Only days after Skoda introduced the exceptional pseudo-off-road Karoq Scout, the Czech company is gifting us with an all-new version - the Karoq Sportline. It is a sporty interpretation of the compact SUV destined to make its way all over European cities with the character of a happy, raspy crossover, presented here in dashing red. The Karoq Sportline ditched many off-road centric features and embraced gear usually associated with sportier cars from Skoda.

2019 Skoda Karoq Sportline

Specifications
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  • Model: 2019 Skoda Karoq Sportline
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Exterior

Let’s get real here. The Karoq isn’t a sports car, and even an RS version wouldn’t be as sporty as we’d like. That does not mean that Skoda didn’t do a lot to justify the Sportline plaque. It all starts with the addition of new bumpers. They are deeper, lower, and angrier than before. Looking athletic and sporty, the Karoq Sportline wears the redesigned bumpers along with the new 18-inch wheel design (as with the Scout you can choose 19-inch wheels, in this case, finished in black).

As far as other exterior additions go, the 2018 Skoda Karoq Sportline rides with tinted windows, black roof rails, and a number of dark details which give it a somewhat mysterious and smirked manner. I like it. It’s a humble crossover that knows how to be sarcastic and fun. Heck, I like all Skoda cars just because of that. Humble, but with some skills.

Sportline badges? You bet - a lot of them on the Karoq Sportline.

Interior

The cabin received numerous additions as well. All in the hope of giving you a sense of sportiness and activity. Sports seats with something called “revolutionary three-ply air-permeable Thermoflux fabric” are definitely the highlight of the cabin. The seats have cool silver stitching and go rather well with the blacked out headliner. This may be just a detail, but the blacked out headliner gives unique ambiance in the cabin. Always. Nice thinking here Skoda.

Furthermore, inside you can enjoy stainless steel pedals, LED ambient lighting, and a Virtual Cockpit. The latter is available only as an option. Yet, the Virtual Cockpit for the Karoq Sportline is a bit different compared with the unit available on the rest of the lineup. Here, Skoda gave it a slightly different graphics and more features, including a tachometer and speedometer in the center.

Drivetrain

The most powerful engine one can get in the Skoda Karoq is the 2.0-liter TDI that develops 190 horsepower. It is a solid engine, however, the Karoq Sportline has a special engine option no other Karoq can ever receive - the 2.0-liter TSI that develops 190 horsepower. Honestly, you cannot have it with any other version of the Karoq. One would think that Skoda should have upped the power of the 2.0-liter TSI to dwarf that of the TDI, but that isn’t the case. Yet, I can see aftermarket tuning shops getting this output higher in the coming months and years.

These two are available with all-wheel drive setup and 7-speed DSG transmission. Lesser versions with the 1.5-liter TSI (150 horsepower) and the 2.0-liter TDI (150 horsepower) come with a six-speed manual and front-wheel drive as standard.

We will see the new Skoda Karoq Sportline at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in two months.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Skoda Karoq.

Read more Skoda news.

Read more Paris Auto Show news.