Skoda Kodiaq 2019 review: 132 TSI Sportline

The Sportline grade was introduced to the Skoda Kodiaq range in early 2018, but rather than see it as a separate variant think of it as a regular Kodiaq 132TSI with bonus features. So, what's added to the 132TSI Sportline and how much more does it cost?

First the price. The Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline lists for $46,990, plus on-road costs, which is $4000 more than a regular 132TSI. What do you get for your four grand? It’s mainly cosmetic, but there are functional differences, too.

So, along with 'Red Velvet' paint, 20-inch wheels, a body kit with blacked-out bits, and aluminium finish pedals, there’s also the customisable performance monitor, drive mode selection, shifting paddles and sports seats up front with the driver’s being power adjustable.

That’s in addition to the 132TSI’s regular features including an 9.2-inch gesture control media display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, LED headlights, proximity key, power tailgate, privacy glass and dual-zone climate control.

All Kodiaq's get a 9.2-inch gesture control media display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and sat nav.

Our test car was fitted with a sunroof for $1900 and two optional packages – the 'Tech Pack' for $2600 (which adds auto parking, reverse AEB, adaptive chassis control, kick-open tailgate and wireless phone charging) and the $3400 'Luxury Pack' (which brings three-zone climate control and extra safety technology).

Frankly, the 132TSI is already great value, the Sportline mainly makes it look better. It’s disappointing that the extra safety equipment isn’t standard, but we’ll cover that in the section below.

If you’re looking at possible comparisons there’s the sister from a different mister Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, the Renault Koleos Intens and the Nissan X-Trail ST-L.

Also check out the Hyundai Santa Fe Active which is about the length of your phone longer than the Kodiaq but the new-generation car is an excellent small seven-seater you may not have considered.

My four-year old son spotted them straight away – the Sportline’s front seats. He wanted to know why they had a hole in them. It’s true they do have a hole in them. It’s just the design with integrated headrests.

Have a look at the images and you’ll see what he means. These leather/suede-feeling holey seats with silver stitching are just part of the different look and feel you’ll get with the Sportline.

There’s also the 20-inch 'Anthracite' wheels with a spoke design that looks like it should have some sort of WorkSafe protective guard on it. Then there’s the body kit which brings black bits: the grille, the mirrors and the roof rails.

The Sportline specification grants the Skoda Kodiaq with bigger 20-inch wheels.

The Red Velvet paint is exclusive to the Sportline. Skoda says you can’t get it on any other Kodiaq but you can option it on other models such as the Karoq for $1000. It’s a good contrasting colour with the black elements, plus even on a rainy day (as per our photo shoot) the car stands out.

Other colours also available on the Sportline include 'Brilliant Silver', 'Magic Black', 'Moon White' and 'Steel Grey'.

I’m convinced the Kodiaq is the best-looking Skoda the Czech brand has made. Even the grille, which I’ve never really been a fan of on other models, looks good, especially with the blacked-out treatment. The big cheesy grin extends through sleek headlights accentuating the width of the car.

The corner of those headlights is connected to the tail-lights by a line which turns into a hard crease, running the length of the car and around the tailgate, skirting the rear window.

People will call it a VW Tiguan Allspace wearing a Skoda badge, but while it shares the Tiguan’s platform the two cars look and feel different.

The Volkswagen’s styling is relatively restrained and conservative, while the Skoda has more personality in its design. Let’s just say if the Kodiaq and Tiguan were people I’d prefer to hang out with the Skoda. But then, I’ve been described as weird.

How big is the Skoda Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline? That’s a good question. Some garages are only 2.0m wide and even though the Kodiaq is just under 1.9m across, are you going to be able to open the door and get out? At 4.7m long it’s not at all huge, and at less than 1.7m tall (including roof rails) its about 20cm taller than a regular car, but you’ll get into most underground car parks without any issues.

Skoda’s ‘shtick’ is practicality and all models, including the Kodiaq, have smart features you’re not going to find on every car.

There are umbrellas hiding in the front doors like torpedos waiting in their chambers for a rainy day, there are also rubbish bins in those doors with tiny plastic bin liners, there’s a torch which pops out of the wall in the boot and retractable sunblinds for the rear doors.

But unlike the regular Kodiaq there aren’t tablet holders for the rear passengers in the Sportline because they can’t be fitted to the integrated headrest seats.

