Launch planned this year

Skoda is about to take another giant leap in the SUV market by replacing its very popular Yeti model.

The Czech company is adding to the relentless march of the compact SUV by revealing yet another newcomer to the sector in the shape of the Skoda Karoq.

The Karoq, which will be launched later this year, comes hot on the heels of the recently launched Kodiaq – Skoda’s first large SUV.

And the Czech maker has no intention of stopping there. The company says its range expansion strategy will primarily focus on broadening its SUV range over the next few years.

The newcomer ditches the Yeti’s boxy looks and will benefit from all the latest solutions crafted by the Volkswagen Group which can also be found in SUVs from sister companies including VW itself and SEAT.

That translates into five engine variants – two petrol and three diesels – four of which are new in the Skoda lineup. All powertrains feature turbo-charged direct injection as well as stop-start technology and brake energy recovery.

With the exception of the most powerful diesel, all engines can be ordered with a six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed DSG auto. The top of the range 190PS, 2.0 TDI will come as standard with all-wheel drive and the seven-speed DSG box.

The Karoq range will come with stateof-the-art infotainment functions and interfaces through touch displays with the premium systems featuring a Wi-Fi hotspot. Other equipment will include LED headlights and a programmable digital instrument panel.

There will also be a raft of driver assistance systems including Park Assist, Lane Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. Blind Spot Detect, Front Assist with predictive pedestrian protection and Emergency Assist, all of which serve to increase safety.

The newcomer will go on sale in the UK late this autumn with deliveries starting next January and although prices have still to be announced expect them to start at about £18,000.