Skoda Kodiaq NS RS (2018-2023)

The best 7-seat performance SUV under $100,000 – This is the most powerful SUV you can buy from Skoda. It’s also one of the most powerful seven-seater SUVs for less than $100,000. There was a noticeable lack of high quality materials in low-touch areas, which is a key way to save money when attempting to deliver a large SUV like this at a certain price point. However, you could tell this was a VW-made product by the weight of the doors and minimal panel gaps. Although, I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the cheaper feeling dials used for things like the climate controls.

At $74,990 drive-away, the Kodiaq RS offers a really good value proposition.

Want something similar? You’ll be shopping for SUVs north of $100,000 for the same format.

This Skoda is warrantied for 5 years/unlimited kilometres. Total service costs over 5 years will cost $2,000. However, you can opt to pay for 7 years of servicing for $2,900 at the time of purchasing your Kodiaq. Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You’ve probably never heard of Canton, but it’s a speaker system usually found in VWs higher end vehicles. It's a 15-speaker system that sounds deep, hits the right notes most of the time, and offers a great range of customisation.

What’s even more strange is the speaker that’s on the outside of the car. It offers a virtually generated sound to replicate a far more aggressive sounding exhaust noise than what’s actually offered by the 2.0L four-cylinder under the bonnet.

Does it sound good? Depends who you ask. I don’t mind it at all, and it’s very reminiscent of the system used by Audi for their performance SUVs. It’s getting so popular to use a system like this, that even the new high performance Mercedes C63 uses it.

Braking is strong for a large SUV like this. There’s no question that the Kodiaq RS is a performance SUV when pushing it through corners.

Although if you plan on taking the Kodiaq to the track, you might experience some overheating due to the lack of any performance brake upgrades, like cross drilling.

You’d think a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder producing 180kW (241hp) and 370Nm wouldn’t be a great amount of power for a SUV like this, but that’s far from the truth.

You’re getting plenty of power under your right foot to send you to 100km/h in just 6.6 seconds. It’s a lot like driving a very large and slightly underpowered Golf R.

You have AWD grip and enough power to have fun with but not enough to feel like you can’t ever use it without risking your licence. Although, using launch control might get you in some trouble.

It’s the 7-seater that you actually want to drive, rather than the diesel bus that most other families cope with.

The 7-speed DSG gearbox employed to directly power the AWD system is rather good. It’s quick to respond in manual shifting mode, and can be a bit of fun to control via the steering wheel paddles.

Although it can sometimes take a moment to kick down a gear when you plant your foot flat on the accelerator.

I really enjoyed using the drive modes to adjust the ride with the Kodiaq RS. During the commute, you have a comfortable SUV that makes it easy to haul everyone around in. After work, or during a weekend blast, you have a strangely capable canyon carver. It makes twisty roads fun again, even if you needed to sell that lovely hot hatch you used to admire in order to buy this SUV for your growing family.

Now this engine can be a little thirsty; the claimed fuel economy is 7.5L per 100km. But you’re going to be closer to 10-11L per 100km if you enjoy Sport mode just a little too much.

Even with the RS touches on the seat, steering wheel and trim, the Kodiaq’s interior isn’t dramatically different in design.

It’s a conventional SUV interior that won’t disappoint, but it’s also probably not going to be the most impressive thing you’ll show your friends.

Rather, it’ll be the Skoda ‘quirks’ like an interior rubbish bin, rear foot rests and the included Skoda blanket that’ll make this interior feel just a little more special.

With all three rows up you’ll get 270L of boot space. With two rows up you’ll get 765L. And you’ll be pleased to know that the Kodiaq joins the 2000L club with 2005L of total cargo space.

There’s plenty of storage inside the Kodiaq, making it ideal for hauling people and luggage.

Although those people must be smaller than your average adult - or in fact just children - if they plan on sitting in the third row. I appreciate that this is a 7-seat SUV, but it’s more of a 5-seat plus 2 configuration. I would hardly recommend putting adults in the rear, even for short trips.

You can’t get a better deal for a SUV that can legally seat 7 people in it for less money than this. It’s not a poor performer either, so you’re going to feel far better driving around in this than any other diesel-powered alternative.

Now it’s not as comfy as some other alternatives, and that third row is really cramped for most adults. But for a family of up to 5 that might need to use those rear seats on occasion, I’d highly recommend the Kodiaq RS as an ideal ‘fun’ SUV alternative to the conventional crop of 7-seaters.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.