The Skoda Kodiaq RS Sets Nurburgring Record for Seven-Seat SUVs

TopSpeed

By Ciprian Florea

Published Jun 14, 2018

It's slower than you'd think!

The Skoda Kodiak RS has yet to break cover as a production model, but the SUV just set a Nurburgring record for seven-seat haulers. The slightly beefed-up SUV completed the iconic Nordschleife in 9:29.84 minutes with race driver Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel.

Although Skoda takes pride in the Kodiak RS being the quickest seven-seat SUV around the "Green Hell," the benchmark stands only because no one else has officially attempted a record lap. But until vehicles like the BMW X5 M or the Audi SQ7 hit the 'Ring, Skoda owns all bragging rights to this record.

If we eliminate the seven-seat factor, the Kodiaq RS is actually rather slow. The current record for SUVs is owned by the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which needed only seven minutes and 51.7 seconds to lap the 'Ring. That's one minute and 38 seconds quicker than the Kodiaq RS. How fast is the Skoda compared to the cars that usually lap the Nurburgring? Well, it's more than a minute and a half slower than the lowest vehicle in the Top 100.

Still, kudos to Skoda for taking the SUV on the 'Ring despite not being a full-fledged performance vehicle.

Speaking of which, the Kodiaq RS gets its juice from a 2.0-liter turbodiesel that cranks out 236 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It might not sound like a lot, but it's a significant improvement over the most powerful non-RS Kodiaq model, rated at 187 horses and 295 pound-feet. The SUV will make its public debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, but it could break cover earlier in October. Stay tuned for details.

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