ŠKODA KAROQ

If you remember Škoda’s brilliant little Yeti, a car so practical it hurt, then maybe you’re aware that the Karoq was its replacement. Characterised by the updated design language of Škoda’s current SUVs, it’s a slightly squished version of its bigger sibling, the Kodiaq, and on first impression the Karoq hasn’t lost any of the Yeti’s practical features, but I’m getting ahead of myself a bit.

On the Road

With a 2.0ltr diesel lump up front churning out 150ps through a responsive 7-Speed DSG gearbox, the Karoq handled everything with aplomb. From incessant motorway treks to bumbling around town the Karoq always felt at home, even the 18” wheels didn’t feel too harsh as they often can. It’s on twisty roads where the Sportline comes into its own, with light steering offering plenty of feedback, the taut suspension and overall balance of the car left me with a huge grin. It’s such an easy SUV to drive.

With 5 driving modes to choose from; Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow and Individual you have pretty much all eventualities covered - though I was surprised not to find an ‘Off-Road’ mode.

Selecting Eco mode on a long trip to North Yorkshire, and driving at a steady 70mph, the on-board computer told me it was sipping fuel at an impressive rate of 47-50mpg. I’ll take that any day of the week.

Off road

Thankfully, for an extra £200 Škoda still offer the ‘rough road’ package for the Karoq that includes an additional layer of chassis protection, this gave me a tad more confidence whilst driving over some rocky lanes. However, with its rather low approach angle I decided to turn around when the lane from Grewelthorpe to Lofthouse, in the North Yorkshire Moors, became a little bit too rocky as I was concerned for the front bumper!

The AWD system on the other hand never let me down and would have easily got me to the end, either with its front in place, or not!

Interior

Just like the outside, internally the Karoq is recognisable as a Škoda, which is no bad thing, if not a little dull. That said, it does have actual heater dials and an easy to read, and navigate Amundsen satellite navigation with 8” touchscreen display.

The front sport seats are incredibly comfortable and long and wide enough for the larger folk amongst us (me). Same can be said for the rear seats, and those of us over six foot won’t feel too cramped as there’s a decent amount of footspace under the front seats, as well as headroom. That said, the panoramic sunroof can steal an inch or two as they often do, but even then still not enough to bother six-footers.

There’s a lot of usable space in the Karoq and plenty of cool features with all manner of hooks, crannies. The only negative thing I have to say about the interior, and it isn’t just the Karoq, but in every other Škoda I’ve driven recently, and that’s my travel mug doesn’t fit in the holders in between the seats. It does fit in the door bins, but it’s a bit awkward to remove.

Despite not having a height-adjustable boot floor the Karoq still has the largest boot in its in class. The Sportline doesn’t have the usual variable-height boot floor but it does have a host of useful storage cubby holes on both sides of the loading area, as well as some very handy load-securing hooks. With the back seats flat there’s up to 1810ltrs of space for you to fill, which is pretty decent. It’s worth mentioning that four-wheel drive models have a slightly smaller boot than front-wheel drive models.

Conclusion

I like it, in fact I like it a lot, and if Muddy Madam wanted to replace her old Fabia with one, I’d be over the moon. I’m not the only fan either, it was this exact model that was the overall winner of What Car? and Caravan & Motorhome Club’s Towcar of the year 2023, which is no mean feat.

The Karoq is a clever and highly practical family SUV with clever seating options, a huge boot and plenty of space inside for passengers. Thanks to its comfortable ride and great visibility it’s also a pleasure to drive, and frugal too.

price: £38,085 (as tested with options £40,535) more at » https://www.skoda.co.uk/new-cars/karoq/sportline