Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline 2026 Review

While its official classification, according to VFACTS, defines the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline as a large SUV (by being more than 4.7 metre long), it falls more easily into the big-boy section of the medium SUV segment.

Here it’s playing with the likes of the popular Mitsubishi Outlander, as well as the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail and even its Volkswagen Group sibling, the box-fresh Volkswagen Tayron. And with its dimensional growth, the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, MG QS and Kia Sorento also come into consideration.

All pose challenges to the continued success of the Kodiaq’s follow-up act. And we all know the second album can be the toughest – especially given how much Skoda loyalists loved the first generation.

Aside from the Sportline at $58,990 (plus on-road costs), there are two other models to choose from, the entry-level Select ($54,990 +ORCs) and performance-themed 195TSI RS ($69,990 +ORCs) book-ending the range.

At the time of writing, all three benefited from driveaway offers  of $56,990, $61,990 and $76,990 respectively.

With such a handsome first attempt, the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline has big shoes to fill.

As always, design is subjective, but the jury is still out on whether the second-gen Kodaiq’s styling is more attractive than the first. The additional length is quite noticeable in profile and the 20-inch ‘Rila’ wheels, with their plastic aero blade covers, are polarising.

Blacked-out features generate a sportier look – it is the Sportline after all – while it also gains Matrix LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights with progressive indicators, powered tailgate and proximity keyless entry with push-button start.

Inside, there are bucket-style seats with heavier bolstering and covered in Suedia and faux-leather upholstery. The driver’s seat gains power adjustment with lumbar and memory settings. There’s also front-seat heating, tri-zone climate control, aluminium pedals and a heated steering wheel.

Our test car comes fitted with the $4000 Ultimate Pack, which adds a lot of fruit that should be standard at this price point. It includes Adaptive Chassis Control with two-valve shock absorbers, progressive steering, a 360-degree surround view monitor and Intelligent Park Assist, powered front passenger seat with lumbar adjustment and memory, head-up display, heated outboard rear seats and an upgraded 12-speaker Canton sound system.

It’s also fitted with a $1900 panoramic glass roof – which thankfully comes with a near block-out shade to help combat Aussie summer sun when parked.

In terms of warranty, the Kodiaq is covered by the brand’s impressive seven-year/unlimited-kilometre plan, while you can pre-pay up to seven years or 105,000km of servicing for $4750 – which is on the more expensive side. The intervals are 12 months or 15,000km – whichever comes first.

Skoda’s guaranteed future value program (Skoda Choice) also applies to the Kodiaq, while roadside assistance is renewed free of charge every time you service your vehicle within the brand’s network of dealers.

The 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline is covered by a five-star ANCAP safety rating achieved in 2024. It has a total of nine airbags, twin ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchorages.

It isn’t short on active safety, either, gaining autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, radar cruise control with stop/go function, lane-keep assist and departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, cross traffic alert, parking sensors as well as road sign recognition and driver attention monitoring.

It’s a shame you must pay extra for the 360-degree surround view camera.

There’s an assistance button on the steering wheel that navigates you to a quick menu within the instrument cluster to switch off various safety systems, which is nice. However, unlike a growing portion of the new cars, it isn’t 100 per cent necessary as most of the active aids aren’t overly intrusive. Great work, Skoda.

The 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline might not be the top-spec variant, but it still holds its own in terms of tech.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.0-inch Virtual Cockpit display. It is a great addition and comes with some customisation in terms of themes, with each offering more or less information depending on your preference.

Dominating the dash is the tablet-style 13.0-inch infotainment screen that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The operating system is fairly swish, responding to touch inputs well and offering decent menu structures for quick familiarity. You can also configure your own menu buttons with your most-used shortcuts at the top of the screen. Press and hold an icon before choosing what you want it to be.

The optional Canton audio punches out premium acoustics, while there’s also native sat-nav, voice control (otherwise known as Laura, according to Skoda), dual wireless phone charging pads, USB-C ports and DAB+ digital radio.

Don’t let the nomenclature fool you, it’s sport in name, not by nature, but as the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline’s badge also suggests, its 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 140kW/320Nm. It uses a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (or DSG in Volkswagen-speak), which sends power to the on-demand all-wheel drive (AWD).

While the engine is a well-used and liked unit from the VW Group, its detuned performance is dulled further by the Kodiaq’s 1785kg kerb weight. It can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds, which isn’t too bad on paper, but it never quite feels brisk – especially at overtaking speeds. Still, it’s a step up from the non-turbo units used by some competitors, with a noticeable torque advantage.

If you want to up the straight-line ante, the recently released RS version, with 195kW/400Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 6.3sec, might be more your flavour.

Those wanting a truly frugal Kodiaq would do well to check out the newly arrived plug-in hybrid version, as the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline isn’t as efficient as you might hope.

Officially it returns 9.2L/100km on a combined cycle, but we couldn’t record anything lower than 10L/100km during our week of testing in varied conditions. Its 58-litre tank also requires a diet of at least 95RON premium unleaded.  