The boot capacity is excellent for the class at 630 litres (VDA) with the third row folded flat and 270 litres with the back seats in place, and it comes with three cargo nets.

Storage in the cabin is great with a top- and bottom-opening cooled glove box, a large centre console storage area and another hidey hole in front of the shifter which will fit an iPhone 8.

There are six cupholders (two in the front, two in the middle and two in the third row) and bottle holders in the doors (1.5L size in the front and 1.0L in the rear doors).

There are three 12-volt power outlets (up front, second row and cargo area) and one USB port (under the dash).

Even at 191cm, headroom for me is excellent in the second row despite the optional sunroof fitted to our test car. Legroom is also outstanding, with enough space for me to sit behind my driving position with about 30mm of air between my knees and the seat back.

The third row should really be a last resort for adults as head and legroom are properly limited back there, but children will be happy with it.

The big, wide-opening rear doors make getting in and out easy, although the ride height made getting in a bit of a climb for my four-year-old.

Something you should know, too, is that while the second row is on rails to allow better access to the third row and it folds 60/40, the larger folding section is on the kerb side of the car because it’s European.

The name gives some of the engine details away – the Skoda Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline has a 132kW, 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. Maximum torque is 320Nm, which is plenty, and it’s all there for the using from 1400rpm.

Shifting gears is a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. You may have heard about these before – it’s a type of automatic used widely by Volkswagen (and other carmakers), which can be short on low-speed refinement around car parks or in bumper-to-bumper traffic, but operates exceptionally well at quicker speeds.

Maximum torque (320Nm) comes in at a low 1400rpm.

Also known as a 'DSG' that dual-clutch sends the drive to all four wheels in the Kodiaq. Yes, it may say 4x4 on the tin, but the Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline is an all-wheel drive that monitors each wheel and will transfer drive around them to maintain the best possible traction.

The braked towing capacity of the Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline is 2000kg.

Skoda says the Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline should use just 7.6L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads. The trip computer in our test car was reported an average of 10.1L/100km, but that was after punishing it with 250km of city testing, rather than motorway kays.

The Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline was awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2017. While there are nine airbags covering the front, second and third rows, the advanced safety tech which comes standard on the SUV could be more comprehensive.

There is AEB which works at city speeds, but if you want the full armoury of safety equipment you’ll need to option the Luxury Pack which adds everything we’d expect to come standard – rear cross traffic alert, lane keeping assistance, blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistance.

It’s for that reason the Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline scores a lower mark here.

For child seats you’ll find two ISOFIX points and three top tether mounts in the second row. Those third-row seats don’t have child seat anchorage points.

Under the boot floor you’ll find a space saver spare wheel.

The Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline is covered by Skoda’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months with the first visit being $322, the second $408, the third $586, the fourth $872, and the fifth $431. Alternatively, you can purchase a service pack: $950 for the three years, or $2100 for five.

Want to know how the world looked to Ned Kelly? Just sit behind the wheel of a Skoda Kodiaq… because the windscreen height seems so short that it feels a bit like you’re staring through a slot.

Okay, it’s not as bad as I've made it sound, but the Kodiaq’s tall bonnet and high door sills mean the area left for windows is smaller than in rivals like the Nissan X-Trail or Subaru Forester. So, while visibility is affected only slightly the pay-off is a sleek window line.

Fortunately, the Kodiaq 132TSI Sportline handles better than a metal bucket, especially our test car which was fitted with 'Adaptive Chassis Control'. Handling and ride are superb for a mid-sized SUV.

Even on those 20-inch wheels and low-profile tyres (235/45 R20 Pirelli Scorpion Verde front and rear) the ride is comfortable, compliant and composed, while handling feels great when the road starts to twist, too.

The steering, while smooth and accurate, feels artificial.

Adaptive chassis control allows the driver to set the dampers in six modes including Sport and Comfort.

The steering does feel artificial, but it’s smooth and accurate, and while the DSG causes the Kodiaq to lurch slightly in traffic, you’ll get used to it after a week, as I did.

The 132TSI is an excellent engine with stacks of torque that’s all there from 1400rpm. That means despite a smidge of turbo lag, you’ll have stacks of oomph to move quickly if you're changing lanes, pulling out into traffic, or merging onto a motorway.

If you’re not the best at parking or prone to scratching your wheels on the gutter you’ll be a fan of the auto parking feature that comes with the Tech Pack. Every time I used it, the Kodiaq performed pretty much the perfect parallel park, super quickly.