporty seven-seater? Let us know if we’ve forgotten a key rival.

Hero image credit: Skoda