The Skoda Kodiaq Will Sport The RS Badge In India In 2020

• The Kodiaq RS made its international debut at the Paris Motor Show just 12 months ago.
• The biggest upgrade in the Kodiaq RS is the presence of a twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel mill producing 240PS and 500Nm.
• It also gets a few cosmetic tweaks outside that include black-out accents, a revised grille, 20-inch alloy wheels and the iconic RS badging.
• Interior tweaks include blacked-out cabin, Alcantara upholstery, a flat-bottom steering wheel and bucket-style front seats.
• It will come to India as a CBU (completely built unit) which will command a premium over the L&K variant.
• Expect the RS to rival the likes of the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner in the country.

Just a month after Skoda launched the off-road focused Kodiaq Scout variant at Rs 34 lakh (ex-showroom), a more aggressive model is on the way to India in 2020. The new model, called the Skoda Kodiaq RS, will be the fourth variant in the Kodiaq range, joining the Scout, Style and the L&K once launched in India.  Skoda India seems to be on the offensive ever since it merged with Volkswagen to form Skoda Auto Volkswagen India recently. The Czech manufacturer also has at least five new models coming to India by 2021, including a new Rapid, a new Octavia, Superb, as well as two all-new SUVs. The RS model that made its international debut at the Paris Motor Show last year sports a host of upgrades over the regular SUV. Here’s a look at them in detail.

On the exterior front, there’s not much that differentiates the standard Kodiaq from the RS except for a few cosmetic tweaks. Some of them include a revised front bumper with a blacked-out vertical-slat grille that replaces the glossy unit in the standard model. Other tweaks include blacked-out ORVMs, larger 20-inch alloy wheels and, of course, the iconic RS badging at the front and rear.

 

Inside the SUV, the Kodiaq RS continues with its cosmetic tweaks that include blacked-out interiors,  contrast red stitching, leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel and sporty bucket-style front seats.  Other cosmetic tweaks include Alcantara leather seat upholstery and RS logo on the seats, gear lever and metal pedals. The most significant tweak inside is Dynamic Sound Boost. This system amplifies the sound of the engine and the exhaust inside the cabin through the speakers. It comes in three modes that include the Sport mode which makes the SUV sound like a V8! The Eco and Comfort mode give a quiet feel to the cabin. 

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The biggest upgrade in the Kodiaq RS is what’s under the hood. It is powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel mill that produces a whopping 240PS of power and 500Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive, the SUV goes from 0-100kmph in just 7 seconds with a top speed capped at 220kmph.

Like the Octavia RS, the Kodiaq RS will also come to India as a CBU (completely built unit). Expect the the Kodiaq RS to come at a premium over the L&K variant, which is priced at Rs 36.79 lakh (ex-showroom). In the international market, the Kodiaq RS is priced close to Rs 5 lakh over the L&K variant, so expect a similar premium once it is launched in India. There’s no word yet on a specific launch date, but we could expect the Kodiaq RS to make its Indian debut at the upcoming Auto Expo 2020. Expect the RS to rival the likes of the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner in the country. To know more about the Kodiaq RS, check out our first drive review of the SUV here. 

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