Skoda India will commence bookings for the upcoming Kodiaq RS on June 22, ahead of its launch in the coming weeks. The Kodiaq will be the first Skoda SUV in India to get the RS treatment, with sportier embellishments inside and out, and also an uprated 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. It will be brought in as a full import, and only 50 units have been allocated in the first batch, so interested buyers might want to hurry.
- Kodiaq RS gets a 265hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine
- Kodiaq will be the first Skoda SUV in India to get the RS treatment
- Only 50 units allocated in the first batch
Speaking to Autocar India in an exclusive interview, Ashish Gupta, Skoda India's brand director, said, “This is the 125th year of Skoda motorsports, and it is also the 50th year of the RS badge, what we call ‘Rally Sport’. We were thinking what could be better or above the Kodiaq. The RS badge has a lot of following in India, so we decided to bring the RS on the Kodiaq here in India.”
Skoda Kodiaq RS India allocation
Skoda brought only 100 units of the Octavia RS to India, but the Kodiaq RS will be even more limited. “We will be bringing a very limited batch of just 50 units,” said Gupta.
Explaining the challenges of getting a higher allocation for India, he said, “The Kodiaq RS is a hot seller globally, so getting an allocation of a hot-selling car for India is a little difficult. Moreover, because of the taxation and several other policies that are in place right now, it sometimes becomes difficult for us to get volumes in the country.”
However, should there be demand, the brand is open to bringing in more units. “I do have an option to bring more cars into the country at a later stage,” said Gupta.
Skoda Kodiaq RS powertrain and specs
The Kodiaq RS is adequately more powerful than the regular SUV. Using a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, the Kodiaq RS produces 265hp and 400Nm of torque – an increment of 60hp and 80Nm over the standard Kodiaq. In fact, the 2.0-litre engine is in the same state of tune as it is in the Octavia RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI.
However, Gupta had some interesting claims about the Kodiaq RS. “It will be fastest Skoda ever in India. It is faster than even the Octavia RS,” he said.
It will be offered with a 7-speed DCT gearbox and an all-wheel drive layout. The Kodiaq RS also gets upgraded braking hardware, including slotted brake discs and two-piston calipers up front. It remains to be seen if it will be offered with adaptive suspension, which is available in international markets.
Compared to the regular Kodiaq, the RS gets sportier-looking bumpers and several blacked-out elements. It also rides on larger 20-inch alloy wheels and gets red brake calipers. Inside, the dashboard remains largely unchanged, but it gets an all-black treatment with contrasting red stitching. It also gets sportier bucket seats with RS branding on the integrated headrests.
Skoda Kodiaq RS expected price
Being a full import, however, the Kodiaq RS will be expensive. We expect it to be priced in the range of Rs 50-55 lakh (ex-showroom). For reference, the standard Kodiaq is priced between Rs 36.99 lakh and Rs 46.99 lakh.