2019 Skoda Kodiaq RS fully revealed

Skoda has finally lifted the covers off its new Kodiaq RS performance SUV at the 2019 Paris motor show. As teased throughout this year, the 2019 Skoda Kodiaq RS is the brand’s first performance SUV, the first higher-performance Kodiaq and the first application of the Volkswagen Group’s twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine in a Skoda product.

Skoda Australia is yet to confirm the car for local sales however, with this country’s status as a ‘hot weather’ market deemed to be unsafe for the new engine.

Giving clues as to the RS’ supremacy in the Kodiaq lineup are upsized 20-inch alloy wheels taken from the Octavia RS245, which hide 17-inch brakes – again upsized from the regular Kodiaq. A number of other subtle design differences feature on the Kodiaq RS, including gloss black window and grille surrounds and sportier front and rear bumpers. In addition to that, the company’s dynamic chassis control with adaptive dampers with six different modes (eco, comfort, normal, sport, individual and snow) and Skoda’s digital dials with a race mode are both standard.

Inside, the Kodiaq RS debuts a new deeply-bolstered seat design with diamond stitching and alcantara trim. There’s a leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters, as well as diamond stitching on the doors. The RS also debuts dynamic sound boosting, which complements the car’s natural engine noise to make it more audible and sportier.

The heart of the Skoda Kodiaq RS is a twin-turbocharged four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, which produces 176kW of power at 4,000rpm and a strong 500Nm of torque between 1,750rpm and 2,500rpm. This engine has been offered on the Volkswagen Tiguan and Passat in Europe since the current models were released, and is offered only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Skoda claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.0 seconds, a top speed of 220km/h and fuel consumption under the new WLTP testing of just 6.0L/100km. CO2 emissions are reported as 157g/km.

Unfortunately for local Skoda and performance SUV fans, the Kodiaq RS is yet to be confirmed for Australian sales – that’s if it makes it here at all. Australia is deemed to be a ‘hot weather’ market, which according to the Volkswagen Group, could affect the engine if it were sold locally – the same reason it doesn’t feature on either the Tiguan or Passat locally so far.

If it is sold here, it could be detuned like the Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3’s 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine to better withstand Australia’s climate. If it is, don’t expect it before the end of 2019 at the earliest.