2019 Skoda Kodiaq RS Is The Fastest 7-Seat SUV On The Nurburgring

After giving us the first pieces of the Kodiaq RS puzzle earlier in the week, Skoda has now brought it forward once more, revealing a record-breaking lap around the Nurburgring.

In the hands of none other than Sabine Schmitz, the only woman to have won the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, the Skoda Kodiaq has become the fastest 7-seat SUV to have lapped the track.

It took the ‘Ring Queen 9 minutes and 29.84 seconds to complete the 20.8km (12.9mi) long course and its 73 turns. The record was achieved on May 18, and judging by the video shared by Czech automaker, Schmitz had a lot of fun in unleashing the Kodiaq RS on what is one of the most demanding circuits in the world.

Sporty handling

“The car looks sporty and the drive is sporty. I thought a seven-seater would not be so easy to handle, especially on a demanding circuit like the Nordschleife, but I have great feelings about it. It drives well. I’m really impressed”, said Sabine Schmitz.

For this successful attempt, Skoda wanted to make it clear that the Kodiaq RS used “was the same version that will be unveiled to the public in October and then go on sale”.

Diesel power is official

Powering vehicle is a 2.0-liter BiTDI engine that churns out 239PS (236hp / 176kW), according to the manufacturer. Described as being “new”, the mill has yet to be detailed, but we’re probably looking at some 500Nm (369lb-ft) of torque, just like the one used in the Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan.

Further down the road, Skoda might launch a petrol variant, too, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that could very well be based on the 245PS (242hp / 181kW) unit found in the Octavia RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI.

It’s unknown whether the Skoda Kodiaq RS will be presented online prior to its 2018 Paris Auto Show premiere at the beginning of October, but with the record-breaking lap around the Nurburgring, we’ll likely to hear from it again, before its big debut.