Skoda Kodiaq 2025 RS Review

The 2025 Skoda Kodiaq RS is now on sale in Australia from $69,990 before on-road costs (ORCs), roughly $600 less than the previous model. It sits at the top of the Kodiaq range, which starts at $54,990 plus ORCs.

It’s still motivated by the same 2.0-litre turbo engine, now tuned to 195kW and 400Nm, meaning a bump of 15kW and 30Nm. With power sent through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, it’ll sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds, just inching ahead of the Octavia RS.

In addition to the stats, the RS also gains adaptive dampers (DCC plus), progressive steering and a couple of new drive modes, Snow and Off-Road, plus a touch of theatre in the form of a synthesised exhaust note inside the cabin.

On the outside, it looks every bit the part with 20-inch alloys, a black-out RS grille and Matrix LED headlights. Inside, you’ll find ventilated and heated sports seats, a 13-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a head-up display and 13-speaker Canton audio system.

The options list is refreshingly simple, limited to a $1900 panoramic sunroof, or if you fancy, the $770 premium metallic Velvet Red paint.

All variants of the Skoda Kodiaq are covered by a five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing conducted in 2024. Standard safety includes nine airbags, lane-departure warning, lane tracing system, emergency steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert and intelligent park assist.

Skoda claims fuel use of 8.1L/100km, though during the launch drive we recorded closer to 11.4L/100km.

As with the rest of the range, the RS is backed by Skoda’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Prepaid servicing is available at $2450 for five years or $2750 for seven, keeping ownership costs predictable, if not a little on the higher side.

In an era where electrification dominates and performance models are thinning out, the 2025 Skoda Kodiaq RS feels refreshingly traditional. It’s punchy, engaging and still practical enough for family life.

The adaptive suspension is the star of the show, striking an impressive balance between comfort and control. Depending on the driving mode, it stays composed over rough country roads, smoothing out bumps without feeling floaty, yet remains confident and planted through corners. There is weight and feedback to the steering, too, which makes it more involving than you’d expect for a seven-seater.

Road noise is impressively low, even on coarse-chip surfaces or in tunnels surrounded by B-doubles. Visibility is excellent, aided by large side mirrors and well-judged proportions. The A-pillar is the only challenging part at roundabouts, where some strategic head-bobbing is required.

The smart dials and the air-con controls are intuitive and easy to adjust on the go, avoiding the frustrating menu-digging you often find in some of the Kodiaq’s competitors – even from within the Volkswagen Group.

Then there are the classic Skoda touches – from the umbrella in the door to the clever cabin storage – small things that continue to charm. It was absolutely pouring through the Blue Mountains during our test, and that tucked-away umbrella genuinely earned its keep. Similarly, when putting the RS’s dynamics to the test, my small suitcase stayed perfectly in place thanks to the Velcro boot dividers – a simple feature that’s oddly satisfying in how well it works.

It’s little wonder Skoda expects around half of all Kodiaq sales in Australia to be the RS.

The sports seats, while supportive, are on the firm side. The angled headrests can also press uncomfortably against the back of your head if you prefer to sit upright. I never quite found the perfect driving position unfortunately and felt like a little more telescopic reach on the steering wheel would’ve done the trick. Then again, I like the wheel fairly close to my lap, so that might just be a ‘me problem’.

There’s also some unexpectedly hard plastic in odd places like the part of the door handle that you grab to open it, which feels slightly out of place in an otherwise high-quality cabin.

The travel assist system was the only real culprit for jump-scare moments. It certainly grabbed my attention the first time it jolted the steering. You’d think the second time would be less shocking, but that sudden tug was just as startling. To be fair, that’s kind of the point as it’s designed to jolt a distracted driver back to attention.

Skoda later confirmed the system uses sensors at the nine-and-three positions to detect your hands, which explains why my softer inputs down the bottom of the steering wheel went unnoticed.

Real-world fuel economy is on the heavier side sitting around 11L/100km at the launch event. While the performance helps justify it, it’s worth noting against the more efficient hybrid options arriving soon in the Kodiaq range.

Despite its SUV designation, no one’s really buying an RS for fuel saving, are they?

The 2025 Skoda Kodiaq RS brings a more modern look and some genuinely useful tech upgrades, while keeping the same mix of practicality and personality that’s made it such a standout.

It’s fun to drive without going over the top, comfy without feeling too soft and still packed with those clever little touches that make Skoda ownership feel a bit special.

It’s not perfect though, with the seats being pretty firm, some driver aids can be fussy and it’s not the most frugal option in the segment. However, it’s still a genuinely enjoyable, well-rounded sporty SUV.

For families who want something quick, functional and a bit of fun, the Kodiaq RS still nails the brief.

2025 Skoda Kodiaq RS at a glance:
Price: $69,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 195kW/400Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 185g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2024)

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