The New Skoda Kodiaq vRS Will Cost £52,595

Skoda’s hotted-up family hauler returns for a second generation with a higher price, but more power too

Skoda Kodiaq vRS – front

Are you the sort of person that enjoys taking the racing line when pushing a shopping trolley through the supermarket, but also has to regularly cart around many children and things? There’s good news for you, because the Skoda Kodiaq vRS is back, and it’s more powerful than ever. Oh, and more expensive, too.

Following the reveal of the new vRS late in 2024, Skoda has now revealed pricing for the UK and it’s a little punchier than before. £52,595 to be exact – a lift of about four grand over the outgoing car.

Skoda Kodiaq vRS – front detail

That’s a not-insignificant increase but for that you are getting a bit of extra kick. Based on the fresh second-generation Kodiaq, it’s still packing the VW Group’s EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder but now with 261bhp – a 19bhp gain over the old car.

That still sends power to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG auto ’box, combining to make for a healthy 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds and a 144mph top speed.

Also contributing to the sportification is a Dynamic Chassis Control Plus system, which offers – count ’em – fifteen different settings for the adaptive dampers, from a Sport setting to a dedicated snow mode. A set of new ventilated brake discs complete the hardware changes.

Skoda Kodiaq vRS – interior

Visually, it’s distinguishable from lesser Skodiaqs thanks to its chunkier front bumper, gloss black exterior details, the new light strip spanning the front grille, and the standard 20-inch alloys. They cover red brake callipers, because what performance-badged car is complete without some lurid callipers?

Those on the inside, meanwhile, will be reminded that they’re in the fast Kodiaq thanks to the Dynamic Sound Boost that pipes a bit of extra noise into the cabin. There’s a choice of two interior ‘Design Selections’ (read: trim/colour combos): ‘Lounge’ gives you lots of microsuede, while ‘vRS Suite’ switches that out for real leather. Either way, you’re getting chunkier sports seats up front and plenty of obligatory red stitching.

Skoda Kodiaq vRS – rear

Otherwise, it’s as you were with the standard second-gen Kodiaq, a car that’s beautifully relaxing to drive and be around, but is lacking in the excitement department – something the vRS could solve. There’s no word yet on when it’ll arrive in the UK, or how much it’ll cost when it does.

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.

Latest NewsLatest Reviews