Skods’s latest addition to the RS family, the Kodiaq RS was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last week, and it is due here in December.
It is powered by a new 2.0TDI 240hp 4×4 DSG engine and gearbox combination. And Skoda claims this will make the Kodiaq RS the most powerful production diesel engine in the history of the company.
The Kodiaq SUV was launched in Ireland in March 2017 to what Skoda says was unprecedented demand. It also scooped the Irish Large SUV of the year award at the Irish Car of the Year awards 2018.
Now its flagship model in its boisterous RS version is on the way. The initials RS stand for Rally Sport and were first used in 1974 as part of the brand's rally strategy. In 2000, Skoda introduced its first RS production model, the Octavia RS.
The Skoda Kodiaq RS is the brand’s first SUV to join this circle and carries its motorsport and rally history into a new vehicle segment. The Kodiaq RS will also be the first model to bear the new, modern RS logo featuring additional red touches, according to Skoda.
Skoda says the Kodiaq RS has already broken records for the fastest seven-seater SUV around the Nürburgring in June this year, with racing driver Sabine Schmitz commending the “dynamic power delivery and excellent responsive qualities”. The four-cylinder 2.0TDI TDI engine produces 240hp thanks to biturbo charging, and delivers maximum torque of 500 =Nm.
In keeping with the RS heritage of Skoda, the carmaker says the Kodiaq RS has a more aggressive exterior styling. LED headlights, 20" alloy wheels, specific RS front and rear bumpers, a glossy black front radiator grille, black roof rails, sunset tinted rear and side windows and black window frames complete the dominating sporty road presence. Inside, the sports seats are decorated in Alcantara with specific RS stitching and are electrically adjustable. The virtual cockpit customisable electronic instrument cluster will also come as standard while aluminium pedals, Alcantara door panels, and carbon styled decor complete the sporty interior.
