Latest news with #performanceSUV
Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Skoda Kodiaq Review 2025
Page 2 vRS? Sounds tempting... Don't get your hopes up. The new Kodiaq vRS might be the fastest seven-seater around the Nürburgring, but it isn't actually all that different from the standard car. Advertisement - Page continues below Let's start with the engine. Is that different? Yep. It's a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel with twin-turbochargers working sequentially. New to the Kodiaq, but we've seen and tried it before in the Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan. When this car was announced all those months ago, a lot of people (including us) questioned Skoda's decision to use a diesel of any size or type in the 'performance' Kodiaq, given the apparent move towards petrols, and the fact it has access to some quite good ones. Seat went with the 2.0-litre from the Golf R for the Cupra Ateca, and Skoda could easily have done the same. But the majority of Kodiaqs sold still have diesel engines – 57 per cent of them. And as it happens, the engine Skoda's gone with suits the Kodiaq rather well. It's almost as smooth as a six-cylinder diesel, and once you're up and running quieter than a few we've tried recently. Advertisement - Page continues below Smooth and quiet? Isn't this supposed to be a performance car? Kinda. As for speed, 236bhp and 369lb ft is supplied to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, with little plastic paddles on the steering wheel for manual shifting. 0-62mph takes a shade under seven seconds, making the Kodiaq vRS brisk, if not massively fast. It accelerates purposefully, with the same kind of satisfying surge you get from brawny diesel engines. The gearbox is smooth too, whether you leave it to its own devices or take control with the disappointingly plastic paddles. But if you do the latter, it has that annoying habit of changing up for you at the redline. Not that anyone who buys one of these will ever notice. Or care. Ok. What else is new? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Besides the more powerful drivetrain, the vRS is pretty much as per lesser Kodiaq 'Sportline' models. Progressive Steering and Dynamic Chassis Control are standard and get vRS-specific software, but both these systems can be specified on regular Kodiaqs. Meanwhile the 'Dynamic Sound Boost' system that adds synthetic noise – both in and outside the car, it varies in tone and volume depending on what drive mode you're in – is new for the vRS and far from the worst we've heard. And, erm, that's about it. Ah. Yep. This is not a radically transformed Kodiaq, although that's not to say there's no fun to be had here. Body control is good, and though feel-less the steering is accurate and easy to get to grips with. Not like some variable systems, where the amount of lock you get seems to arbitrarily change everytime you turn the wheel. The ride's good too, in even the sportiest of the Kodiaq's six selectable drive modes. There's no firm edge, no harsh thumping beyond what you'd bargain for from a car with 20-inch wheels. The trade-off is bigger brakes, which haul the (optionally) seven-seater to a halt admirably swiftly. You can keep the vRS moving at a reasonable rate of speed using only fourth, fifth and sixth gears and a couple of thousand rpm, and it never really feels out of its depth unless you really start to push it. Till then the Kodiaq vRS does a decent job of hiding its 1,800-off kilogram mass, shuffling power between all four wheels as necessary (up to 85 per cent can be sent to any one corner if needs be – though it always feels distinctly all- or front-wheel driven). This means there's more grip than you'll ever need or indeed be able to exceed. But also, no real interactivity or engagement. Least it looks sporty. It does – exactly like the Sportline, which with the 190bhp diesel engine is several grand cheaper. We're talking a massive £42,870 for the vRS, versus £37,450 for the Sportline. And you can get a good, family-friendly Kodiaq with decent kit for much, much less. This is the first vRS to get the new logo, which eschews the traditional green in favour of red, which Skoda says symbolises 'sportiness and power'. The wheels are 20s, both head and tail-lights are of the LED variety and there's a full complement of gloss black trim around the window frames and radiator grilles. Inside there's a matt-finish (faux) carbon dashboard, digital dials, vRS logos everywhere and a chunky set of sports seats we're pleased to report are a) very comfortable, and b) don't eat in to rear-legroom too much. So what's the verdict? The Kodiaq vRS is a fine thing alright. But is it really worth that much more money than a normal Sportline, which save for the engine is mechanically and visually almost identical? The engine in the vRS is a welcome addition to the Kodiaq range – it's really very good, far as four-cylinder diesels go – but it ought to have been added to the Kodiaq range generally, rather than reserved specially for the vRS. You see that name, and your expectations change. It writes cheques the rest of the car has no hope of cashing, because it's basically just a regular Kodiaq with a few minor changes. This is a good car – it's issue is one of marketing. There isn't enough here to justify the substantial premium. It probably shouldn't have a vRS badge. And for that reason, while this is probably the best Kodiaq in a money-no-object kind of way, it's not the one we would buy. Page 3
The Sun
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Iconic sports car brand reveals its very first SUV with focus on ‘light handling' and ‘daily usability'
