If you’re in the market for a performance-oriented
compact crossover, then you may want to wait a bit before making a deposit,
because the Skoda Kodiaq RS is finally happening. The
model was officially confirmed by Skoda in a few official images and a video,
which show a prototype in the hands of none other than Sabine Schmitz.
The Nurburgring Queen got the chance to see what the
Skoda Kodiaq RS is made of on the famous German track. And she wasn’t alone in
this adventure, as she had Frantisek Drabek acting as a co-driver, the man in
charge of the Kodiaq RS project.
Skoda won’t drop any engine specifications or
performance numbers just yet, but promises to reveal the rest of the ‘Ring story
this Thursday. We don’t know if that’s when they plan to celebrate its online
presentation, too, so we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s likely to make its
first public presence at the 2018 Paris Auto Show in October.
Elsewhere, the final production version might also
get the black treatment on the grille, with the mandatory RS badging, on the
roof rails and probably other parts of the exterior, alongside dark lighting
units on both ends. The cabin isn’t visible in the first scoops, but it will
likely come with special black trim, just like the Octavia RS, contrast
stitching and highlights, and the typical RS / vRS badging.
It’s been rumored that Skoda will use a turbocharged
2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine from the Euro-spec Volkswagen Passat for
the Kodiaq RS. If that’s indeed the case, then it could get a boost over the
Passat’s 240 PS and more than 500 Nm of torque, channeled
to both axles through a DSG transmission. A gasoline engine – likely based on
the Octavia RS / VW Golf GTI’s 245PS 2.0-liter turbocharged four, hasn’t been
ruled out, yet.
As Skoda chose not to make the Fabia RS anymore, for
financial reasons, the Kodiaq RS will be the second member of the firm’s
performance-oriented family, after the Octavia RS.
