Skoda Kodiaq RS priced ahead of 2026 arrival

SKODA is set to complete its Australian Kodiaq line-up when the sportier RS variant arrives in the first half of next year.

Priced from $69,990 plus on-road costs, the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq RS continues to offer seven-seat practicality, intelligent packaging, and an upscale interior design, and is now accompanied by what the Czech importer says are “new standards of performance”.

Expected to sell in favourable numbers – with the last generation Kodiaq RS accounting for 50 per cent of all variant sales – the newest iteration offers 195kW and 400Nm from its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, accelerating from standstill to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds.

Equipment highlights for the Kodiaq RS include black-finished 20-inch Alias alloy wheels, adaptive damping, progressive rate steering, black-finished body accents and roof rails, tinted rear and rear-side glass, polished stainless-steel exhaust tips, and red-finished brake callipers.

Other standard features include Matrix LED headlights with adaptive high beam, LED front fog lights, LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators, keyless entry and ignition, and a powered tailgate with Virtual Pedal (kick sensor).

Inside, we find a flat-bottomed perforated leather sports steering wheel with heating, dusk-sensing lighting, rain-sensing wipers, front sport seats with power adjustment, heating and ventilation, black perforated leather upholstery, heated outboard rear seats, and tri-zone climate control.

Other RS signifiers inside include aluminium pedals and RS-exclusive red-stitch interior trim, central Smart Dials, a 10.0-inch Virtual Cockpit (digital instrument panel), 13.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, native sat nav, DAB+ digital radio reception, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless phone chargers with active ventilation, a 360-degree camera system, 13-speaker Canton audio bundle, head-up display, self-dimming rear-view mirror, and five 45-watt USB-C outlets.

On the safety front, the Skoda Kodiaq RS includes technologies like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, exit warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane assist, parking assistance, side assist, traffic sign recognition, and nine airbags, to name but a few.

“The Skoda Kodiaq RS has long delivered a unique blend of sports performance and handling, seven-seat large SUV space and a leading blend of standard equipment and overall value,” said Skoda Australia product manager Aline Carrullo.

“The second-generation Kodiaq RS takes these virtues to a whole new level thanks to an even sportier turbocharged petrol engine and sharper dynamics than the previous RS, combining ideally with the upscale interior and clever three-row packaging of the all-new Kodiaq.

“Combine these attributes with an incredibly high level of luxury and technology specification as standard plus Skoda’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, and you have a complete seven-seat large SUV package that caters for driving enthusiasts and the whole family alike.”

Just two options are available for the Skoda Kodiaq RS – a panoramic sunroof (+$1900) and Velvet Red metallic paint (+$770). All other paint colours, including Black Magic, Brilliant Silver, Graphite Grey, Moon White, Race Blue, and Steel Grey are a no-cost option.

The RS variant joins the already available Select and Sportline grades, and also in the first half of 2026, a plug-in hybrid variant (PHEV) and a new mild hybrid entry variant.

2026 Skoda Kodiaq pricing: