Skoda Kodiaq Testing Hard at the Nurburgring Could Be the RS

The obvious answer is that this will eventually become the Kodiaq RS. It makes perfect sense, as SEAT is making an Ateca Cupra and Volkswagen has been working on the Tiguan R for at least a year, recently switching to the 2.5-liter setup.

As SUVs continue to look like an unstoppable force, even mainstream manufacturers are figuring out how they can boost their corporate image using these performance high-riders.

But there's something a little off about what we see in the video, and we're not talking about the fact that the bumpers haven't been painted. When a high-rider is getting ready to make fast Nurburgring laps, the Volkswagen Group likes to fit a roll cage. However, we don't see that here.

If this is indeed the Kodiaq RS, then a 2.0-liter TDI engine with two turbochargers is under the hood. We've tested it in the VW Passat, and it's a 500 Nm beast. But does that make a good performance car?

Volkswagen Group has undoubtedly done crazy things like this before. The original Touareg SUV came with 4.2-liter V8, a W12, and a 5.0 TDI V10 which at the time was one of the most powerful diesel mills fitted to a 4x4. Compared to those, the Tiguan RS would be quite tame.

But we wouldn't think of it as a worthy wearer of the RS badge. Another possibility is that we're looking at an early mule for the first Skoda plug-in hybrid model, which is expected in 2019 with a full EV to follow later.

Lastly, Skoda is also looking to launch the "Kodiaq GT," a model built on the same architecture but with more emotional, coupe-like styling.

Out of all these, the RS looks to be the most plausible, since the 240 HP diesel engine has already been confirmed for this particular model. There's no sign of a charging port anywhere, not that the PHEV would necessarily need Nurburgring testing in the first place.