Skoda Kodiaq Review 2025
Page 2
vRS? Sounds tempting...
Don't get your hopes up. The new Kodiaq vRS might be the fastest seven-seater around the Nürburgring, but it isn't actually all that different from the standard car.
Advertisement - Page continues below
Let's start with the engine. Is that different?
Yep. It's a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel with twin-turbochargers working sequentially. New to the Kodiaq, but we've seen and tried it before in the Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan.
When this car was announced all those months ago, a lot of people (including us) questioned Skoda's decision to use a diesel of any size or type in the 'performance' Kodiaq, given the apparent move towards petrols, and the fact it has access to some quite good ones. Seat went with the 2.0-litre from the Golf R for the Cupra Ateca, and Skoda could easily have done the same.
But the majority of Kodiaqs sold still have diesel engines – 57 per cent of them. And as it happens, the engine Skoda's gone with suits the Kodiaq rather well. It's almost as smooth as a six-cylinder diesel, and once you're up and running quieter than a few we've tried recently.
Advertisement - Page continues below
Smooth and quiet? Isn't this supposed to be a performance car?
Kinda. As for speed, 236bhp and 369lb ft is supplied to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, with little plastic paddles on the steering wheel for manual shifting. 0-62mph takes a shade under seven seconds, making the Kodiaq vRS brisk, if not massively fast.
It accelerates purposefully, with the same kind of satisfying surge you get from brawny diesel engines. The gearbox is smooth too, whether you leave it to its own devices or take control with the disappointingly plastic paddles. But if you do the latter, it has that annoying habit of changing up for you at the redline. Not that anyone who buys one of these will ever notice. Or care.
Ok. What else is new?
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.
Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Besides the more powerful drivetrain, the vRS is pretty much as per lesser Kodiaq 'Sportline' models. Progressive Steering and Dynamic Chassis Control are standard and get vRS-specific software, but both these systems can be specified on regular Kodiaqs. Meanwhile the 'Dynamic Sound Boost' system that adds synthetic noise – both in and outside the car, it varies in tone and volume depending on what drive mode you're in – is new for the vRS and far from the worst we've heard. And, erm, that's about it.
Ah.
Yep. This is not a radically transformed Kodiaq, although that's not to say there's no fun to be had here. Body control is good, and though feel-less the steering is accurate and easy to get to grips with. Not like some variable systems, where the amount of lock you get seems to arbitrarily change everytime you turn the wheel. The ride's good too, in even the sportiest of the Kodiaq's six selectable drive modes. There's no firm edge, no harsh thumping beyond what you'd bargain for from a car with 20-inch wheels. The trade-off is bigger brakes, which haul the (optionally) seven-seater to a halt admirably swiftly.
You can keep the vRS moving at a reasonable rate of speed using only fourth, fifth and sixth gears and a couple of thousand rpm, and it never really feels out of its depth unless you really start to push it. Till then the Kodiaq vRS does a decent job of hiding its 1,800-off kilogram mass, shuffling power between all four wheels as necessary (up to 85 per cent can be sent to any one corner if needs be – though it always feels distinctly all- or front-wheel driven). This means there's more grip than you'll ever need or indeed be able to exceed. But also, no real interactivity or engagement.
Least it looks sporty.
It does – exactly like the Sportline, which with the 190bhp diesel engine is several grand cheaper. We're talking a massive £42,870 for the vRS, versus £37,450 for the Sportline. And you can get a good, family-friendly Kodiaq with decent kit for much, much less.
This is the first vRS to get the new logo, which eschews the traditional green in favour of red, which Skoda says symbolises 'sportiness and power'. The wheels are 20s, both head and tail-lights are of the LED variety and there's a full complement of gloss black trim around the window frames and radiator grilles.
Inside there's a matt-finish (faux) carbon dashboard, digital dials, vRS logos everywhere and a chunky set of sports seats we're pleased to report are a) very comfortable, and b) don't eat in to rear-legroom too much.
