Penning down my impressions (not review – I am not matt Watson) on the Skoda Kodiaq vRS. As you read, it may seem a bit biased and yes I am , that’s how the car has grown on me and this a Kodiaq forum after all, where else can an owner boast about it. It’s a bit long, bear (pun intended) with me. It’s been 8 months and 7000+ kms of ownership and in this period, it has performed without incident (fingers crossed).

Simply Clever?

Well, everyone knows about the various knick-knacks. However, I will dwell on them 🙄 .  Storage space uncompromised – acres of it. When trying to decide, I convinced my wife, there can never be too much space. This is the first car I’ve owned with 2 glove boxes and a compartment beneath the passenger’s seat. I even have a small storage near my left knee, which I call my secret compartment. Opening pet bottles one-handed, neat.

I find the umbrellas, head support on rear headrests, sunblinds & blankets just add a touch of exclusivity that none of the other mainstream manufacturers offer and some that the premium ones demand insane amounts for.

Skoda better stay clever and keep these going and not succumb to  costcutting these nice to have “essentials”.

Looks

The RS is one handsome car, and that’s an opinion I am happy is shared by many professional reviewers too. The black accents and stance does make me smile and feel happy with my acquisition each time I turn & look after parking. Looks are subjective but I do get appreciative looks from onlookers well. Some even have a question on their a faces - a Skoda? Okay, I am getting carried away so will stop. Handsome, good looking – yes. Any gripes – Skoda could have got a bit more creative and distinguished the RS a bit more than the already handsome Sportline.

Features

Really love the sat/nav. Been a doodle to use, most of the addresses are easy to find and input. The send destination to car on the Skoda Connect phone app is also cool. I did not opt for the Canton system, but the sound quality is impressive on the standard version for my tastes. Getting the fuel prices on the MID from nearby fuel stations is cool.  Haven’nt felt the need to use the Android auto constantly but have it used a couple times and yes it ticks that box too .

 The assistance systems mainly ACC reduces stress levels on the highways and during traffic jams. They are a tad overcautious I feel but no complaints. The various modes for the ACC also increases the speed variably based on the driving mode. The drive mode selector too, another feature that I appreciate.

Electric boot opening, baggage hooks, heated seats, heated steering are all handy extras.

The 360 view and cameras offer crisp images and makes fitting her into tight corners very easy. The optional park assist too is accurate 95% of the time. 

Driving Experience

Had initially gone in to book the sportline, so test drove both the 190 tsi and 190 tdi. Both very impressive. The TSI more free revving but considering my usage and a soft corner for diesels, decided on the TDI. Then, saw the RS demo lying there and then something just clicked. The asking price was way higher than the sportline, but still decided to have a go. Started the engine, slotted into reverse, pulled out, put into drive, whoa what’s that sound? I like it. There are mixed opinions on this sound boost but I was hooked. More on that later. The test drive left me very impressed. I have particular test drive route with winding corners, a short straight stretch and gradients.  The sportlines were rather impressive and I was amazed how I could chuck these tall SUVs about almost like my old hatchback, but the RS just took the merriment to a whole other level. Yes, the TSI revved but the humongous torque here meant there was no need to do so and I was easily exceeding the speeds compared to it coming out of the corners. Revving, oh boy, it can do that too and in sportsmode, it does rev so freely, I was grinning like a boy and looking at the speedo I was like “oh-oh better lift off from the accelerator”.  I did the route in normal, sports and eco. The eco too did not feel sluggish while climbing either.

In the last 7 months of ownership, the car has grown on me and surprises me. I find myself driving longer routes to go grocery shopping (when alone ofcourse), slipping out at the crack of dawn just to have a blast after particularly hard week. It has turned out to be my stress buster but my senses are at opposite end of meditation ;-). I know Kodiaqs are referred to as bears but when I see myself steering in the opposite direction of a curve and the tail stepping out a bit, it is far from being a hefty, burly animal.  This characteristic too, I felt that the car started doing this, when it sensed that I’ve gotten more confident with it. It did learn well 😄 . At the other end, while driving with family on-board, she tries to be economical by coasting even in Normal mode when my throttle inputs have been gentle.

