The Skoda Kodiaq, a name long synonymous with premium comfort, spaciousness, and excellent road manners, has now revealed a much wilder side. Recently, Skoda India launched the RS version of the premium seven-seater SUV, and it was sold out within just six minutes. Only 50 units were offered in India.
Now, we have got a chance to experience this beast and see what makes the Kodiaq RS so special.
At its heart, the Kodiaq RS is powered by a familiar 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, but it is tuned to deliver significantly more power than the standard Kodiaq.
The numbers are strong for a large seven-seater. It can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and has a top speed of 231 km/h. This makes it the quickest Skoda sold in India.
Power goes to all four wheels through a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The 4×4 system also gives the SUV better grip when the road gets slippery or rough.
The Kodiaq RS gets DCC Plus adaptive suspension with 15 levels of damping adjustment. There are also several drive modes, including Comfort, Sport, Snow and Off-Road.
In Comfort, the SUV feels easy to drive and the suspension does a good job of handling broken roads. Sport mode makes things firmer and sharper. Progressive steering also helps. The steering feels quick when the pace rises, but it is still easy to use in tight spaces.
The RS version gets its own styling details.
The black details give the SUV a much more aggressive look without making it look too loud.
The cabin has an all-black theme with red stitching and RS-specific details. The front seats are electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated and get memory function.
There is also plenty of space for a family. The third row is more suitable for children, but the second row is comfortable for adults.
With all seven seats in use, boot space is 281 litres. Folding the seats increases capacity up to 1,976 litres.
At Rs 66.99 lakh ex-showroom, the Kodiaq RS is expensive. But it offers something unusual: seven seats, luxury features, 4×4 capability and serious performance in one SUV.
The bigger problem is availability. With only 50 units brought to India, buyers cannot simply walk into a showroom and order one.
For those who wanted a fast family SUV, the Kodiaq RS was a very tempting package. Sadly, the limited numbers made it more of a rare find than an easy purchase.
