Living with the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS 2.0 petrol AWD

Where were we?

• Update 1: On the road
• Update 2: Technology
• Update 3: Comfort, space and quality
• Update 4: The end

Welcome

Price as tested: $67,440 ($74,990 drive-away)
This month: 597.2km @ 11.2L/100km (1873km on odometer)

The Volkswagen Group’s Australian arm is on a bit of a spree when it comes to launching quick SUVs.

Among them, the Tiguan R hero arrived recently, the T-Roc R is coming, and new brand Cupra will soon launch the Ateca and Formentor.

But, of all the quick SUVs here now and on the way, it was Skoda’s Kodiaq RS that got in first. It arrived as a diesel offering, producing 176kW and 500Nm to deliver a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 6.9 seconds.

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It was a good thing. Not cheap, at $65,990 before on-road costs, but for those seeking a well-equipped seven-seater with prodigious torque and fairly frugal fuel consumption, it was compelling.

Well, now it’s powered by a petrol mill. Specifically, the same EA888 turbo-petrol four-cylinder unit that drives the lovely Octavia RS sedan and wagon, and the Volkswagen brand’s Golf GTI hot hatch. In the Kodiaq RS, that engine delivers the same 180kW and 370Nm as offered with its mates.

It’s quicker too, claiming to hit 100km/h in 6.6 seconds – four-tenths sharper than the previous version. Doesn’t hurt that the petrol unit is 58kg lighter than the diesel

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That’s a touch more power but a lot less torque than before – although you get peak torque from 1600rpm through to 4300rpm, while the diesel model tapped out at 2500rpm.

It’s quicker too, claiming to hit 100km/h from standstill in 6.6 seconds – four-tenths sharper than the previous version. Doesn’t hurt that the petrol unit is 58kg lighter than the diesel.

As before, power is sent to an all-wheel-drive system through a seven-speed dual-clutch auto, with the combo leading to a claimed fuel consumption figure of 7.5L/100km. That’s thirstier than the old diesel, which listed an official figure of 6.6L/100km, but still a decent number. We’ll see how close we can get to it.

Cosmetically, the updated Kodiaq RS gets subtly redesigned headlights and a reshaped grille set above a meaner new-look bumper. At the rear, you’ll find reshaped tail lamps with a new LED signature, and new black badging with ‘S K O D A’ spelled out across the tailgate in place of the familiar arrow logo – as is the trend in recent years.

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There’s a new 20-inch wheel design at the corners, wrapped in Continental ContiSportContact 235/45R20 tyres. And here’s a tip: the futuristic techy look of the new ‘Sagittarius’ wheels comes courtesy of aerodynamic panels on the spokes. Don’t like ‘em? No trouble, they’re removable.

Matrix LED headlights, optional overseas, are standard on the Australian model, and the previously optional $1900 panoramic sunroof is now also standard kit – which might help keen-eyed buyers feel better about the $1450 price rise, but they needn’t worry because the drive-away price has actually fallen $1000 to $74,990.

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Other newly standard features include scrolling LED indicators at the rear, luggage nets, puddle lights in the wing mirrors, and full leather seats (previously a combo of Alcantara and leather) with ventilation in the front two pews.

While the interior is otherwise unchanged but for a new steering wheel, these enhancements work to make the new Kodiaq RS feel like a near-premium offering – although, if I’m quibbling, I’d rather still have the Alcantara trim. It’s a common feature of sports models these days, and I quite like it.

It still feels modern inside – particularly on the tech front, with all models getting a 9.2-inch main touchscreen and 10.25-inch instrument display

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So, how does it go? ‘First’ impressions are strong, with the updated Kodiaq RS feeling at once familiar and rejuvenated, quick and sporting without sacrificing comfort.

While the Kodiaq line is now into its sixth year, it still feels modern inside – particularly on the tech front, with all models getting a 9.2-inch main display, a 10.25-inch instrument display behind the steering wheel, and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Over the coming months, we’ll assess this RS model’s seven-seat packaging and performance bent to see if it’s the right car for buyers seeking family-focused practicality matched to a sporting powertrain and suspension package.

Tune in next month for my thoughts on how this new RS drives.

In the meantime, check out what Jez Spinks thought of the Kodiaq RS after its recent media launch drive.

