Skoda Kodiaq vRS (2019 – 2024) Review

Trust Skoda to take two disparate breeds of car and mix them together with panache to come up with something new. That’s exactly what the Skoda Kodiaq vRS does by blending all the seven-seat versatility of a family SUV with the pace and handling of a hot hatch. It’s very good and rivals like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, big-selling Ford Kuga, and stylish Volvo XC60 all struggle to match this combo. Read on for our full Skoda Kodiaq vRS review.

If you long for an old-school hot hatch but need a practical SUV for carrying the family, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS could be for you.

It's a £43,000 seven-seater, powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 240PS and a hefty 500Nm of torque.

While the Czech company makes bold claims about the Skoda Kodiaq vRS’s abilities on a race track, we’re more interested in the fact that it’s based on our 2019 SUV of the year, which means it’s going to be pretty good. And it is.

The interior’s just as practical as the standard model, and there are the same clever touches and soft-touch materials that make it feel surprisingly premium.

Sporty details unique to the Skoda Kodiaq vRS include Alcantara sports seats and carbon-effect trim on the inside. On the outside, meanwhile, there are 20-inch alloy wheels as standard and bespoke front and rear bumpers.

With 240PS, you’d expect it to feel pretty rapid. It’s no slouch, but its bulky dimensions mean it doesn't exactly shove you back in your seat. It’s only available with a DSG gearbox, and that suits it well – changing gears quickly and dropping down readily when required.

Under normal driving, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS is noticeably firmer than other models. That’s amplified if you select the sport drive mode, which also ramps up the Dynamic Sound Boost (also known as fake noise).

Left in one of the multiple comfort-focused drive modes it’s compliant enough, if not as relaxing as a standard Skoda Kodiaq.

The result of this is a car that’s quite a keen handler for an SUV of its size. The steering is direct, and you can feel the four-wheel-drive system shifting power between the axles during hard cornering.

It doesn’t roll around too much, but there’s no hiding the fact it’s an SUV. It's never going to be as rewarding as a sports car or hot hatch.

In terms of fitting the brief, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS performs well. It’s just as versatile as the regular Skoda Kodiaq, and that extra performance means it can be fun to drive. It’s expensive, though, and under day-to-day driving we suspect most buyers would be happier with one of the other models in the Skoda Kodiaq range.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Skoda Kodiaq review here.

In terms of handling, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS remains surprisingly composed for an SUV of this size.

The steering is nicely weighted, while the Skoda Kodiaq vRS doesn’t lean too much in bends – giving you plenty of confidence to make progress.

On the motorway, it’s just as refined as a standard Skoda Kodiaq, save for the tell-tale rumble of the larger wheels.

It doesn’t feel too focused, pleasingly, meaning your family won’t start to complain about being thrown about on a longer journey.

In 2021, the original 240PS turbodiesel engine used in the Skoda Kodiaq vRS was dropped and replaced with a 245PS 2.0-litre turbo petrol.

Pointless? Not really, as buyers were shying away from diesels and the petrol feels a bit more suited to this hot SUV model.

It offers 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds, to be 0.3 seconds quicker than the diesel version, while top speed is rated at 145mph.

A seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox is the only transmission option and it smooths the path from one gear to the next very well. However, like the diesel before it, this petrol-powered Skoda vRS Kodiaq doesn’t feel as swift as it should or when compared to the likes of a Ford Focus ST.

If you treat is as a normal Skoda Kodiaq with a useful amount of extra power, it starts to make more sense. The extra torque could prove useful for lugging a caravan, for example – although it’s actually not rated to tow as much as the standard 190PS model.

To remind you that you’re driving a rapid SUV, Skoda fits the vRS with the Dynamic Sound Boost feature. It pipes fake noise through the speakers.

Even when you’re travelling at low speeds in comfort mode, there’s a noticeable rumble from the speakers. This increases when you select sport (or even snow) mode.

It’s a tale of two halves with the safety kit for the Skoda Kodiaq vRS.