ICONIC sports car brand Alpine is set to rival the Porsche Macan with its very first performance SUV - called the A390. The French marque - part of the Renault Group - already has two cars in its line-up, the highly-acclaimed A110 sports car and the stunning A290 hot hatchback that's modelled on the new Renault 5. 3 3 3 Now, they're adding a third; an aggressive-looking, all-electric SUV to pit them against the electric Macan Electric and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Described as a crossover-coupe, the A390 will start at around £60,000 - with UK orders to open in November. Much like the A290, Alpine is seemingly attempting to further broaden its product range with the A390, as SUVs continue to be Europe's most popular type of car. Essentially giving the people what they want - a luxury SUV that combines class, power and everyday usability. Size-wise, the A390 matches the Tesla Model Y and Cupra Tavascan - with dimensions of 4.6m long by 1.5m tall - but boasts a corking 464bhp, making it more geared towards the performance SUV range. What's more, using a bespoke tri-motor powertrain, with two at the rear and one at the front, it will feature rear-biased all-wheel drive and torque vectoring to help with agility and responsiveness. Indeed, the tri-motor powertrain is capable of overspeeding the outside wheels in a bend, rather than simply braking the inside wheels, which Alpine says gives a 'much smoother, delicate feeling of control.' Krief told Autocar: 'You can generate a quite immediate response time. It's like the behaviour of a light car.' Inside, it comes with a portrait-oriented touchscreen angled towards the driver, as well as physical controls on the steering wheel and centre console. Like the A290, it has a race-inspired adjustment dial on the steering wheel for the brake regen and the so-called overtake lever that gives the car full-power for short periods - somewhat giving drivers the gimmick of F1's DRS-tech. Alpine A290 GTS delivers a hot hatch EV that comes with F1-style 'overtake button' And for those not keen on the silence of an electric motor, it comes with the option of a synthetic 'Alpine drive sound' inspired by the A110's four-cylinder petrol engine. The standard GT model produces 395bhp, with the 464bhp coming from the top-of-the-range GTS - which hits 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. For some context, that matches the ultra-light, stripped-out A110 R. The A390 is the second of seven electric cars that Alpine plans to launch, with an electric successor to the A110 next in the pipeline. Then, there's the A310 coming after, said to be a four-door fastback to rival the Polestar 4.
The Drive
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Toyota Really Made a RAV4 GR Sport With 320 HP, Tuned Suspension, and Summer Tires
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Love them or not, performance SUVs are an undeniable part of the modern automotive landscape. Strangely, though, Toyota, which sells many different kinds of SUVs, has never really offered one. That changes now with the sixth-generation RAV4. We got our first look at Toyota's next hot-selling crossover on Tuesday night, and there's much to discuss, including a surprising spinoff: the 2026 RAV4 GR Sport. This particular RAV4 trim is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, as we've said: This is a sporty RAV4, which is already something to get used to. Second, this vehicle represents the debut of Toyota's GR Sport line in North America. Now, we obviously get full-fat GR vehicles here, like the GR86, GR Corolla, and GR Supra. But the GR Sport label is applied to models overseas that have a hint of enthusiast appeal, typically in their exterior design more than their actual performance capabilities. What's interesting about the RAV4 GR Sport is that it not only looks meaner, but it should handle sharper than the average RAV4, too. For starters, Toyota has given this trim the new RAV4's most potent powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with two electric motors for a total of 320 horsepower, put to the pavement through all four wheels. The GR Sport model isn't more powerful than the other plug-in RAV4s, but that's OK, because it has plenty of other exclusive tweaks that more than make up for it. Besides, 320 hp is nothing to sneeze at. Toyota For starters, the GR Sport gets specific suspension and power steering tuning direct from Gazoo Racing itself. It also has 'enhanced body rigidity,' which is commendable, although Toyota hasn't yet detailed precisely to what degree, or specifically where the body has been bolstered. But even without those tweaks, the GR Sport is pretty much guaranteed to handle better thanks to its stock summer tires (seriously), which are wider than the rubber on other RAV4s, because the GR rolls on unique 20-inch rims with increased offset. That's all pretty damn surprising for a RAV4—though I will say that dedicated summer tires are annoying on a sporty SUV like this, and I'd be much happier with ultra high-performance all-seasons, like Continental's DWS 06 Plus. Still, credit to Toyota for taking this one seriously. It could've given this RAV4 some cosmetic GR trinketry and left it at that, but the company went a step further to try and make this version hustle in a way that better reflects the badge. None of that is to say that the RAV4 GR Sport is wanting for more exterior accessories. Compared to the other RAV4 flavors, the GR Sport has an aggressive rear wing and slight chin spoiler, with piano black trim mimicking the GR Corolla's revised front bumper. GR badges can be seen on that big front grille as well as on the tailgate, and this trim also offers the 'exclusive pairing,' in Toyota's words, of a Supersonic Red body (another GR Corolla similarity) with a black roof. If you're wondering how much the RAV4 GR Sport will cost, we'll have to wait until closer to Toyota's very specific launch date of 'later this year.' No doubt that present tariff and manufacturing headaches could've thrown a wrench into whatever plans the company may have had. Expect it to handily cost more than the $39,995 GR Corolla, especially considering the current RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid already starts at $45,615. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Adam Ismail is the News Editor at The Drive, coordinating the site's slate of daily stories as well as reporting his own and contributing the occasional car or racing game review. He lives in the suburbs outside Philly, where there's ample road for his hot hatch to stretch its legs, and ample space in his condo for his dusty retro game consoles.