So what's the verdict?
The Kodiaq vRS is a fine thing alright. But is it really worth that much more money than a normal Sportline, which save for the engine is mechanically and visually almost identical?
The engine in the vRS is a welcome addition to the Kodiaq range – it's really very good, far as four-cylinder diesels go – but it ought to have been added to the Kodiaq range generally, rather than reserved specially for the vRS.
You see that name, and your expectations change. It writes cheques the rest of the car has no hope of cashing, because it's basically just a regular Kodiaq with a few minor changes.
This is a good car – it's issue is one of marketing. There isn't enough here to justify the substantial premium. It probably shouldn't have a vRS badge. And for that reason, while this is probably the best Kodiaq in a money-no-object kind of way, it's not the one we would buy.
Page 3
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Bayern Munich 'interested in signing Arsenal regular this summer - and the Gunners would be OPEN to listening to offers for £50m man'
Bayern Munich are lining up an ambitious move for a regular Arsenal starter this summer, a new report in Germany has claimed. Keen to strengthen their frontline before next season, Bayern bosses have drawn up a five-man shortlist and one Gunners player is said to have made the cut. It is said that Arsenal would even be willing to listen to acceptable offers for the player, who has been capped almost 20 times for his country. According to Bild reporter Christian Falk, forward Gabriel Martinelli is an option for the Bundesliga heavyweights, who missed out on signing Florian Wirtz to Liverpool. Bayern are rumoured to also be keen on Athletic Bilbao ace Nico Williams, who looks Barcelona bound, as well as Liverpool duo Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo. Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who has attracted interest from Chelsea and been the subject of several rounds of talks, has admirers at Bayern, too. The Times have floated the possibility of Martinelli moving on from the Emirates in this window, with the club reportedly looking to bring down their wage bill. The publication claims he could become part of the clear-out alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reiss Nelson, Jakub Kiwior, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga. Martinelli joined Arsenal from Ituano in a deal worth just £5million in 2019. He has played 225 times for the club, scoring 51 goals and registering 29 assists. The winger is tied down until the summer of 2027 and according to The Athletic, Arsenal's hierarchy would demand offers in excess of £50m to tempt them into a sale. They also hold the option to extend his contract by a further year. Martinelli, meanwhile, has indicated he has no desire to leave the club. 'This is my home,' he said in April. 'I love to be here. I love the club.' On the incomings front, Arsenal are looking to sign a striker this summer but are reported to have met a stumbling block in their pursuit of Benjamin Sesko. The Sun have reported that there is a growing frustration over the RB Leipzig frontman's wage demands. He is valued at around £70m. Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres is viewed as an alternative to Sesko.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Trump prepares to jet to NATO as poll reveals Americans think White House backs Russia over Ukraine
President Donald Trump will head to a NATO summit this week - as a poll found that more Americans think his administration is siding with Russia over Ukraine. A Ronald Reagan Institute survey of U.S. adults, conducted from late May to early June, showed 37 percent of respondents believe the Trump administration is favoring Russia when it comes to negotiating an end to the conflict. Just 14 percent said the Trump White House was favoring Ukraine. Another 36 percent said the Trump administration was taking a neutral approach - despite Ukraine being a longtime U.S. ally and Russian President Vladimir Putin launching the invasion in February 2022. The numbers, which were released Sunday, come after Newsweek reported that the U.S. was pressuring European allies to limit references to Ukraine in the final communique of the NATO summit, which will take place Tuesday and Wednesday in The Hague, Netherlands. A White House spokesperson wouldn't confirm Newsweek's reporting to the Daily Mail. If the U.S. is successful at containing a focus on Ukraine, it would be a departure from previous NATO summits during the tenure of former President Joe Biden that showed strong support for the besieged country, which is not a NATO member. Ahead of the summit, a senior U.S. official's statement didn't mention the Ukraine war - instead focusing on one of Trump's longtime goals for NATO. 