ŠKODA Italia decided to put the abilities of the sporty KODIAQ RS SUV to an extreme test. Boasting a 240 PS engine and all-wheel drive, how will the KODIAQ RS stand up to polar conditions – icy surfaces, temperatures of around -20 °C, and a strong headwind?
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The KODIAQ RS, like all other versions of the model, is a vehicle guaranteeing a safe ride on unpaved surfaces. That’s how the idea came about to test the KODIAQ RS in extreme conditions by packing it off on an adventurous drive across the Arctic Circle from Rovaniemi in Finland to North Cape (Nordkapp) in Norway and back again.
The challenge required the entire distance to be covered in fewer than 24 hours, with just one concession for the vehicle: studded tyres, which are mandatory in extreme conditions.
An hour before midnight, the KODIAQ RS left Rovaniemi, planning to reach North Cape in daylight. That’s not as easy as it might sound. In February, the Arctic Circle has just a couple of hours of daylight per day, so most of the mission was cloaked in complete darkness. Snowstorms and 70 km/h winds hardly made things better.
The car crossed the Norwegian border at four in the morning as it progressed inland along country roads. It reached North Cape at nine o’clock. Apart from refuelling, this was the only stop along the way. There was just time for a quick photo before the return leg. At 3.30 pm, the crew crossed the border into Finland and arrived back in Rovaniemi at 8.17 pm. They completed the 1,417 kilometres nearly three hours ahead of the 24-hour limit, having averaged a speed of 67 km/h.
