The Star: December 01, 2022

Thursday December 1 2022 The Star 33
Skoda SUV packs powerful punch
THERE OFTEN comes
a point in time when you
know the mode of transport
you have isn’t fit for purpose.
That happened to my
wife and I just recently as
our old sedan made way for
a sport utility vehicle. The
latter providing us with the
entry and egress comfort we
need as our hips give way
to old age, notwithstanding
modern engines are far more
fuel efficient than our car
that was designed over 20
years ago.
Of course, being the
petrol-head I am, I would
have liked to have purchased
something with a bit more
punch from under the
bonnet, but in terms of cost I
had to be realistic about that.
Had funds been available,
we may well have purchased
a Skoda Kodiaq – the RS
version. It has all of the
comfort ingredients we
were looking for in an SUV,
but under the bonnet sits
the 2-litre turbocharged
engine that has found its
way through a raft of Skoda,
Seat, Cupra and Volkswagen
product, notably the VW
Golf GTi.
The Kodaiq RS isn’t quite
as gutsy as Volkswagen’s
Tiguan R, but it does have
much the same engine, albeit
with lower power outputs.
Saying that, at 180kW and
370Nm the Kodiaq RS does
have 48kW and 50Nm
greater than the 2-litre TSi
version I evaluated in these
columns in August.
The Kodiaq RS also
benefits from a recent
facelift amongst the sixvariant
series, it also gets
a high fitment package
that extends to satellite
navigation, paddle-shifters,
panoramic sunroof, keyless
entry and ignition, electric
seat adjustment, seat heaters
and a host of other minor
features.
Skoda’s marketing slogan
is ‘simply clever,’ and over the
years I’ve mentioned many
times the little niceties that
make the brand stand out
from others. In the Kodaiq
RS it was the plastic wheel
trims that sit inside the actual
alloy wheel itself, they can be
removed to give the vehicle
a completely different look.
It’s the first time I’ve seen that
arrangement and, yes, it is
clever.
Those features don’t
come at a huge cost; sure, at
$79,990 the range-topping
RS will stretch some buyers’
budgets, but the entire
Kodiaq range is there to lure
buyers who want quality
product at an affordable
price. The entry level model
lists at $48,990, while those
in the medium grades sit in
the $60,000 bracket.
Of course, all models have
the benefit of space, that is
the way it is with the modern
SUV, and the Kodiaq RS is
no exception, there’s even
seven seats, although the two
rear seats that fold up out of
the cargo section are really
just for children or those
very slight of build.
As with all VW Group
models the Kodiaq
RS is quality-built and
comfortable, there is space
to spread out in, and
the remaining seats are
beautifully formed so that
fatigue on a long journey is
kept to a minimum.
I took the test car on a
long inland journey through
to the Malvern Hills and
it felt just so balanced and
controlled on that journey,
the hills and bends were
simply swallowed up with
ease.
It’s important to have
balance underneath when
you have healthy power
outputs up front. The 2-litre
turbocharged engine is a
feisty unit and, as I’ve alluded
to, it’s an engine that has
found its way into hundreds
of thousands of vehicles.
I’ve never found a car that
hasn’t thrilled me when fitted
with the GTi engine, and in
the Kodaiq RS it is another
exciting product.
In terms of performance
it will accelerate to 100km/h
from a standstill in 6.6sec
and will make a highway
overtake in 4.6sec (80-
120km/h). On my journey
I passed several slower
vehicles and delighted in the
mid-range boost on tap.
Drive is distributed
through a direct shift
gearbox with seven distinct
ratios, by the sheer nature
of its design it is a quickchanging
gearbox that
doesn’t put any unnecessary
load on the engine.
That being the case, all
of the horsepower can
be utilised for speed and
acceleration when required.
Not only is the engine a real
dynamo, it is one of the most
pleasing in today’s market,
thrilling with its potential
and sound, the automatic
downshift blip reminiscent of
a race car on track.
All that it offers doesn’t
come at the cost of massive
fuel usage, Skoda rates the
Kodiaq RS with an 8.3-litre
per 100km/h combined cycle
average. During my long
journey the instantaneous
figure sat around 6l/100km
at 100km/h (engine speed
1750rpm) resulting in a
9l/100km combined figure.
I particularly enjoyed my
time with the Kodiaq RS, it’s
a feisty, fun SUV that offers a
point of difference in this age
where hybrids and electric
vehicles are commanding
that part of the market.
The Kodiaq RS stands
up to be counted with its
honesty and driveability,
it has that fun factor and
serious capability both
on-road and off, although
undulating off-road
excursions would be the
best bet. It’s not a serious
cross-country model, but it
will take the family into the
high country lakes for that
summer fishing trip and/
or the winter ski field access
road with much ease.
Coincidentally, I dropped
the Kodiaq back and
picked up the VW Tiguan
R two days later. Both have
incredible performance, it’s
just whether you want the
maximum this engine will
deliver or not.
SKODA KODIAQ RS: High performance and fuel efficiency from
Volkswagen Golf GTi engine.
• Price – Skoda Kodiaq RS,
$79,990
• Dimensions – Length,
4699mm; width, 2087mm;
height, 1685mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder
transverse, fourwheel-drive,
1984cc,
180kW, 370Nm, sevenspeed
direct shift
automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
6.6sec
• Fuel usage – 8.3l/100km
CLEVER:
The Kodiaq’s
plastic wheel
inserts can
be removed
to provide a
different look.