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On the road

Price as tested: $67,440 ($74,990 drive-away)
This month: 595km @ 10.9L/100km (2458km on odometer)
Total: 1192km

There aren’t many seven-seaters that do this.

‘This’ being SUVs that offer properly sporting levels of power and handling, while providing ample room for the kids and their friends. It’s not really a thing at this price point, and that’s what makes this new Kodiaq RS so compelling.

Skoda’s popular Kodiaq RS is on the smaller side of the ‘large SUV’ segment it plays in, straddling the fence between – for example – the new mid-size Nissan X-Trail and big new Pathfinder that are both launching in Australia this year. It has that in common with the related Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

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The Kodiaq, at 2791mm and 4697mm respectively, is much closer to the X-Trail in size – yet its “Simply Clever” packaging makes it a convincing enough ‘large’ SUV.

But, even though the Allspace and Kodiaq are both seven-seaters, the former is limited to a 162kW hero model, while this Kodiaq RS gets a more flagship-oriented powertrain.

Importantly for the Kodiaq RS, its smaller build means it’s also lighter than most large SUVs, resulting in an athletic capability that makes the most of its 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine – shared with the Octavia RS and VW Golf GTI – and the resulting 56kg weight saving over its diesel-powered predecessor.

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Fuel use has dropped slightly on this test, now at 10.9L/100km against the 7.5L/100km factory claim – although most of my driving has been urban, which Skoda lists at 9.6L/100km – pretty close to my figures. We’ll have to get some more highway driving in next month.

As a family hauler, the Kodiaq RS delivers a fairly comfortable ride – busy on poor-quality roads but never jarring – despite the big 20-inch alloy wheels and low-profile Continental ContiSportContact 235/45R20 rubber at each corner. There’s certainly no luxurious cloud ride here, even in comfort mode, but then you’d want smaller wheels and more rubber if that’s a big priority for you.

Generally, though, most of the broken surfaces and corrugation we’ve come across in suburban Melbourne have been dismissed neatly through the Kodiaq RS’s standard Adaptive Chassis Control damping.

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As a family consideration – and my younguns have now been riding in this daily for a month – you can rest easy: the Kodiaq RS remains a comfortable family SUV.

The RS also benefits from a seven-speed dual-clutch auto that has proven responsive and quick in most situations. It still suffers from moments of brief hesitation when suddenly pushed, but it’s never as easily confused as past generations of Volkswagen’s DSG design.

Flick the gear lever down to engage sports mode and that transmission becomes its most ready and engaged self, with rapidfire shifts up and down, responding willingly to paddle shifts and, in most cases, allowing you to override the computer on downshifts.

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Frustratingly, when the system elects to hold onto lower gears, the synthesised engine noise – a bit of childish guilty-faced fun at takeoff but mostly droney and grating when cruising – can be at its loudest and most irritating. You may feel an urge to shift up manually just to tone it down, but at least you can disable the artificial soundtrack by switching to comfort mode.

In sports mode you’ll get more weight through the progressive steering system to deliver some confidence in spirited driving, although feedback from the road is largely absent.

While the Kodiaq RS can’t get around the fact it’s a tall seven-seat family car, its steering is overall accurate and faithful. It’ll go where you point it, and that’s no small accomplishment.

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As a performance-oriented take on the classic family SUV, the RS is never a red-hot thrilling drive, but that’s not the mission. This is a family car first and foremost, but it’s not a mere caveat to say buyers shouldn’t expect hot-hatch dynamics from a high-riding wagon, because you can certainly have something like that in the new and much meaner 235kW/400Nm Tiguan R for similar money.

No, this RS – as with the Octavia RS – combines practicality and comfort with affordable performance, and while the former is in some ways limited by the Kodiaq’s segment-straddling size, the latter is more deliberately tempered for an overall better experience.

For many buyers, that’s the right mix – and hitting 100km/h in 6.6 seconds means the Kodiaq RS is no slouch.

But...

The Kodiaq isn’t without its frustrations, though: on the technology front, the ‘Travel Assist’ system in our tester has been regularly throwing noisy ‘currently unavailable’ alerts up on the screen – seemingly provoked by glare hitting the front-mounted cameras.

And, more than a few times, the reversing camera has failed to activate, showing only the parking sensors on screen and forcing the use of (gasp) mirrors and head-checks. I’ll explore tech further in my next instalment.

