Skoda is preparing to unveil its first high-performance SUV, the Kodiaq vRS, at the Paris Motor Show in October. A prototype version of the car has already claimed a Nürburgring lap record for a seven-seat SUV, and the first production cars are due to hit the road before the end of 2018.
What are the specs?
We'll have to wait until the car is officially revealed in Paris next month, but the Czech car maker is already teasing us with information. It will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, closely related to the power unit that Volkswagen fits in the Tiguan BiTurbo. In that car, it pumps out 240hp and is enough for it to be capable of cracking 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds. As well as all-wheel drive, the sporty SUV gets an adaptive suspension setup.
Any other details?
The Kodiaq vRS should look the part, as Skoda will offer it in a new Race Blue paint colour. Full LED headlights carry the crystalline style that we've already seen in more recent Skoda models and inside there is an all-digital instrument cluster as standard. The latter will offer drivers a variety of different information including a Sport mode that prominently displays the tachometer and speed. Adding to the experience is a Dynamic Sound Boost function that augments the engine tone in the cabin, which should make up for the fact that there's a diesel engine at work under the bonnet. Here's the preview video: