Jeep Wrangler Fights Skoda Kodiaq RS In Close Drag Race

SUV drag races are often no too exciting. And that's absolutely normal – these high-riding machines are much better off the road than on the drag strip. Of course, there are a number of exceptions, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the Lamborghini Urus, but these are no ordinary SUVs. We've seen tens of different sport utility vehicles on the starting line but this video provides our first look at the performance capabilities of the Jeep Wrangler.

To make things even more intriguing, CarWow puts a Wrangler Unlimited against a Skoda Kodiaq RS. Both have turbocharged motors, both have automatics, and both are all-wheel drive, but there are some major differences in terms powertrains. Let's take a quick look at the numbers.

In this race, the Wrangler comes with a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine, good for 272 horsepower (203 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque. Against it, the performance SUV from the Czech Republic puts to use its 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel with 240 hp (179 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm). The Wrangler has an eight-speed torque converter automatic, while the Skoda has a dual-clutch auto transmission.

While it's not very dynamic, this race is one of the closest we've seen lately. More ponies mean the Wrangler accelerates a bit quicker from standstill but the higher torque of the Kodiaq RS eventually helps the Skoda catch up. Of course, we are not going to spoil it for you and we'll just give you the final results of the winner and the second-placed model. The faster of the two SUVs crosses the line in 14.8 seconds, just 0.2 seconds faster than its competitor.