Skoda Kodiaq vRS goes petrol

Skoda has reinvented its sportiest Kodiaq and given it an engine transplant. Diesel’s out, petrol’s in and the vRS is now back in the range and freshly facelifted after the oil-burning version was canned last year.

The diesel didn’t meet either emissions regs or people’s rapidly changing perceptions of what is a “clean” car engine. So after a brief hiatus Skoda has bowed to the inevitable and the result is the car you see here. Incidentally elements of the restyle like the bolder new grille apply to other Kodiaqs (still both petrol and diesel powered) in the range as well.

It’s the vRS range-topper we are most interested in here though. Under the bonnet is the Volkswagen Group’s well-known turbo 2.0-litre TSI mill. It produces 245PS (180kW). That may be only 5PS up on the old TDI engine – and torque is sure to be much less ­– but clearly the reborn vRS will boast a very different driving character.

The new engine will rev much higher for starters, and then the small matter of 60kg less weight over the front wheels. There’s a new seven-speed DSG transmission too, and that saves more weight. The sporty feeing and agility both promise to be quite different from its diesel predecessor.

The vRS gets the lion’s share of changes in the range-wide Kodiaq facelift, acquiring new 20-inch wheels, model-specific front bumper, gloss black trims and LED Matrix headlights as standard. A makeover inside brings more vRS detaiing and black Suedia sports seats with red stitching, along with a full Virtual Cockpit display.

It promises to be as spacious and practical as ever while looking the sporty SUV business and holding more appeal for keen drivers. Annoyingly, Skoda doesn’t say how quick it will be. We await the stats with interest – if only to see if the new petrol model can beat the old diesel’s 9-minute 29.84-second around the Nordschleife!

The Kodiaq vRS petrol edition is in showrooms from July, along with the rest of the new range.