Up next? A deep dive into the Kodiaq RS’s “Simply Clever” interior and technology.

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Interlude

We've been out testing the Kodiaq RS against its show-off cousin in the Volkswagen stable, the new hero Tiguan R. You can catch a brief tour of the two side-by-side in the Instagram post below, and keep an eye out for the full story in the coming weeks.

Technology

Price as tested: $67,440 ($74,990 drive-away)
This month: 943km @ 11.5L/100km (3401km on odometer)
Total: 2135km

The Skoda Kodiaq, for a car now into its sixth year on the international market, remains a well-equipped rig.

Highlights from the standard features list for every variant include full-LED headlights and tail lamps, dynamic (animated) LED indicators at the rear, a powered tailgate, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a pair of 10.25-inch main and 9.2-inch instrument cluster displays. Not as big as some screens now, but big enough.

In all, there’s a lot of kit here you won’t find standard on the entry model of most rival line-ups – although, with a $48,540 starting price for the base Style grade, you’d expect a good spread. (See the full spec list at whichcar.com.au/skoda/kodiaq)

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For safety, each model gets nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking with predictive pedestrian protection, adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, a rear-view camera and front sensors.

You’ll need to step up to Sportline or RS for more than that, or explore the options packs detailed at the link above.

Highlights of the Sportline include an upgrade to full Matrix LED headlights and adaptive high beam, a powered driver’s seat (yes, missing from the otherwise well-equipped Style), selectable driving modes and progressive steering.

Personal highlights for me, resident tech nerd, include the presence of a phone charging pad to make best use of the wireless CarPlay and Android – although my phone is a little too large to sit comfortably in the space provided – and the touch-sensitive lock/unlock sensors in all four external passenger door handles.

Oh, and how can I forget the flip-out door protectors? Ford beat Skoda to this innovation, but unlike Ford, Skoda has really picked up the ball and run with it as a standard feature. The real question is, why don't all cars have this?

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Then we get to the hero of the range, and of this story, the Kodiaq RS. Here, Skoda lifts the tech package with three-zone climate control, heated seats in first and second row, ventilated and powered front seats, 12-speaker 625W Canton audio, a hands-free upgrade for the powered tailgate and a 360-degree surround-view camera.

Safety is also significantly bolstered in the RS, gaining blind-spot detection, traffic-jam assist, lane-keep assist, emergency assist, rear cross-traffic alert and park assist.

For my money, I’d prefer to see blind-spot and lane-keep assist made standard at the entry level rather than forming part of a $6500 Luxury Pack, but it certainly highlights the value in the Kodiaq RS.

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It’s also worth noting that the ongoing global semiconductor shortage affecting most brands has led Volkswagen Group to offer buyers a choice: go without some features to get your car built sooner (and with a refund on the missing tech), or stick with the standard kit if you can live with a longer wait as the necessary chips become available. For resale value, we’d recommend patience.

Our tester, no surprise, is equipped as the maker intended – with all comfort, convenience and safety features present and accounted for. And, for the most part, it all works well.

The integrated infotainment and navigation are intuitive to use and quick to respond, if a little outdated aesthetically. I wonder though if most people these days don’t simply defer to the immediately familiar CarPlay and Android interfaces – particularly here, where the wireless and automatic connection makes it a seamless default.

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Frankly, I recommend it, and after having to plug my Android phone into the updated RAV4 and new-generation HR-V this week (watch for that hybrid face-off soon), I also applaud Skoda for including wireless connectivity in its facelifted six-year-old SUV.

That extensive suite of active safety tech has also proven reliable and well-mannered, with features like collision alert and lane-keep assist all working quietly and without any frustrating false alarms – a welcome change to my experience with the Tucson I spent a few months with.

In fact, the one time the car’s rear cross-traffic alert and braking has had to save me some embarrassment – when I failed to eye a car tearing past a little too quickly as I reversed from a parking spot – it was both a shock and a welcome reminder that I’d forgotten the system existed.

(I wasn’t saved much embarrassment though; my partner blamed the event on me being inattentive…)

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So far, the only bug has been an alert that beeps loudly and flashes in the instrument display to warn me, “Travel Assist currently unavailable”. This is the active cruise control and lane assist, so it’s no small issue.

