Skoda’s RS badge has a habit of turning up on cars nobody expected it on. After the Octavia RS made its case as a halo product in 2025, the Kodiaq - Skoda’s big three-row SUV - gets the same treatment. Limited to just 50 units in India, the Kodiaq RS takes the practicality of a 7-seater and adds genuine driver appeal on top.
What makes it an RS
Under the hood is the same 2.0-litre TSI four-cylinder found in the regular Kodiaq, but tuned up to 261 BHP and 400 Nm - a jump of 60 BHP and 80 Nm over the standard car. It’s paired with a 7-speed DSG automatic and all-wheel drive, and Skoda quotes a 0-100 km/h time of 6.3 seconds, which is quick for a seven-seat SUV by any measure.
Power delivery is immediate - there’s no perceptible turbo lag, and the engine pulls cleanly from low revs right through to the top of the rev range. In Comfort mode, it’s smooth enough for stop-and-go traffic. Switch to Sport, and the throttle sharpens, the gearbox holds gears longer and downshifts eagerly, and the cabin fills with an engine note - though it’s worth knowing that note is synthesised rather than the real exhaust. The DSG itself is a highlight: imperceptible shifts in D, and genuinely satisfying paddle-shift response with throttle blips on downshifts.
The Kodiaq RS gets seven drive modes - Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, Offroad, Snow, and Individual - each adjusting throttle response, suspension damping, steering weight, and more. Fuel economy isn’t the point of this car; expect city mileage in the high single digits if driven with any enthusiasm.
Handling and ride
The RS-specific party piece is DCC+ (Dynamic Chassis Control), an upgraded adaptive damper system with independent compression and rebound control across 15 settings. It’s the difference between the RS and the standard Kodiaq’s road manners. In Comfort, the low-speed ride is firmer than the regular car - a side effect of the 20-inch wheels - with sharp bumps and broken surfaces more noticeable in the cabin than on the standard 18-inch setup. Open-road cruising is flatter and more settled, and larger bumps are still felt but well managed.
Switch to Sport and the suspension firms up considerably - this is where the RS earns its badge. Turn-in is eager, the chassis holds its line through corners, and the AWD system combined with the Hankook Ventus tyres delivers strong grip. It’s a genuinely enjoyable SUV to drive quickly, with the caveat that its size and weight are still there in the background on tighter, twistier roads.
Steering is light and easy at parking speeds, with a progressive ratio system on the RS that adds more feel through corners than the standard car offers - though committed drivers may still want a touch more heft in Sport mode. Braking is strong and confidence-inspiring, with dual-piston front calipers and a pedal that’s easy to modulate.
Cabin and practicality
Inside, the RS gets an all-black theme lifted with red accents and stitching - a proven sporty combination - with genuinely good material quality throughout. The front seats are heavily bolstered bucket seats, firm but comfortable over long distances, with heating, ventilation, memory settings, and extendable thigh support. Metal pedals and a VRS-badged steering wheel round out the sporty touches.
Tech is comprehensive: a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with an RS-specific display theme, a 12.9-inch touchscreen, and a 725W Canton sound system with 13 speakers and a subwoofer. A large panoramic sunroof helps offset the dark cabin theme. Practical touches carry over from the standard Kodiaq too - a removable storage compartment on the centre tunnel comes as standard, not an accessory.
Boot space is rated at 786 litres with the third row folded, with usable space even when all three rows are in use - a genuine advantage for families who need both flexibility and everyday practicality. The third row itself is best reserved for children given the tighter ingress and egress, which is typical for this class of SUV.
A few features found on the top-spec regular Kodiaq don’t make it to the RS - there’s no massage function for the front seats, the spare wheel is a space-saver rather than full-size, and the third row goes without dedicated air-con vents. None of these affect the car’s core appeal, but they’re worth knowing about if you’re cross-shopping trims.
Safety
The Kodiaq RS carries a 5-star safety rating with nine airbags and a full suite of ADAS features - adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, and rear traffic alert. The systems work as expected in daily use, though the lane keep assist can feel a little eager to intervene.
Verdict
The Kodiaq RS is a properly engaging SUV - quick, composed, and genuinely fun when you want it to be, without giving up the practicality that makes a 7-seater worth owning in the first place. Where it asks for real consideration is the price: at close to ₹80 lakh on-road, it sits within touching distance of established luxury SUVs, and that’s a comparison the RS has to win on badge appeal and character rather than outright value. With only 50 units coming to India, it’s also going to be a rare sight on the road - which, depending on what you’re after, might be exactly the point.
Price
| Variant | Ex-showroom Price |
|---|---|
| RS 2.0 TSI AT | ₹66,99,000 |
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