2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS 180TSI Review

Czech brand Skoda has a hit on its hands with its seven-seat Kodiaq SUV. Aside from the Kamiq small SUV and Karoq medium SUV, the Kodiaq is easily the brand’s strongest-selling car in Australia. Of Skoda’s 10,000 local sales last year, in what was a difficult year for global automotive supply, 2,000 of them went to the Kodiaq. It’s easy to see why, as the Kodiaq is a great all-rounder so with the newly-facelifted model, is the grass as green? We tested the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS to find out. 

The RS sits atop the local Kodiaq range, which is priced from $52,990 drive away. The RS sits a lot higher than the base Style at $74,990 drive away, but includes a lot more equipment, more performance and much more sporting attitude. The RS used to be powered by a 176kW twin-turbo diesel engine but that’s been shelved for the same 180kW 2.0-litre petrol engine in the Octavia RS thanks to emissions.

Price & Equipment: 8/10

Priced at $74,990 drive away, the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS is the most expensive new Skoda on sale in Australia – at least until the Enyaq electric SUV arrives in 2023. And yet, because of a $1,000 price reduction and more standard equipment compared with the previous RS diesel, we think it’s better value for money. 

Standard equipment on the Kodiaq RS is lengthy, and includes 20-inch alloy wheels with aero covers (yes, you can take the covers off if you don’t like them), all-LED lighting including scrolling rear indicators, auto lights and wipers, leather upholstery with heated and vented front seats, heated outboard second row seats, 14-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory functionality, a 9.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, wireless phone charging, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a 625W 12-speaker Canton sound system, selectable mood lighting, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry and start with kick-to-open functionality for the electric tailgate, heated and auto-folding mirrors, a panoramic sunroof and lots of RS touches, such as badges, a bodykit, red stitching and gloss black exterior highlights on the grille, mirrors and window surrounds. 

Special mention must go to the typically clever Skoda ‘simply clever’ features like the bin in the driver’s door pocket, door edge protectors that pop out automatically, a parking ticket holder on the windscreen, a reservoir around the windscreen washer fluid tank, an umbrella in the driver’s door, various hooks, nets and cargo elements in the boot, the ‘sleep pack’ with two blankets and middle row headrests with guides for heads and puddle welcome lights in the front doors that project the Skoda logo. 

Safety equipment includes nine airbags (including airbag coverage for the third row), auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, lane departure warning with lane trace assist, auto rear braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, Matrix adaptive high beam, a 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, automatic parking, driver fatigue monitoring, post-collision automatic braking, emergency lights and door unlocking, emergency assist (which automatically slows the car to a stop if the driver becomes unresponsive), tyre pressure monitoring and an alarm. 

The Kodiaq RS is very well equipped, though we’d still like to see features like a heads-up display, a heated steering wheel (which the previous model had), live traffic functionality for the navigation, the online features from the European spec car, rear USB ports (there’s only a 12V socket in the middle row) and air vents for the third row. 

Colour options for the Kodiaq RS include the no-cost ‘Steel Grey’, plus $770-extra ‘Graphite Grey’, ‘Magic Black’, ‘Moon White’, ‘Brilliant Silver’ and our test car’s ‘Race Blue’, while the $1,100 ‘Velvet Red’ is also available. The sole interior colour is black leather with red stitching. 

The 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS is rather unique in that it doesn’t have any direct rivals. Sure, other sporty SUVs exist like the incoming 235kW Volkswagen Tiguan R and 221kW Cupra Ateca, but those cars don’t have seven seats like the Kodiaq RS does. Quick 200kW V6 options exist in the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, but they’re front-wheel drive only and nowhere near as sporty as the Kodiaq RS. Once again, Skoda is occupying its own niche with the Kodiaq RS. 

Performance & Economy: 8/10

Under the bonnet of the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS is the same ‘EA888’ 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that’s also used in a plethora of other Volkswagen Group cars. In this tune, it makes 180kW of power and 370Nm of torque – the same as the Octavia RS and Golf GTI. It’s mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive as standard. The dual-clutch automatic is typical of the breed – it can slur changes and fumble a touch at low speeds, but it’s quick and responsive once you’re on the move.

As with the Octavia RS, the engine in the Kodiaq RS is sweet. It revs cleanly, it sounds good – even with the fake noise turned off – and it’s surprisingly quick as well with a 6.6 second 0-100km/h sprint time, though it feels quicker in real life. But while that’s quick, we can’t help but think that the 206kW tune in the Superb 206TSI would have been an even better fit for the Kodiaq RS. 

One key point of difference with the facelifted Kodiaq RS is that it’s now powered by a petrol engine and not diesel, which gave the previous model a unique selling point. The old model’s 176kW/500Nm twin-turbo diesel has been shelved and replaced by this 180kW petrol engine, thanks to cost and that diesel fuel is on the nose globally. We miss the diesel’s torque wave, but there’s no denying that the petrol does feel quicker and better suited to the RS badge. Another benefit to not having a diesel engine is that because there’s no diesel particulate filter (DPF), the petrol Kodiaq RS now has a [space saver] spare wheel. 

Skoda claims that the Kodiaq RS uses 7.5L/100km on a combined cycle, which is ironically more efficient than the lesser 132TSI models. Our fuel usage was higher at 9.6L/100km. The Kodiaq RS must use minimum 95RON premium unleaded fuel and features a 60-litre fuel tank. 

