Skoda Kodiaq Sportline | Review | CarsIreland.ie

Published on 11 December, 2018

The Skoda Kodiaq Sportline adds all-important desirability factor to one of the most practical cars on the market

Overview

Overview

Skoda’s first seven-seat SUV has been a massive hit with Irish car buyers looking for a spacious and practical vehicle to ferry the family around in. They’re now out to prove that seven seaters can be stylish too with the addition of a new Sportline trim.
The exterior has been pimped up by some custom bumpers, blacked out wing mirrors, tinted windows and 19 alloy wheels for the ultimate in mammy or daddy cool.
It also gets a much improved interior with Alcantara and leather sport seats, a carbon effect dashboard, sports pedals, Sportline badging and a panoramic glass sunroof.
Now we’ve already reviewed the Kodiaq and come to the conclusion that it is pretty much all the car you’ll ever need, but what does this new trim level add to the equation?

It’s every bit as practical as the standard Kodiaq, in other words, very. It is available as a five seater but most will pay the extra €1,000 for the additional two seats to have ‘just in case’. While not the most comfortable prospect for adults (unless you enjoy staring at your knees), they are more than adequate for the children they are intended for. In fact, most kids we know actually enjoy the novelty of travelling in the ‘back-back’.

When not in use, they can be folded flat to extend the boot capacity to an extremely useful 630 litres – ideal for carrying pushchairs and all the other equipment they come with. It’s also a good prospect for large dog owners when fitted with an appropriate pet guard.
It’s every bit as impressive in the front of the cabin too. The panoramic roof of the Sportline gives it a bright and airy feel, which along with the great support of the sport seats makes it a very pleasant place to be. The Sportline detailing is subtle but effective and you won’t be left in any doubt that you’re in the top of the range model.

The Kodiaq interior is already one of the best in the class and you’ll struggle to find any patchy areas of quality unless you really go looking. What really stands out is the attention to detail and the clever, thoughtful little touches scattered throughout the cabin. There are umbrellas hidden in the door frames, a clip on the windscreen so you won’t forget where you put your car parking ticket, and a drinks holder with a grip that will allow you to open a bottle with one hand. Nothing majorly ground-breaking, but the result is an unmistakeable feeling of confidence in the engineers that have surely thought of everything.

Standard features on the Sportline include front and rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable memory seats, 10 colour interior ambient lighting and a drive mode selector.

The Kodiaq has a full five star Euro NCAP rating and offers a generous range of both passive and active safety features including all round airbags, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking and an emergency call function.

It is worth noting that the upgrades on the Sportline model are mainly styling details. If you want some of the more functional high-end features such as the larger 9.2 inch Columbus Navigation system, you might still be better off going for the previously top spec Style model which gets it as standard. You can however spec it as an option which is best value when bought as part of connectivity pack. This will also add wireless phone charging for a premium of about €1,500.

Other tempting extras fitted to our test car included heated seats, a reversing camera, an electric tailgate, and 20 inch ‘Vega’ alloy wheels making it pretty much the most Kodiaq money can buy with a price tag slightly north of €53,000. It might seem steep ‘for a Skoda’ but this is a car with pretty much all the space, tech and extras you’ll ever need.

The Sportline trim is available on all current Kodiaq engine options, including the 1.5l TSI manual petrol, giving it a starting price of €40,175. Our test car was powered by the range-topping 2.0l 190hp TDI with 4X4 and DSG, hence the hefty price tag.

It does suit the sporty nature of the car very well with plenty of power on tap and a rugged, go-anywhere feel from the four-wheel drive. It’s very well behaved on the road, and felt very at home around the twisty turns of the countryside that our test route took us down.

Despite its large dimensions, it doesn’t feel in anyway cumbersome and the sharp steering and quick response makes you almost forget the considerable bulk you are lugging around. The only time you do feel slightly more aware of it is on take-off, where it tends to hesitate for half a second too long. This is negated slightly by switching to Sport Mode on the drive selector which will liven up the throttle response and add weight to the steering for an all-round sportier feel, although you might be better off leaving it in Comfort or Normal if fuel economy is of greater concern.

The running costs, given the size, are actually pretty reasonable. Skoda claim 5.7 l per 100km is possible, but that will depend very much on how you drive it. The four-wheel drive does have a noticeable effect on the mpg so if you can live without it, you might be better off going for the lesser-powered 150hp two-wheel drive diesel, which still likely to be more than enough Kodiaq for most.

Reliability is generally a non-issue with Skoda and the Kodiaq seems to be a big hit with buyers so far with few known issues. The scarcity after its launch means it is holding on to its value very strongly on the used market.
The Kodiaq has already managed to turn many a premium buyers head since its inception but if there were any left that needed convincing, then the Sportline adds a bit of glamour to what was already a very tempting package.
It was already all the car you’ll ever need – this one might just be all the car you’ll ever want too.

Facts & Figures

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives