At first glance, there’s not much difference between the Kodiaq RS and the regular Kodiaq, and that’s by design. Designed to be the ultimate Q-car, the Kodiaq RS has its aggression toned down, but it’s difficult to hide such raw muscle, and it tries its best to burst out. The 20-inch wheels, with 45 percent aspect ratio tyres, make it clear that while it comes with AWD, its primary hunting ground is terra firma. The black badge treatment (no relation to Rolls-Royce), like Škoda’s Monte Carlo trim, sets it apart. What’s even more likeable is the fact that apart from the two prominent vRS badges on the grille and the bootlid, it can still almost pass as a regular Kodiaq, just in a bright colour. 

The understated premiumness, a Škoda calling card, continues inside with a simple, dark-themed interior, which has a huge amount of red stitching. The steering has the vRS badge on the bottom spoke, and the 13-speaker Canton audio system is capable of rivalling a lot more expensive cars. The seats are extremely supportive, while being highly comfortable. While the driver’s display is not configurable, the default theme is pretty good-looking, and the information displayed can even be changed to show oil and coolant temp, like a proper racecar!

What is configurable, however, is the engine, as the throttle response changes by a large degree when the drive mode is changed. Another thing that changes based on the drive mode is the exhaust note, which, when Road or Sport mode is selected as opposed to Eco, Comfort or Off-road, transforms into a nice little burble, and mutates into a gruff bark as revs rise. The claimed 0-100kmph is 6.3 seconds, which is completely believable, as when I put my foot down, the Kodiaq RS took off aggressively, and the number I saw on the speedo after a few seconds will remain a secret, as I have no intention of losing my license. It repeated this blistering performance with metronomic regularity, every time I wanted to hoon. With 265PS under my right foot, I confess, I wanted to hoon almost all the time, as the nearly 200mm ground clearance meant I had little chance of scraping anything. The only thing I had to be careful about was the 45 aspect ratio tyres, which were low-profile enough to sustain damage from poor road surfaces. 

On the other hand, a 45 aspect ratio meant that the Kodiaq turned remarkably well, and Škoda’s semi-active adaptive suspension system (Škoda Dynamic Chassis Control or DCC for short) was an able accomplice in this, granting the kind of cornering ability that almost nullified the high centre of gravity. It still is a high-riding SUV, and while there’s no getting around the fact, Škoda engineers have tried their best to do just that, and succeeded by nearly 90 percent, as 9 out of 10 times you will not feel the height and weight of the car when driving spiritedly. Respect that 10 percent outer limit, and you’ll be rewarded with a car that is capable of some serious handling prowess. Imagine a strong man on the trapeze ropes, and you’ll get the idea.

Also, when accelerating out of low-speed corners, you can feel the shove from the rear axle, as the AWD system moves the torque around in its best effort to mitigate understeer, and honestly, it is slightly better than the Octavia RS in this aspect. While the corner entry experience is pretty similar, the Kodiaq RS’ AWD makes the difference in corner exits, and propels the near two-tonne machine out with such ferocity that you momentarily forget what you’re driving. The extra 30Nm torque definitely helps here (400Nm over 370Nm in the Octy). The variable ratio steering rack with just 2.13 turns lock-to-lock is irritating when taking tight U-turns, and sublime when flowing through sweeping corners. The brakes did experience some fade during fast downhill driving, but we expect that most drivers will not have to face that, as we really got a bit carried away!

The verdict will be short—get the Kodiaq RS if you can, but you have to wait for the next batch, as this batch, despite a ₹3.0 lakh booking amount, sold out in six minutes, all 50 units. That makes it rarer than the Lamborghini Urus, and whatever Škoda decides to price it at (probably somewhere between ₹65 to ₹70 lakh), it will be acceptable, because cars this capable and fun don’t come around very often!

Words: Sayantan De
Photography: Abhay Verma, Alex Toppo

The post Škoda Kodiaq RS First Drive Review first appeared on Turbocharged.

The handsome lines of the Škoda Kodiaq have remained unchanged, and that’s a good thing, because it is a rather good-looking car. While its cousin, the Volkswagen Tiguan, hides its bulk, the Kodiaq embraces it, creating a large silhouette, which is nevertheless quite svelte in form. Imagine an NBA player — big and tall, yes, but athletic too. That’s the silhouette of the Škoda Kodiaq for you. Visually, the 2026 Sportline trim gets the horizontal lights, which were previously exclusive to the L&K (that’s a theme that’s going to repeat itself a few times over the course of this review). I also love the black grille surround on the Sportline, which makes the Kodiaq look more contemporary.

The Kodiaq has one of the best interiors in its price class, hands down. The quality of materials, the interplay of the textures and the colours, all of it makes the cabin feel properly premium. The tactility of the dials is great too, though a little more resistance would have stopped me from overshooting the desired number of clicks. Also, while I understand this is entirely my personal opinion, I feel that multifunction knobs shouldn’t have more than two functions, which will make them just switch between the two, instead of the three-function setup here, which makes it cycle and thus not possible to figure out which mode it’s in unless you take your eyes off the road. Also, combining the volume control for the passenger and the drive mode selector for the driver, along with the AC blower speed for both in a single dial, is irritating at best, hazardous at worst. The 2023 model had a row of switches that worked much better than the setup here, but this is the one we’re stuck with for now.

That being said, the Kodiaq is packed to the gills with features, particularly in the L&K that we drove. However, for model year 2026, the Sportline customers will get to enjoy a host of features previously exclusive to the L&K and the 360-degree camera. As for the L&K exclusive features, it is the only one that comes with massaging seats, but unfortunately, those are also paired with ventilated seats, as the Sportline still continues with seats that are heated only. Also, the Sportline, despite being more expensive than the 5-seater Lounge, doesn’t get access to the drive modes (Eco/Normal/Sport/Offroad/Snow/Individual) and hill descent control. 

That being said, the Kodiaq is lovely to drive as it has always been. The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol makes 204PS and 320 Nm, which means the Kodiaq can sprint to 100kmph in around eight seconds, despite the roughly 1,800 kilos of mass it carries. Also, the body control of the Kodiaq is phenomenal, without compromising ride quality—try as we might, we couldn’t get a cornering shot with any kind of noticeable body roll, despite gliding over broken tarmac and unpaved roads alike. Brakes are the same story, and actually the ABS calibration on gravel was way better than I expected it to be—the Kodiaq stopped without any drama on our gravel test route despite braking from over 60kmph. 

Overall, the 2026 updates aim to sweeten the deal on the Sportline trim. However, the fact remains that the Kodiaq is a bit outclassed in terms of features in its segment, unless you opt for the top-of-the-line L&K trim. On the other hand, even the Lounge trim gets the phenomenal powertrain, suspension, and braking systems that are found on the more expensive variants, and for someone who is less interested in features and more interested in interacting with their machines on a winding road, few SUVs make as much of a case for themselves as the Kodiaq.

Words: Sayantan De
Photography: Swapnil Dhawale

The post 2026 Škoda Kodiaq First Drive Review first appeared on Turbocharged.

The standard version of the SUV, for comparison, has a maximum power output of 204PS along with 320Nm of max torque. Additionally, the RS claims a naught-to-hundred time of 6.4 seconds, along with a top speed of 231kmph.

The Kodiaq RS is Škoda’s nod to city-dwellers looking for comfort as well as performance on both on-road and off-road situations. However, considering the outrageous performance on offer, it may not be as affordable as the regular Kodiaq. Ergo, with this expected price point, it puts up a respectable fight against other luxury SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA, the BMW X1, and the Audi Q3. Furthermore, if the price difference between the standard Kodiaq and the RS isn’t too high, it might stage a coup over one of its own.

The Kodiaq RS is currently available in several international markets, including Germany, UK, and select countries in the Middle East.

The post Škoda Unveils Kodiaq RS in India, scheduled to launch in June 2026 first appeared on Turbocharged.

Skoda has applied its latest ‘Modern Solid’ design language to the new Kodiaq, which used to sport a clean, somewhat monolithic design earlier. The new design has introduced many more curvy creases, bling elements, and looks contemporary and fairly more attention-grabbing than the old one. The Sportline trim is targeted at the enthusiasts with its blacked-out exterior trim and 18-inch alloys of an athletic design. The Selection L&K variant looks posher with its LED-bejwelled grille, dashes of chrome and aero aesthetic 18-inch alloys. A wide range of appealing exterior colourways are on offer.

The interior, which was already a nice place to be in, has been thoroughly re-designed and ups the premium quotient by quite a bit with upscale materials while also packing in many latest tech features. The Sportline gets a sporty, all-black interior while the Selection L&K features Cognac leather upholstery. The 13-inch infotainment screen and the 13-speaker Canton sound system it controls are a highlight. A customisable ’smart dial’ with an embedded screen that can switch between controlling the seat ventilation (only for Selection L&K variant), fan speed, and drive modes is a signature ‘Simply Clever’ touch. A panoramic sunroof, 10-inch digital instrument cluster, sliding and reclining rear seats, customisable ambient lighting, ventilated front seats with massage function (only for Selection L&K variant) and park assist are some of the other tech highlights.

So far as the powertrain is concerned, the trusty 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol EA888 motor has been retained along with the 7-speed DSG and all-wheel drive. Power is up to 204PS from 190PS while the torque output remains 320Nm. Safety features include nine airbags, parking sensors (front and rear), electronically locking differential and driver attention and drowsiness monitor. There is no ADAS though. The new Kodiaq is significantly more expensive than the older one, which used to retail for around ₹37 lakh, ex-showroom. Now because of the increased price, this SUV will compete chiefly with the Toyota Fortuner (top variant), Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Meridian, Citroen C5 Aircross, and its own cousin, the newly launched Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line.

The post 2025 Skoda Kodiaq Launched first appeared on Turbocharged.