Skoda tells me it might be a result of glare hitting the front-mounted cameras, which seems to align with my experience so far.

They've promised to investigate when the vehicle is returned, and we'll update this story when we know more. Have you experienced this with your Skoda?

Next month, we’re going to explore that ‘Simply Clever’ interior. It lives up to the motto, but there are still a few clever features I’d like to see added. Stay tuned…

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Cabin comfort, space, storage

Price as tested: $67,440 ($74,990 drive-away)
This month: 251km @ 10.2L/100km (3652km on odometer)
Total: 2386km

In some ways, the front row of the Kodiaq feels a little lost in time. Sure, it boasts a large 9.25-inch display behind the steering wheel and a sizeable 10.25-inch screen in the dash. Yes it has wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto – something many of its newer rivals still don’t offer – and it has a new steering wheel design too.

Move past those details, though, and this facelifted Kodiaq’s interior is largely as it was when it first debuted at the 2016 Paris motor show. (Remember motor shows?)

In isolation, the Kodiaq’s cabin doesn’t look outdated as much as it does purposeful – but if you slide out of that SUV and into the shiny new Octavia RS sitting nearby on the showroom floor, you might think… “Ah, yes. This is new.”

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There you get a flowing design across the dash with a more premium look and the floating tablet display that buyers now associate with modern. There’s a compact toggle-like gear selector instead of the Kodiaq’s big lever, and the faux carbon-fibre highlights are replaced here with a lovely Alcantara trim.

But look, forget all that, because the Kodiaq’s cabin feels right for the car. That big ol’ gear lever is suited to the SUV, as are the big grab handles either side, hinting at some off-roading potential. Likewise, I’d take those ‘old school’ HVAC dials over on-screen controls any day of the week.

More important, is that this cabin is a lovely place to be. As an RS model, the Kodiaq’s diamond-quilted leather seats offer substantial bolstering for a snug fit that holds you firmly in spirited driving, without being aggressively stiff or tight like a ‘proper’ sports model.

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Thigh and adjustable lumbar support are good, as is leg and shoulder room in the front row, while the heated (and ventilated) seats have been welcome items on the RS grade’s standard kit list this chilly winter. A number of road trips have also proven the long-haul comfort of these pews, staving off fatigue and aches neatly.

Steering is reach and height adjustable, albeit by lever rather than electronic switch, so a memory position for different drivers isn’t possible.

Comfort in the second row is excellent, even with the huge panoramic glass above, with good shoulder and hip room for three adults, decent toe room and good knee space behind my five-foot-10 driving position. There’s outboard ISOFIX points and three top-tether points in the second row, and the seats can also recline by about 10 degrees.

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Second-row passengers also benefit from a climate zone of their own, with vents and temperature controls in the back of the centre console, along with heated outboard seats. Weirdly there are no USB points in the second row, despite an obvious allowance for them either side of the 12V outlet. Skoda tells us this is due to a regional difference, with the Kodiaq's rear USB points coming in combination with a 230V socket – which is only approved for the European market.

The third row of the Kodiaq, while the least spacious, benefits from the second row’s sliding design – allowing more leg room as needed in the very rear. It’s still a squeeze though, and really only suited to kids old enough for a seatbelt (there are no child seat anchor points back here).

They’ll live in relative luxury at least, with reading lights, an accessible third 12V point and heating/cooling vents.

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Rear storage is limited to a tiny 270 litres in three-row mode, but if that’s only occasional for your family, you’ll have a very practical 765 litres as a five-seater.

The second row also features a 40:20:40 split folding design, offering a variety of ways to load in items and passengers on the way to a maximum storage capacity of 2005 litres. That's huge.

The boot offers flip-out bag hooks, an included cargo net, a two-section floor for dividing items and gaining a little extra space, and a handy under-floor stowage spot for the luggage curtain – on top of the space-saver spare wheel – if you need it out of the way.

‘Simply Clever’ features like that extend through the cabin, but it’s also a mixed bag of surprise omissions.

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You get a little lidded bin in the driver’s door pocket and an umbrella hidden away in each of the front doors – all classics of the Skoda formula – but you don’t get many tricks in the second row. The pull-up sun shades are a great addition, but that’s as clever as it gets.