The standard Skoda Kodiaq scored a five-star rating from Euro NCAP when crash tested, and the car comes with six airbags, ABS, ESP, and automatic emergency braking as standard.

However, for a car of this price, it seems odd that lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring are on the options list, along with driver fatigue warning.

The Skoda Kodiaq vRS can haul an unbraked trailer with a weight of up to 750kg.

Swap that for a braked trailer and it can tow up to 2000kg, though a 190PS diesel model ups that to 2300kg.

While the regular Skoda Kodiaq is available as a five- or seven-seater, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS is only sold as a seven-seater in the UK.

It works best, though, if you use it as a five-seater, with the third row of seats dropped into the floor. This leaves a generous 715-litre boot, easily accessed with a large opening (although obviously higher than an estate car).

Kids will be quite happy in the third row of seats, but in truth they’re best saved for occasional use. Access is tricky and there’s not a great deal of headroom, while the boot is a rather paltry 230 litres with the rearmost seats in use.

The front two rows of seats are comfortable and roomy, with that high seating position giving driver and passengers a good view of the road ahead.

There are loads of useful features, too, such as the umbrellas in the front doors, an electrically operated boot and a piece of rubber to protect the edge of the doors.

The standard Skoda Kodiaq feels surprisingly premium and, as you’d expect, the Skoda Kodiaq vRS adds a number of sporting touches.

The dash is covered in carbon-effect trim which may or may not to be your tastes, while the standard Alcantara sports seats look like they’re out of a race car.

Skoda’s Virtual Cockpit system is standard. This is a slick digital display that replaces conventional dials behind the steering wheel.

Unique to the Skoda Kodiaq vRS is an additional Sport display mode, which positions the speedometer and rev counter in the centre of the screen. The radio station and navigational information are displayed alongside.

The Columbus 9.2-inch navigation system is standard and has in-built navigation. It’s very impressive, with sharp graphics and all the features you could possibly want.

It also brings with it onboard WiFi, which will appeal to families and business people alike. On the downside, it comes with fewer physical buttons, making it a bit less easy to operate on the move. 

At the time of writing you will have to shell out £49,335 if paying cash for a new Skoda Kodiaq vRS, which is a lot of money by any standards.

It justifies this with its generous equipment levels and performance, and most will fund the car through some form of finance – a PCP or hire deal – to take the sting out of the potential outlay.

There are also substantial savings to be had on a new deal. We wouldn’t be surprised to see as much as £6000 shaved from the list price with minimal haggling.

As a used prospect, a two-year-old Skoda Kodiaq vRS that has racked up 20,000 miles could be yours from £35,000. An early 2019 example with 40,000 miles should cost from £30,000.

When it comes to paying for road tax on a new Skoda Kodiaq vRS, you may want to sit down while filling in the payment form, as it costs £1565 for the first year.

There’s then the surcharge of £390 for cars costing more than £40,000 when new, which applies all the way till the model reaches six years old. At least you only pay the usual £180 plus surcharge when the Skoda Kodiaq vRS reaches a year old.

Fuel economy of 33.1mpg is not much to write home about, either. Add in insurance calculated on a group 30 rating and the costs keep mounting up for this Skoda.

On the upside, it’s reliable and servicing a Skoda Kodiaq vRS is no pricier than any other Skoda Kodiaq, although you will spend more on expensive performance tyres for this model.

Skoda provides a standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty that can be stretched up to five years and 100,000 miles for an added cost.

The Skoda Kodiaq vRS is a standalone trim in the line-up and takes its cues from the range-topping Skoda Kodiaq Laurin & Klement version.

This means you get the digital Virtual Cockpit and 9.2-inch Columbus infotainment screen, as well as leather and Alcantara upholstery as standard.

Buyers also benefit from front sports seats, climate control, heated seats and carbon-effect trim inserts.

For the exterior, there are unique bumpers and body kit styling, electrically operated tailgate, all-round electric windows, parking sensors front and rear, plus 20-inch alloy wheels.