Skoda Kodiaq vRS - long-term review

They call it Moon White Metallic. Looks great, doesn’t it? And you can’t miss it, which is very definitely the point. My hope it that TG’s new Skoda Kodiaq vRS clears the outside lane of the motorway faster than any other car on sale. Conceived to look as much like a police car as possible but spec’d with all the clever touches that make the Kodiaq a fantastic family car/mover of stuff and comfortable motorway cruiser, I have high hopes this could be a pretty compelling package.

Of course, it should be a bit of fun, too. The vRS doesn’t have the full complement of power of, say, an Audi S3 (which has a similar engine), but 261bhp from the 2.0-litre turbocharged unit, a DSG gearbox and four-wheel drive could provide enough entertainment to make it more than simply an easy-going way to get around the UK and Europe. It’s going to need that power for other reasons, too. The optional electrically-stowed tow bar (£1,325) means I’m planning to haul my Porsche to the ‘Ring with it later on, too.

The vRS starts at £54,655 and comes pretty well loaded. Including, of course, seven seats, lots of lovely black microsuede trim, Drive Mode Select with Dynamic Chassis Control, an umbrella in the front door and a whole host of things I never use like adaptive cruise control. Beyond the copious standard trim we added the aforementioned tow bar, the Winter package (£470) that provides a heated windscreen and front and rear seats, and the Simply Clever Family Package for £670.

This is literally, um, clever. It includes door edge protectors, a storage compartment in the rear with two cupholders, rear sunblinds, extra airbags and – key for any child in 2026 – detachable tablet holders mounted into the seat backs. As an attentive and right-thinking parent I‘d never let my young daughter become screen-obsessed. But thank god for Bluey, eh? These alone almost justify the £58,270 as-tested price.

Just days after the vRS arrived, Top Gear's art director Andy Franklin cruelly pilfered it for a family holiday to France. However, I’ve already been impressed by the sheer practicality, the clever touches everywhere (it even has little rubbish bins in the door pockets) and the quality. It doesn’t have the tactility of, say, a JLR product, but somehow it exudes a kind of industrial indestructability. Let’s see if that’s retained after Franklin’s feral family has been living out of it for a couple of weeks…

For me, the interesting thing will be whether the sheer convenience of the Kodiaq will outweigh the sacrifice in agility and performance compared to, for example, the Cupra Leon VZ that I’ve just handed back after over 10,000 very happy miles. Time will tell. I guess if it really does clear the endless queues of lemmings stuck at 68mph in the outside lane of the M1, that will be a very good start. Shame Skoda doesn’t offer blue lights behind the grille as an option.