Skoda Kodiaq vRS review
7
There was nothing stopping Skoda from putting a VW Golf GTI engine in its seven-seat SUV. Should there have been?
Published:
13 April 2025
- Introduction
- Design & styling
- Interior
- Engines & performance
- Ride & handling
- MPG & running costs
- Verdict
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- Introduction
- Design & styling
- Interior
- Engines & performance
- Ride & handling
- MPG & running costs
- Verdict
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The Skoda Kodiaq vRS probably wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the way the Volkswagen Group operates.
‘Flexible’ platforms like the German giant’s MQB one throw up various ‘why not?’ questions. It means you can have a multi-link axle and adaptive dampers in a otherwise lowly Volkswagen Golf. Because why not? Meanwhile, the clever four-wheel drive system with a torque-splitting device had already been developed for the Golf R, so more recently it has been shared around to the Cupra Leon and Audi S3.
Putting the Golf GTI engine into a Skoda Kodiaq for the sporty vRS version is more of a head-scratcher. A big seven-seat SUV tends to be used more for mooching than haring so is ideally suited to a torquey plug-in hybrid or diesel powertrain.
Indeed, when Skoda launched the Mk1 Kodiaq vRS, it did so with a 237bhp diesel engine. It switched to petrol power when facelifting the car in 2021, and that set-up is reprised for this second-generation Kodiaq.
https://www.drivenbuy.co.uk/autocar?car_make=skoda&car_model=kodiaq-vrs&review=new&source=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/skoda/kodiaq-vrs
Verdict
Model tested:
Rating: 7
Skoda Kodiaq vRS
Pleasant, practical and brisk seven-seat SUV with few direct, petrol-powered rivals, even if it would be better with a diesel.
Good
Pleasing interior and user interface
Pliant long-wave ride
Practical
Bad
Crashy ride
Lacks some performance and engagement to be considered a driver’s car
DESIGN & STYLING
7
Pros
More power than before
Better-equipped than other Kodiaqs
Cons
Doesn’t get the VW Golf R-spec engine and four-wheel drive system
As in the latest Golf GTI and Skoda Octavia vRS, the familiar ‘EA888’ 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine gets a power bump, from 242bhp to 261bhp. Torque remains at 273lb ft.
The Mk2 Kodiaq is a bigger car than the original and has gained 77kg, yet it still shaves 0.2sec off its predecessor’s 0-62mph sprint time, to 6.4sec.
The rest of the Kodiaq vRS’s specification isn’t particularly exotic but compiles most of the high-end parts of the standard Kodiaq’s options list. That means standard four-wheel drive, adaptive dampers, 20in wheels, sports seats, acoustic glass, the upgraded Canton sound system and matrix LED headlights.
You can recognise the vRS by the bumpers, which are more aggressive than even those of Sportline trim, with a few more slashes at the front and a set of twin exhaust pipes at the back.
INTERIOR
9
Pros
Good combination of physical controls and a screen interface that works well
Very spacious
Lots of practical features
Cons
Not quite as accomodating in the third row as the Hyundai Santa Fe
For the interior, Skoda has done the usual sporty car thing of replacing most of the fabric and leather of the standard car with ‘microsuede’ (Alcantara to you and me) and perforated leather. You can add normal black leather back in as an option.
Otherwise, the vRS’s cabin is the same as on every other Kodiaq. You can find our full review of the rest of the Kodiaq model range here, but in short, it’s easy to use, generally practical and well thought out and very spacious.
Skoda’s ‘Smart Dials’ are great as always. Left and right control the climate and the centre one is programmable. I mostly leave it change the drive mode. A quick twist to the left or right activates Eco or Individual mode, killing the fake V8 noise.
There are more physical controls than other Volkswagen Group cars and an appealing design that isn’t just ‘a touchscreen’. There is a touchscreen, of course, and it generally works as you expect. Quality is generally strong, and the interior is full of practical features, too. You get twin gloveboxes, two wireless phone charging pads and plenty more storage besides.
The rear bench folds in a 40:20:40 pattern and there’s space under the boot floor to store the luggage cover when you’ve got the third row deployed.
If there’s a disappointment inside, it’s the third row, which isn’t as spacious as in the Hyundai Santa Fe and lacks amenities like air vents and USB ports.