While it doesn’t offer seven seats, there is a commendable Skoda EV alternative – that being the Enyaq. So, if you’re a family of five or less and don’t want petrol power, it’s a good option against the Kodiaq.

In the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline you’re getting all the benefits of a three-row SUV, but it doesn’t feel like a bus to drive. It does ‘shrink’ around you, with light and quick steering (variable ratio) as well as decent body control. Essentially, it doesn’t lean and wallow about like you might expect a vehicle of this type to, just don’t expect anything too exciting to drive – again, there’s the RS for that.

There is an incredible amount of adjustment on offer with the adaptive dampers, with 15 levels of tune available that range from soft to hard. Soften things off too much and it induces some float and a slight lack of composure, but go too far in the other direction and the ride quality isn’t compliant enough. And in a result that won’t be a surprise to anyone, leaving the tinkering to the middle ground reaps the most rewards by being a balance of everything.

Braking power is also strong and, without the energy recuperation of a hybrid system to deal with, there’s nice progression. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s always ample traction from the on-demand AWD system, with no slip from the front axle, which increases confidence behind the wheel.

The seven-speed DSG is generally well behaved and quick on the run, but its imperceptibility is tested at slow speeds or when reversing on an incline. The throttle calibration is a bit too lax in the Eco and Normal modes, but Sport tends to hold onto gears too long.

Noise, vibration and harness levels are improved, but it still isn’t the quietest option, with some road noise getting into the cabin at speed. Vision out is generally quite good from all corners – plus, there’s the cameras to help you out in tighter spaces.

Don’t get too excited about heading off-road despite the presence of AWD and hill-descent control. There’s only 187mm of ground clearance, road-focused tyres and a space-save spare as backup. Yet, the Kodiaq has a braked towing capacity of 2300kg, which is commendable for this type of vehicle.

Thankfully, there’s still some thoughtful quirk to the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline.

It’s seen in the provisions for umbrellas in the front door cards, the ticket holders and there’s even a touch-screen cleaning block, because Skoda tends to think of everything. Very handy door guards also pop out when you open them to protect you (and others) from car park dents, while having touch-sensitive unlock and lock functions on all four doors is a premium addition.

While the trio of oversized controls are a great addition by pulling adjustment out of the touch-screen display, they don’t feel overly premium to use with a fair bit of play in their swivel action. Still, the fact they offer various menu selections for the climate (as well as heated seats), drive mode and audio volume render them worthwhile.

Storage is well thought out (and usually lined with material) within the cabin, with dual glove boxes, coverable cubby holes for added security, quad cup holders and large door bins. The Sportline seats also give you a nice hug being both supportive and comfortable for long drives. However, our test car did already have a few annoying rattles.

Like most VW Group products, the Kodiaq adopts a steering column-mounted gear selector, which can take some time to get used to. A quick guide: twist it in the direction you want the car to drive. Or rotate it forwards twice to access Sport mode for the DSG and push in the end for Park. Annoyingly, the cruise control remains a little stalk, too, and not dials within the multi-function steering wheel.

At 4758mm in length (61mm more than first gen) and with a 2797mm wheelbase, the Kodiaq isn’t the biggest large SUV on the market, but legroom is decent in the middle row, as is headroom. The same can’t be said for the two seats in the third row, which aren’t the easiest to get into, but sliding the middle row forward does add some legroom for those in the very back. Headroom is always pretty tight back here, making it a space predominately for kids – although there are no air vents for the rearmost pews.

There are air vents (and separate climate controls) for the middle row, as well as map pockets, handy phone/tablet holders that attach to the back of the front seats, USB-C ports, a floor-mounted storage organiser, centre arm rest with cupholders and door bins.

The boot comes with nets and useful luggage dividers that Velcro to the floor, while the cargo blind nestles underneath it and out of the way when not in use – as does the space-saver spare wheel. Shopping bag hooks, a 12-volt outlet, lighting and quick-access seat releases can also be found here.

With all three rows in place there’s still 289 litres of cargo capacity, which is a chunk more than you get in the Mitsubishi Outlander (163L). That grows to 794L with those seats folded, or a van-like 2035L with both rear rows stowed to create a flat load area. No wonder Skodas are used by cycling teams as support vehicles in the Tour de France.

Ultimately, the 2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline is all the seven-seat SUV most buyers will need.

And while a chunk of the optional Ultimate Package should be standard, you’re receiving a lot for the extra $4k. it’s just a shame it’s almost an essential box to tick as it makes living with the Kodiaq that much better.

Yet, as it stands, the left-of-centre Skoda thrives with rational appeal, qualities that make it an attractive proposition to any family needing the extra flexibility its third row affords. The Kodiaq also doesn’t penalise you for the ‘plus-two’ seating either, as the cargo capacity remains impressive.

The brand might now be mainstream, but there’s still enough of a unique twist.

2026 Skoda Kodiaq 140TSI Sportline at a glance:
Price: $58,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 9.2L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 185g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2024)

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