'The president intends to secure a historic 5 percent defense spending pledge from NATO allies, which will strengthen the Alliance's combined military capabilities and ensure greater stability in Europe and the world,' the senior official said. 'This effort builds on the hundreds of billions of dollars in spending increases already achieved across the Alliance since 2017 thanks to President Trump's diplomacy in his first term,' the source added. The Reagan Institute Survey found that a majority of Americans still support defending a NATO ally even if they weren't spending enough on defense. Fifty-three percent expressed this view, while 30 percent said the U.S. should not come to that country's defense. A majority of Americans also opposed the U.S. pulling out of NATO - 55 percent to 33 percent - with respondents feeling more strongly about the U.S. staying in. Breaking down the numbers, 38 percent strongly opposed the U.S. pulling out of NATO - which was formed to deter the former Soviet Union - while just 15 percent supported the U.S. withdrawing from the compact. On several occasions, Trump has mulled pulling the U.S. out of NATO or threatened not to come to a country's aid if they don't pay up. During the 2024 campaign, Trump sparked controversy by recounting a conversation with a world leader in which he suggested he might not defend a NATO country that was 'delinquent' in its payments. 'I would encourage them [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills,' the then-candidate said. Seventy-one percent of U.S. adults said they supported the U.S. defending a NATO country if there was an attack. Just 17 percent weren't in favor of helping a NATO ally. A majority of Americans, 59 percent, also said they were in favor of increasing the U.S.'s military presence in Europe to counter Russian aggression. Trump said last Saturday that Putin called him on his birthday - but their discussion mainly focused on the war between Israel and Iran, rather than Russia's own conflict. 'Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week,' the president said in a Truth Social post. That was ahead of Trump's trip to Canada for the G7 - which he cut a day short - saying he needed to be back in Washington to tend to the war in the Middle East. He was supposed to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the day of the G7 that he missed. 'Finally, President Trump intends to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders, which will focus on issues of shared concern and reaffirm the United States strong ties with our allies and partners,' the senior official said Friday, not articulating who the president was sitting down with yet. It was unclear as of Friday if Zelensky still planned to travel to the Hague for the NATO Summit after Trump skipped their G7 meeting.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Duchess Sophie's go-to sandals are a summer essential - and they're flying off shelves
The Duchess of Edinburgh 's go-to summer sandals are officially back in stock. The bestselling Heeled Shepherdess Leather Sandals by Penelope Chilvers have returned - and just in time for sunshine dressing. Sophie debuted the understated heels during her 2023 royal tour of the Bahamas, teaming them with a ME+EM midi dress and oversized Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. Unsurprisingly, interest in the shoes soared - and now, they're available once more for those looking to channel the same timeless style. Handcrafted in Italy, the exquisite design features soft metallic gold leather straps, a leather-covered foam insole and comfortable block heel. The woven detailing offers just the right amount of decorative flair while remaining highly wearable - ideal for both day and evening outings. Whether paired with a breezy dress or tailored trousers, these sandals offer an easy way to elevate your warm-weather wardrobe with a touch of quiet luxury. £129 Shop Available in EU sizes 36–42, these sandals are endlessly adaptable. For a laid-back weekend look, style them with a T-shirt and denim shorts - great for brunch or a stroll in the park. To elevate your weekday wardrobe, style with a blouse and midi skirt, completing the ensemble with minimalist gold jewellery. Heading out for the evening? Try teaming them with a slinky camisole, wide-leg trousers and a bold statement clutch for a sophisticated twist. Of course, the shiny gold finish makes these shoes a flawless choice for weddings and other celebrations, bringing a touch of glamour without committing to heels. Penelope Chilvers is renowned for its timeless craftsmanship, working closely with skilled artisans in Spain to blend traditional techniques with modern design. It's no surprise that the Princess of Wales and Princess Eugenie also count themselves among the brand's loyal fans. And now, you too can join the club.
