Skoda has good form for offering sporty versions of its production cars - and the Kodiaq vRS has certainly brought more sparkle to the Czech company’s popular seven seater.

Highlights include more dynamic design along with the most powerful production diesel engine in Skoda’s history.

With the Kodiaq receiving the renowned vRS badge for the first time, it was always likely to be a car that combined power and practicality.

And it emphatically lived up to its billing when it claimed the Nürburgring lap record for the fastest seven-seater round the German circuit.

In light of current trends in the motoring industry, it might seem a tad unusual that this car is diesel rather than petrol, but it makes a certain degree of sense when you think about it.

Indeed, a fairly sizeable and weighty vehicle like this needs a good deal of grunt while also achieving presentable fuel economy. For all its critics, diesel still ticks those boxes.

Behind the wheel, you could be forgiven for thinking you were driving a much smaller and lighter car, such is the Kodiaq’s nimbleness.

Only when you look back to see a cavernous cabin with two rows of seats do you realise how effectively the engineers have adapted the chassis control system to give this large chunk of metal such superb body control when cornering.

Add to that a high-quality four wheel drive system and you’ve got a car that feels well-planted in the bends, inspiring confidence in its road-hugging capabilities.

The 2.0-litre twin turbo engine is capable of producing 240ps and an impressive 500Nm of torque via a seven-speed DSG gearbox, taking seven seconds to sprint from 0-62mph.

In truth, it doesn’t initially give the impression of being blisteringly quick when accelerating hard from a standing start, but that’s more than compensated for by the delightful level of mid-gear pull.

In my week in the Kodiaq’s company, I managed average fuel economy of around 30mpg - around 5mpg short of the official stated figure. Meanwhile, the car emits 167g/km.

In terms of looks, the vRS doesn’t vary wildly from its regular stablemate, with the differentiating features being more subtle than shouty.

Such an approach may suit those who wish to enjoy sporty performance in a vehicle that doesn’t look brash and obvious.

Such as they are, the understated design flourishes include unique sports front and rear bumpers, dual exhaust tailpipes and 20” Xtreme anthracite alloy wheels, with red brake callipers visible.

They’re the type of tweaks that give an already-handsome vehicle some further sparkle.

Inside, the Kodiaq vRS feels stylish, nicely laid-out and plush.

The cabin’s premium feel is brought about by features such as the comfy Alcantara sports seats and the Virtual Cockpit set-up, which puts all the info you need right in front of your eyes through the customisable 10.25-inch digital display.

The infotainment is centred around Skoda’s Columbus system, incorporating sat nav.

The other great thing about the interior is it’s flexible space, with one or both rows of rear seats folding away with great ease to create a larger loading space.

Last Sunday, I managed to load a couple of adult bikes into the back of the vehicle, which seemed pretty useful at the time.

If it’s stats rather than anecdotes that appeal to you, then the boot has 270 litres when all seats are up, increasing to 630 litres with the back row down and then reaching 2,005 litres with all seats folded away.

In conclusion, this car still provides all the practicality benefits that have won the Kodiaq so many admirers, but there’s an added layer of driving pleasure to be found in this sportier version.

Skoda Kodiaq vRS

PRICE: £43,390 on the road

ENGINE: 2.0-litre TDI 240PS

PERFORMANCE: Top speed of 136mph and 0-62mph in 7 seconds

ECONOMY: 35.3mpg combined and 167g/km emissions

TRANSMISSION: Seven speed DSG, four-wheel drive