Bay Harbour: June 21, 2023

20 Bay Harbour News Wednesday June 21 2023
Skoda SUV packs powerful punch
THERE OFTEN comes a point in
time when you know the mode of
transport at any given time 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 petrolhead
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 Kodiaq 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
six-variant 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 at5
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.
CLEVER: The plastic wheel inserts can be removed to offer
a different look.
SKODA KODIAQ RS: High performance from Volkswagen Golf GTi engine.
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.
A lot of that has to do with the
way the suspension has been set up.
Of course, drive is sent to all four
wheels which means there’s a fully
independent system underneath.
The spring and damper rates
are firmed slightly, but there is
compliance within that so occupant
comfort isn’t jeopardised.
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
• Price – Skoda Kodiaq RS,
$79,990
• Dimensions – Length,
4699mm; width,
2087mm; height, 1685mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
four-wheel-drive,
1984cc, 180kW, 370Nm,
seven-speed direct shift
automatic
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 6.6sec
• Fuel usage – 8.3l/100km
(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 quick-changing
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
when I took the car back to the
dealership.
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 offroad
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 Tiguan R two days later. Both
have incredible performance,
it’s just whether you want the
maximum this engine will deliver
or not.
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