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
7
Pros
Faster than other seven-seat SUVs in this class
Gearbox responds well on the move
Four-wheel-drive traction
Cons
Automatic gearbox is jerky at low speeds
Performance and response are slightly disappointing compared with EVs’
When you start the Kodiaq vRS, it seems – if only for a moment – that those pipes are emitting V8 noises. You quickly realise that this soundscape is entirely fake, coming not just from the interior speakers but also from an external one. Like on an Abarth 500e, it’s not very realistic or enjoyable. Thankfully, you can turn it off by selecting the right drive mode.
Impressions don’t immediately improve, because at low speed, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox (DSG) seems to have all the clutch control of a learner driver with a wooden leg. This is surprising, given it’s perfectly smooth in combination with the diesel engine.
It’s fine on the move, and the Kodiaq vRS feels reasonably brisk. Given all the sporty promises, though, you can’t help but think ‘is that it?’ when you do put your foot down. I suppose EVs have warped our perception of what’s quick for a family car. After all, the everyday Skoda Enyaq 85 needs only a few tenths more to reach 60mph.
RIDE & HANDLING
7
Pros
Grip and traction
Pliant long-wave ride
Fairly intuitive steering
Cons
Ride turns brittle over sharper intrusions
Doesn’t have the engagement you might expect from a sporty derivative
The Kodiaq suffers from the usual vRS curse: you see a sporty badge and expect something that’s fun and engaging to drive, but that’s generally not what Skoda excels at. And a seven-seat SUV isn’t the natural place to go looking for that sort of thing anyway. It’s better to think of the Kodiaq vRS as a normal Kodiaq with a bit more poke.
Viewed that way, it makes more sense. The handling isn’t exactly fun, but there’s plenty of lateral grip from the Hankook Ventus V12 tyres and traction from the four-wheel drive system. The variable-ratio steering that’s standard on the vRS robs a bit of feedback but is intuitive enough.
I tended to stick to Individual mode. It lets you shut up the fake noise and combine the 4WD sport setting with one of the softer suspension modes.
Also standard are adaptive dampers and, like on all MQB cars with this system, you can choose from 15 settings. The firmer ones give good body control while the softer ones give a really plush long-wave ride. Just like in hot Golfs with big wheels, the ride can turn brittle over potholes, but at a motorway cruise you mostly notice the pliancy and the excellent noise isolation.
MPG & RUNNING COSTS
6
Pros
Better equipped than the related VW Tayron
Cons
Quite expensive
Doing big miles needn’t be eye-wateringly expensive, either. For a big car with a powerful petrol engine, the Kodiaq vRS can be surprisingly economical, doing 37mpg on the motorway. Less in town and during spirited driving, obviously. We averaged 32mpg over a varied week.
The vRS is priced from £53,690, which is no small amount of money, but then it doesn’t have many direct rivals. Perhaps that’s because there isn’t a great deal of demand for a petrol-engined, fast-ish, seven-seat SUV, but it does make the Kodiaq vRS a fairly unique offering. Mercedes has axed its AMG GLB 35 and Land Rover has done the same with the P250 version of the Discovery Sport.
The Volkswagen Tayron is effectively the same car as the Kodiaq underneath and is available with the same 262bhp engine. It’s around the same price, but not as well-equipped.
It’s worth considering the Mazda CX-80, which isn’t as overtly sporty but is still good to drive and feels more upmarket inside. It comes only as a plug-in hybrid or a 3.0-litre diesel, however.
VERDICT
Verdict
Model tested:
Rating: 7
Skoda Kodiaq vRS
Pleasant, practical and brisk seven-seat SUV with few direct, petrol-powered rivals, even if it would be better with a diesel.
Good
Pleasing interior and user interface
Pliant long-wave ride
Practical
Bad
Crashy ride
Lacks some performance and engagement to be considered a driver’s car
In isolation, the Kodiaq vRS is a pleasant thing. But sporty or fun to drive? Not really.
At the same time, you could just go for the 190bhp four-wheel drive diesel. While that’s no less expensive, once you’ve added the optional equipment that’s standard on the vRS, it will have almost as much roll-on performance but be more economical, have a smoother gearbox and ride a bit better on its smaller wheels.
Why not stick a Golf GTI engine in a Kodiaq? Because a better alternative exists. Four-cylinder petrol engines work in smaller cars, while big wafty ones are better with diesels – or electric motors.
For the staunchly diesel-averse, though, the vRS adds a bit of go to the Kodiaq without forgetting its core mission of being a big, comfy seven-seater.
