Thursday 14th June 2018

Kodiaq vRS the quickest Kodiaq at the 'Ring

Skoda has claimed the 'seven-seat SUV' lap record for its new range-topper at the Nordschleife

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Skoda has some history in here. In 2011, it claimed the land speed record for the Octavia vRS at Bonneville. The land speed record for a 2.0-litre forced-induction production car, that is. In contrast to the Kodiaq though, the 600hp 'salt spec' car that clocked 227mph on the salt flat was actually quite cool. The new vRS version of the Kodiaq is just a Kodiaq with a larger diesel lump in it - and the notional 'seven-seat SUV' lap record is obviously as spurious as the PH office chair lap record for the Kingston upon Thames one-way system.

Still, in this day and age, why not? We're certainly all for the expansion of Skoda's vRS lineup, which has been limited to the Octavia for far too long. True, we wouldn't have picked the Kodiaq as the natural follow-up (there's still a Fabia, right?) but the prospect of charging customers more for its largest crossover was obviously too hard to resist. Especially with access granted to the VW Group's 239hp 2.0-litre BiTDi engine, which had the misfortune to launch just as the tide against diesel-powered performance turned, but outputs 369lb ft of torque at 1750rpm nevertheless.

Elsewhere you get the adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control and all-wheel drive - as well as Sabine Schmitz gurning and whooping and reminding you that it's family car. Happily, you also get Skoda's Head of Compact Models, Frantisek Drabek, in the passenger seat, utterly deadpanning it. His presence is a cute reminder of course that Skoda isn't necessarily taking the whole thing deadly seriously - which is a good thing, too, as a quick reference to the pertinent Wikipedia page reveals that Manuel Reuter (the two-time Le Mans winner) hustled the people-carrying Opel Zafira OPC round the 20km course around 35 seconds quicker than Sabine managed...

 

[Djtemeka]

Sooooo. 30 sec quicker than an old transit van

[captain_cynic]

Djtemeka said:

Sooooo. 30 sec quicker than an old transit van

From a tuned up bi-turbo... Oh the power of these diesels.

I can imagine the ads... "The all new Skoda Kodiaq vRS, a full 30 seconds faster than a transit van".

[loose cannon]

[V8 FOU]

Yaaaawn.....

What a week!
2x MX5 - Aston thing - quick (ish) Skoda SUV heap..... PH .....cure for insomnia

[garypotter]

pointless, when will manufacturers realise joe public does not care what time a 7 seater diesel over weight truck can do, better making better softer suspension that can handle huge UK potholes.

[garypotter]

Does anyone know what the lap ring record is for an ugly car built on the 3rd thursday of a week bya chap called Barry?

[greenarrow]

These Kodiaqs sure are ugly monstrosities. Yet another over-sized SUV clogging up the local car-parks.

yawwwwnnn

[Dusty964]

greenarrow said:

These Kodiaqs sure are ugly monstrosities. Yet another over-sized SUV clogging up the local car-parks.

yawwwwnnn

Over sized suv....compared with, say.... A vauxhall insignia?

[captain_cynic]

Dusty964 said:

greenarrow said:

These Kodiaqs sure are ugly monstrosities. Yet another over-sized SUV clogging up the local car-parks.

yawwwwnnn

Over sized suv....compared with, say.... A vauxhall insignia?

Would much rather have to deal with an Insignia or Mondeo than a smaller SUV. I can at least see through/past the Insignia in a normal car.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

I really don't see the point of this vRS Kodiaq, it isn't fast enough to be interesting, it's just a slightly faster and uglier version of the standard Kodiaq SUV portacabin. It would be better marketed as a 'sportline' Kodiaq instead of using vRS.

[stumpage]

Dusty964 said:

greenarrow said:

These Kodiaqs sure are ugly monstrosities. Yet another over-sized SUV clogging up the local car-parks.

yawwwwnnn

Over sized suv....compared with, say.... A vauxhall insignia?

Kodaiq is a whole 3mm wider (with mirrors) than an Insignia and 145mm Shorter than an insignia. So obviously over-sized.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

stumpage said:

Dusty964 said:

greenarrow said:

These Kodiaqs sure are ugly monstrosities. Yet another over-sized SUV clogging up the local car-parks.

yawwwwnnn

Over sized suv....compared with, say.... A vauxhall insignia?

Kodaiq is a whole 3mm wider (with mirrors) than an Insignia and 145mm Shorter than an insignia. So obviously over-sized.

Yes, but the Kodiaq is nearly a foot higher, and has a higher window line, so you can't see past the ugly slab of st when it is beside you as are trying to pull out of a junction.

[captain_cynic]

stumpage said:

Kodaiq is a whole 3mm wider (with mirrors) than an Insignia and 145mm Shorter than an insignia. So obviously over-sized.

But nearly a whole 180 mm taller. When trying to pull out of a parking space in my non-lowered 2 series, I can see past the arse of an Insignia to check for traffic... I cant with a Kodiaq (plus I detest the misspelling Kodiak).

[Kenny Powers]

V8 FOU said:

Yaaaawn.....

What a week!
2x MX5 - Aston thing - quick (ish) Skoda SUV heap..... PH .....cure for insomnia

Come on then. What have you got for us? I can barely contain my excitement

[Pothole]

The Curpra Ateca will thrash it, but it'll only have 5 seats.

[Helicopter123]

Decent family car, but not really relevant around the Ring.

[Christian85]

I saw a Skoda Kodiaq on the road yesterday for the first time (I must be living under a rock) and holy moly it’s ugly. It’s a shame as I think a lot of the other Skoda marques aren’t bad looking things.

[culpz]

I actually quite like that

[epom]

I'm not sure that people realise that it was a slightly tongue in cheek effort from Skoda ?

[a11y_m]

epom said:

I'm not sure that people realise that it was a slightly tongue in cheek effort from Skoda ?

Indeed. Think we’re out of whoosh parrots.