Skoda Kodiaq vRS looks ready for launch as it takes to the Nürburgring

The new Skoda Kodiaq was launched earlier this year and quickly secured our ‘Large SUV of the Year’ award in July, but it’s set to broaden its appeal even further with a new, performance-focused vRS option. 

It’s likely to be the final combustion-engined car created by the Czech brand’s performance sub-division, and we caught the new model testing around the Nürburgring and nearby streets with almost no camouflage. The tweaks to the regular Kodiaq’s design are similar to the old vRS’, with some sporty flourishes to go with an expected boost in performance. 

Up front we can see the vRS will have the same grille and matrix-LED lights as the Sportline model, although the side air vents beneath have been restyled, as has the lower bumper. The wheels on this test car are the same 20-inch rims found on the old model, minus their plastic aero covers. 

There’s a thin veil of camouflage on the fake diffuser to the rear, and embedded within it is a new set of wide exhaust tips to help give the Kodiaq vRS some sporty presence. The interior looks production-ready too, suggesting a full reveal could take place before the end of the year. 

The first Kodiaq vRS was launched with a diesel engine before swapping to a petrol unit – the same engine as in the Volkswagen Golf GTI – in 2022. What’s powering the forthcoming Kodiaq vRS has yet to be detailed, but the company’s board member for technical development, Joannes Neft, confirmed to Auto Express in 2023 that his team have “already decided not to do it with a plug-in hybrid”. That rules out a more powerful version of the new Kodiaq iV’s 201bhp powertrain, and makes it all but certain that the Kodiaq vRS will use a version of the VW Group’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol motor, producing around 270bhp. 

Skoda sources have also confirmed to Auto Express that the Kodiaq vRS will have a dual-clutch automatic transmission, like the rest of the range. And Martin Jahn, the company’s sales and marketing boss, previously told us, “The Kodiaq vRS, by definition, is a 4x4.” The previous Kodiaq vRS was offered with seven seats and we expect this layout to continue with the upcoming car. 

After the new generation of Kodiaq vRS makes its expected public debut before the end of the year, first deliveries to UK customers will start early in 2025. The model should match the newly revealed Kodiaq iV plug-in hybrid on pricing, with a figure approaching £50,000.

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