Ride & Handling: 9/10

Using the same ‘MQB’ platform as various other Volkswagen Group products, the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS is not the most dynamic car in the world. But as is the case with many other Skoda products, it strikes a pleasing balance between sporty and comfort, and thanks to adaptive dampers and various drive modes, several characters are available. Want your Kodiaq to be quiet, comfortable and supple? Can do. Want to dial up the sportiness for a back-road blast? Can do as well. The Kodiaq RS is certainly not as hard as the Tiguan R will be, but we think that its adaptability is one of its unique selling points. 

Because of the adaptive dampers, you can make the Kodiaq RS quite comfortable in comfort mode with typically-floaty Volkswagen Group comfort settings, but in normal or sports mode, the dampers firm up noticeably and give sharper body control. The steering is less heavy than in the previous RS diesel – thanks to a 60kg weight loss that’s mostly over the front end – and it’s a touch more fluid, though in sport mode, it weights up nicely for harder driving. 

It’s an enjoyable SUV to drive, thanks to the quick and fluid steering, well-tuned suspension and strong brake package. The Continental ContiSportContact tyres provide strong amounts of grip – of course, it’ll understeer if you’re silly with it, but get a good rhythm going and the Kodiaq RS rewards with good balance, strong grip and a generally fun nature. Those going from a hot hatch like a Golf GTI will feel right at home in the Kodiaq RS. 

In normal driving, the Kodiaq RS pleases with relatively low road noise levels, well tuned active safety systems – you generally don’t realise that they’re there until they’re needed – and the typically great Kodiaq size, which means that it’s smaller than it looks and drives like a slightly bigger and higher up Octavia wagon. For those who want it, the Kodiaq RS can tow a braked 2,000kg – though beware of the 100kg maximum downball weight. 

Interior & Practicality: 9/10

Even in a sporty model like the Kodiaq RS, Skoda’s typically pragmatic and practical-minded design ethos is clear to see as there are practical touches throughout the cabin. It’s roomier than you expect, while the quality is also mostly excellent with liberal use of soft touch materials throughout the front cabin. We also really like that the Kodiaq RS finally has quilted leather upholstery, instead of the suede and leather combination of the previous model. 

In terms of practicality, this is where Skoda shines as there’s simply so many places for you to store your various trinkets. There’s a double glovebox, a wireless phone charger in the centre console, a sneaky tray to the left of the driver, large door bins that are flock lined for no rattles and a big configurable centre console bin under the slide and height-adjustable arm rest.

Centre of the cabin is a 9.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and digital radio. The system is – thankfully – not the system that’s used in the new Octavia RS, but actually the last-generation Skoda system and we think that’s a great thing as it’s easier and quicker to use and the screen quality is even better. The digital driver’s display is also great quality, though we wish it had a heads-up display too. The 12-speaker Canton sound system is better than the one we sampled in the Octavia RS, and is generally quite good.

The middle row seat of the Kodiaq is generally one of the best in the mid-to-large-size SUV segment, with ample room in all directions, even for taller folk and even with the panoramic sunroof that’s standard in the Kodiaq RS. It’s reasonably well featured too with a separate climate zone, heated outboard seats, map pockets, window shades, flock-lined door bins and a central arm rest with cupholders – though only a 12V socket, which is useless compared to the USB-C ports in the front seat.

The third row of the Kodiaq RS is definitely best described as ‘kids only’ as the Kodiaq really should be viewed as a ‘5+2’ seater SUV. That said, six-footers do have a surprising amount of headroom back there, but the legroom is almost non-existent – but that’s more excusable considering how short the Kodiaq is in overall length. A much longer Toyota Kluger only offers slightly more space in each row, for example. Keep it to kids, and they’ll be fine as there is also some storage and airbag coverage as well. But USB ports and vents would make it even better. 

The boot of the Kodiaq measures 270-litres with all the seats up, 765L with the third row folded and a massive 2,005L with all the rear seats folded – these figures are particularly impressive when rivals like the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe are much larger on the outside but offer less storage. There are also many boot features, such as under-floor storage with a space saver spare wheel and room to store the cargo blind, a 12V socket for a mobile vacuum cleaner, remote tabs to fold the middle row, various hooks and nets and even dividers with velcro to hold fragile items in place on the cargo floor. 

Service & Warranty: 9/10

Like other new Skoda models in Australia, the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with a year of roadside assistance that’s topped up to five years with each dealer scheduled service. Five years/75,000km of pay-as-you-go servicing costs $2,733 ($547 per service), but buyers can choose a service pack at the time of purchase for $2,000 ($400 per service) that includes five years of roadside assistance.

Skoda also offers a seven-year/90,000km service pack with seven years of roadside assistance and seven years of warranty for $2,900 ($414 per service). You can also pay a monthly subscription fee for servicing that is quite variable from length, what’s included and distance covered. Subscription fees for the Kodiaq RS start at $59 per month for the basic/15,000km annual plan. Servicing the Kodiaq is not cheap, but Skoda offers lots of choice. 

The 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.6/10

From the outset, we weren’t sure that the loss of the diesel engine was going to make the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS better than the pre-facelifted model, but aside from the added torque and efficiency that diesel fuel brings, the petrol-powered facelift is a step up. It’s not cheap to buy at almost $75,000 drive away, but it’s loaded with equipment, offers a polished driving experience, it’s very practical and offers a lot of options where the ownership experience is concerned. 

In our opinion, the Kodiaq RS is a great all-rounder that offers just enough sportiness but a lot of comfort and practicality, as you’d expect for a Skoda. The only thing that would make it better – to us – would be giving it more power, like the 206kW tune of the same engine in the Superb Sportline or even the 228kW tune that features in the incoming Cupra Formentor. But regardless, the 2022 Skoda Kodiaq RS is a great all-round seven-seat SUV that deserves to be on your test drive list, especially if you like a bit of spice in your driving experience.