Skoda Kodiaq RS Not Coming To India
Highlights
It was just a year ago that we exclusively told you that the Skoda Kodiaq RS will make its way to India. Well, now, however, those plans have changed. The company will not be bringing the powerful and Sporty variant of the car to India. Zac Hollis, Director, Sales and Market, Skoda Auto India, confirmed the development on the sidelines of the launch of the Rapid automatic. “We will not be bringing the Kodiaq RS to India because it will be priced higher and hence we don't think it will do too well here.”
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And yes, the price of the Kodiaq RS will sky rocket, if it is launched here and we can expect it to be around Rs. 40 to 50 lakh because it will also come to the country via the CBU route. There's no doubt we'd love to see the car in the Indian market and why not, it's great to look at. Visually, the Skoda Kodiaq RS is largely similar to the regular SUV, except for certain styling bits that accentuate its sporty character.
The black vertical-slat grille comes with matter effect compared to the glossy treatment on the regular Kodiaq, and of course, you also get the iconic vRS badge on the grille. The bumper design has been slightly tweaked, to create a bit of distinction. The Kodiaq RS also comes with blacked-out ORVMs and larger Xtreme 20-inch alloy wheels as standard. At the rear, the LED taillamps get black detailing and feature a reflector that spans the entire width of the vehicle, along with a chrome-tipped horizontal dual exhaust system.
The biggest upgrade for the Kodiaq RS, over the regular Kodiaq, will be the 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged in-line 4 diesel engine with a DOHC setup and transverse in the front. The turbocharged oil burner is tuned to churn out a maximum of 236 bhp at 4000 rpm and a peak torque of 500 Nm at 1750-2500 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox with paddle shifter. The SUV also gets an all-wheel-drive system with automatic torque distribution.
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The cabin is very typical RS and comes with an all-black interior featuring contrast red stitching and red highlights all over. The seats are upholstered in beautiful Alcantara leather, and the sporty bucket style front seats are complemented by the leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel. There is also the RS logo on the seats and the gear lever, along with metal pedal to complete the sporty look. There's also a virtual cockpit and well, that's pretty good we reckon.