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First Look

This is the new Skoda Kodiaq vRS: a family SUV… with 262bhp

Hate your family? Make them ill by lapping the Nürburgring in one of these!

Published: 30 Oct 2024

Once upon a time, an entirely unsensible version of the entirely sensible Skoda Kodiaq managed to navigate its way around a place fondly nicknamed The Green Hell in 9m 29.84s by a proper, bona fide hero. That made it the fastest seven-seater around that Hell place.

Soon after, this unsensible sensible car ditched its diesel engine for a more powerful petrol one. Now, there’s an even more powerful petrol one: welcome to the Skoda Kodiaq vRS Mk2.

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This new one now develops 262bhp – versus the old car’s 242bhp – and 295lb ft of torque via a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit, delivered via a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox to a permanent four-wheel-drive system.

As such, this big, heavy, unsensible but sensible family car can manage the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.4s – once the preserve of Fast Stuff – and a top speed of 144mph.

Skoda hasn’t yet told us if it’s sent – or sending – the hot new Skoda on a Full Send of the Nürburgring, but it certainly looks like it fancies a crack at it. Not least because there’s gloss black detailing around the body, a light strip on the grille, polished stainless steel exhaust tips, and 20in alloys hiding massive ventilated brake discs that – up front at least – wear two-piston, bright red calipers.

Naturally, there’s an unnatural amount of light generated outside by those LED headlights – standard-fit – while inside there are sporty vRS-branded seats, more black, a couple of finish options, red stitching, a multifunction steering wheel, a 10in digital driver display and a 13in freestanding infotainment screen.

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There’s also a selection of Modes, ranging from Eco, through Comfort, Normal, Sport, Individual and Snow, each one tweaking the adaptive dampers. You can go off-road via the Off-Road mode too.

“The most dynamic Kodiaq perfectly blends sportiness with everyday practicality,” said Skoda’s technical development boss Johannes Neft. For which, read: it’s an unsensible sensible family car.

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