The sound boost , I am a fan. Many hate it, ridicule it and wonder why it was added. Alright it’s no screaming V8, but does feel like a throaty V6. I describe it as understated yet strong. When pulling out of my garage in reverse, normal diesel clatter., slot into drive and the low growl reverberates in the closed basement area. Neat. In normal mode and going slow it actually sounds good. In sports mode & at speed, it just enhances the experience. The ride is still great in sportsmode (none of the jarring thuds as described by a few), and you don’t know what speeds you are doing. The sound reminds you to look at the speedo & be happy/amazed. What’s an RS with no growl? Is it done well? I have no reference to compare. Was it necessary? You bet ur *** it is. Critics of this, pls don't chew me up 🤐

LongTrips

There’s been only one 600 km round trip and she did very well to the Alps just before COVID hit. Six people on board, two 5 year olds, 2 pregnant women and 2 husbands (one of whom spent 90% of trip in the 3^rd row) .  The third row occupant never complained, infact he was happy back there, surfing, sleeping and as he said enjoying the exhaust note when I would occasionally step on it. The women were very comfortable, with all the space and comfortable ride. Everyone arrived quite fresh. Spent most of it in Individual mode :- Comfort DCC, Normal Engine & Sound – Comfort and ACC in Sport. It handled the snow very well too, very seamless.  In fact, I had forgotten there was a Snow mode and did not use it all. The consumption with a fully loaded car was also 6.8ltr/100 km. Speeds mostly at the Swiss limit of 120km/hr and some mountain roads tackled very sedately.

 

Negatives

Oh yes, here are a few for the sake of it.

·         Most of vehicle settings require the engine to be running. Skoda, come on and you are trying to lower emissions?

·         What’s with VAG cars and service positions for wipers? I just want to lift them off the windscreen and wipe ‘em clean.

·         I want the wing mirrors to open on engine ignition and not on unlocking. That should have been customizable.

·         I miss not have an off button for the A/C.

·         I overlooked the ISOFIX on front seats and to my surprise, it was just a 40CHF option. Guys, could you not make it standard?

·         In-town fuel economy, quite poor.

·         Extremely loud radiator fan during DPF regeneration. Sounds like a generator when parked.

·         Door handle slightly creaking.

·         Could have had an additional trip meter.

 

 

Value for Money?

At an asking price of CHF62000 for my desired configuration, it is by no means cheap. Looking at similarly priced/power outputs alternatives from premium stables,

A JAG F-Pace 25D with 240 PS(similar output) starts at CHF65000 and adding my desired config goes to CHF88000 . No alcantara seats though.

A JAG F-Pace 20D with 240 PS (lower output) starts at CHF60000 and goes to CHF83000

A BMW X3 30D with 286PS starts at CHF68000 and goes to 86K for same spec as my RS

A BMW X3 20D with 190PS(lower output)  starts at CHF58000 and goes up to 73K for same spec as my RS

The Volvo XC60 & Merc GLC also have similar pricing.

Bottom line, unless you are really after snob value, you are getting way more for what you shell out on an RS than the above and none of them are 7 seaters. Okay, they do have smarter feeling cabins!!

 

RS essential or SportLine Enough?

The Sportsline has the look of the RS, all the creature comforts, you can even option the DCC & Virtual Cockpit and still save a few thousands. It more than makes the cut for a Stylish, big SUV. If you are thinking right, you cannot go wrong with the Sportsline, it is a brilliant package. However, if you think with your heart, slip out at dawn/night to get some kicks and want to laugh out loud, look no further than the Kodiaq RS.

Peace out. ✌️

 

 

 

 

 

Glad you like the RS I do like the looks but if I needed a 7 seater (which I don't) I would probably be happy with the 190PS petrol In Sportline spec. In the UK they will be popular when they reach fives years old and the road tax falls and the savage depreciation has kicked in. Guess they will lose over £30,000 in those first 5 years or £500 per month so fuel consumption will be irrelevant.

23 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

 In the UK they will be popular when they reach fives years old and the road tax falls...

 

It's actually after 6 years. You pay the high first year duty then it's the standard duty for the next 5yr.

 

I'm sure there's going to be lots of people like you ( and me to begin with ) who'll get caught out with this.  Then again, in 5yrs time, who can say what the taxes will be?  We've Covid-19 to pay for.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

 

It's actually after 6 years. You pay the high first year duty then it's the standard duty for the next 5yr.

 

I'm sure there's going to be lots of people like you ( and me to begin with ) who'll get caught out with this.  Then again, in 5yrs time, who can say what the taxes will be?  We've Covid-19 to pay for.

 

 

I always ask how much the VED is at the dealer before deciding whether to test drive a vehicle so that I don't waste the dealer's and my time with something I'm not going to buy.