Kodiaq to get added bite next year with hot VRS versions
A HOT VRS version of the Skoda Kodiaq SUV will be launched next year.
The performance variant of the five-seat and seven-seat model is still in development and no details of engines are available yet. Like the Octavia VRS, it is likely to come in both diesel and petrol guises.
A Skoda source described the car as having “lots of torque,” suggesting the focus will be on the diesel version. The bulk of Kodiaqs sold are diesel models.
The most powerful diesel in the current Kodiaq range is a 2.0-litre model that produces 187bhp and can reach 130mph. To ensure a Kodiaq VRS has a performance edge over standard editions, Skoda could use a 240bhp twinturbo diesel from elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group range. That would almost match the power output of the top-spec petrol Octavia VRS, a 245bhp 2.0-litre petrol model that has a top speed of 155mph.
The Kodiaq VRS is expected to have four-wheel drive as standard. It will also receive design tweaks to make it stand out from other Kodiaqs, including more aggressive bumper styling elements and extra trim around the windows and front grilles.
The hot Kodiaq is likely to prove popular in Germany and the UK in particular. In the UK, VRS models account for around 20% of Skoda Octavia sales. The bulk of those are of the diesel VRS.
Skoda will also launch a coupé variant of the Kodiaq in China. Although there are no plans to do so yet, it is understood the model could eventually come to Europe.