IT'S arguably been one of the longest ‘teaser' campaigns in the history of new model teasers, but after weeks of issuing close-up photos and design sketches of various bits of the car, Skoda has finally taken the wraps of its much-hyped, new high performance SUV.
The new Kodiaq vRS was finally revealed to the public at the Paris motor show, but potential buyers will have to wait a while to get their hands on the Czech company's super off-roader, since it's not yet in series production. Skoda says it will start rolling off the production line "soon".
It has, however, already made its mark with a pre-production model setting a lap record for seven-seater SUVs at the legendary Nurburgring.
That's down to the fact that sitting under the bonnet there's the most powerful production diesel engine in the company's history - a 237bhp, two-litre oil burner with twin turbochargers which endows the Kodiaq vRS with a top speed of 137mph and a 0-60mph time of less than seven seconds.
Even with all that performance on tap, Skoda quotes an average fuel consumption of 47.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 157g/km, making this not just a mean, but a fairly green machine.
Switchable all wheel drive is standard via a seven-speed DSG gearbox. There's also adaptive, dynamic chassis control with six drive modes and electronically adjusted shock absorbers. Progressive steering is also included as standard.
Skoda's new top of the range sporting SUV comes with a range of design features specific to vRS models, including a redesigned vRS badge, with the ‘v' now highlighted in red on the grille and tailgate, new bumpers at both ends and gloss-black on the radiator grille, window frames and wing mirrors, as well as full-LED headlights.
Inside there are sports seats covered with perforated Alcantara and leather and what the company calls a ‘virtual cockpit'.Buyers will be able to choose from five and seven seat versions.
The vRS will also be the first Skoda model to come with what the company calls dynamic sound boost as standard which provides a sportier exhaust note than you might expect from a diesel.