The RS badge applied to Skodas, or vRS in the United Kingdom, has always meant a more exciting drive, sprinkled with some special exterior and interior touches.
Now, for the first time, the Chzech automaker has used the performance designation on an SUV: the new Kodiaq.
Presented at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, the Kodiaq RS is powered by a 240 PS (237 hp / 177 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque 2.0-liter diesel. The bi-turbo TDI is the most powerful oil burner ever to have been used in one of the Czech brand’s cars, and is paired to a 7-speed auto and all-wheel drive.
Performance wise, the Kodiaq RS is quite punchy, as it sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.0 seconds and reaches 220 km/h (136 mph).
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With the RS logos, 20-inch wheels, 17-inch brakes, visible exhaust pipes, glossy elements and updated bumpers, the RS looks the part, too.
The same can be said about the interior, too, which gets a couple of sports seats at the front, leather and imitation suede, and contrast stitching to mark its special character.
The regular Kodiaq is one comfortable and spacious cruiser, and the RS doesn’t cut back on that. In fact, it has the same adaptive damping suspension, so it performs remarkably well, even in Sport mode, with the ride feeling composed and stable.
That being said, it is definitely not a less expensive alternative to the Porsche Macan Turbo, but rather a well put together SUV that stands out thanks to a few key upgrades and a powerful engine.
AutoTrader traveled to southern Spain to test the new Kodiaq RS, and here’s what they had to say about it.