Back to the front, you get a second glove box in the dash, and the stowable cup holders in the centre console are also a neat design piece. But, I reckon it’d be cleverer still if the sun visors were extendable…

It’s easy to expect the next Kodiaq will take a big leap forward in cleverness, but in 2022, this one might be trading just a touch too hard on reputation. A well-earned one, mind you.

Next: the end.

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Price as tested: $67,440 ($74,990 drive-away)
This month: 642km @ 10.4L/100km (4294km on odometer)
Total: 3028km

Last stop, everyone out – this seven-seater journey is done.

Let’s open this conclusion with some context. Only recently, Volkswagen launched the stupendously rapid Tiguan R SUV in Australia. Wearing a price tag of $68,990 before on-road costs, the Tiguan R is $13k pricier than the 162TSI that previously acted as the hero model – but the bigger spend gets you 235kW and 400Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 5.1 seconds.

Worth it? Arguably yes, when most SUVs with comparable performance are more expensive models from premium marques.

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It’s not the Tiguan R we’ve got on test here, but at $67,440 before on-road costs, our Kodiaq RS and its 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol four might seem poor value when held up against the top-shelf Tiguan.

But it isn’t. True, the Kodiaq RS isn’t as quick or as capable, but with a 0-100km/h time of 6.6 seconds, it’s no slouch – and the similar money gets you the third row of seating that more and more buyers are looking at as a must-have.

Ultimately, you’re looking at a horses-for-courses assessment. If what you need is seven seats, and what you want is a sports package with more poke and prowess than the average hauler, you’ll lean more to the Skoda than you will the Volkswagen. You don’t need to agonise over a pros-and-cons list to make that call.

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On the road, the Kodiaq RS neatly blends daily commuting comfort with a readiness to respond to whatever brief yearning you might have to pretend you’d never talked yourself into a life that necessitates seven seats. It will respond, and rapidly, thanks to that turbo heart – donated by the Golf GTI and Octavia RS – and its mostly intelligent seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

(If it helps, you can even tell your mates the Porsche Macan T has the same engine. Just don’t tell them how it makes more power and torque, as a Porsche should.)

Fuel consumption at the end of our time with the car worked out to 10.4L/100km against a combined-cycle claim of 7.5L/100km. In fairness to Skoda, though, most of our driving was around town, which is listed more specifically at 9.6L/100km. So, a good result.

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Inside, it’s clear that while Skoda might still have an outdated image for some as the more cheaply-made ‘budget friendly’ cousin to the Volkswagen brand, fit and finish in the Kodiaq RS doesn’t disappoint. Material quality is on par with its ‘semi-premium’ VW stablemates, and items like diamond-quilted leather seat trim and red feature stitching all work to establish the RS as a flagship offering.

That said, the Kodiaq is showing its age when it comes to the ‘wow factor’ that buyers increasingly expect to see on the technology front, with a comparatively small 9.2-inch main screen and 10.25-inch instrument digital instrument cluster where a number of brands are now throwing pairs of 12.3-inch monster displays at the dash.

It seems like a lifetime since a 10-inch display was considered large in a car this size, or a full-digital instrument screen was a unique selling point, but here we are. Still… first-world pretensions, right?

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Importantly, buyers not obsessed with the latest aesthetic trends will find Skoda’s infotainment is fast, clear, intuitive and – thanks to reliable wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto – perfectly familiar and modern enough to satisfy.

While the infotainment didn’t disappoint this confessed gadget-head, an unresolved bug with the Travel Assist system – regularly resulting in an irritating beeping and an alert in the instrument display – was a different matter, flaring up any time the window-mounted cameras copped a lens-full of glare.

Volkswagen didn’t readily have an explanation or solution for us, and a search of the web suggests it wasn’t a bug unique to our car.

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That safety concern, while no small point, was at least our only lasting frustration with the Kodiaq RS. Of course, small things like the absence of USB points in the rear rows (something to do with Euro-market voltages), or a lack of ‘Simply Clever’ storage tricks in the second row, might stand out for some.

It’s worth noting that before the RS came along, there was the Kodiaq Sportline, and it still exists now. It’s $14,000 cheaper and, while you get quite a lot less power and equipment for the saving, it still looks primo, inside and out. It could just be quick enough, and well-enough equipped, for your spend.

But, if you do lean to the RS and the price doesn’t offend, you’ll find good value for money.

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2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS specifications