In a new video released by Skoda, a partially camouflaged Kodiaq vRS is shown blitzing around the 20.832km long Nürburgring – Nordschleife circuit in Germany. Behind the wheel of the performance SUV is Sabine Schmitz, a professional racing driver and the only woman to win the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The Kodiaq vRS has set a lap record for SUVs, with a blistering time of 9 minutes 29.84 seconds. The video shows the SUV attacking corners and holding its line while remaining planted as Sabine Schmitz puts the pedal to the metal. On the passenger seat is the man behind the development of the Kodiaq vRS, František Drábek. The two and half minute video does not show the full lap; but just the highlights, with Sabine Schmitz giving commentary behind the wheel about how good the car’s performance is around the circuit.
Many manufacturers consider the Nürburgring – Nordschleife as the Holy Grail for developing their car’s handling and performance. The track has played a huge role in the development of many supercars and hypercars because of the it’s complicated layout and the altitude difference. The circuit has a total of 73 turns. Elevation between the highest and lowest points on the track is 300 meters (approx). Of note, many manufacturers have using the track to develop small performance cars that are on sale in the European market.
Under the hood of the Skoda Kodiaq RS is a 2-litre biturbo diesel engine that belts out 236bhp. The engine is mated to a DSG and power is sent to all four wheels. Skoda claims that it didn’t make any changes to the SUV for setting the lap record. The Skoda Kodiaq vRS will be revealed in Paris later this year.
After her lap around the Nürburgring circuit in the Skoda Kodiaq vRS, Sabine Schmitz said, “The car looks sporty and the drive is sporty. I thought a seven-seater would not be so easy to handle, especially on a demanding circuit like the Nordschleife, but I have great feelings about it. It drives well. I’m really impressed. This car is absolutely stock, so we didn’t change anything. I think that if we break the lap record, it should be in a car that is available for sale. Otherwise it doesn’t make any sense. I want to show people how good a car they can buy.”
On the lap record set by Skoda Kodiaq RS, František Drábek, the head of product line compact at Skoda said, “The RS denotes rally sport and reflects the Škoda brand’s motorsport history. People who pursue an active lifestyle will love the Kodiaq RS. A single car enables them to ferry their family around safely and yet also race on a circuit like this one.”
Click here to watch the Skoda Kodiaq RS racing around the Nürburgring circuit.