The Kar’s the star
SOMEONE in Skoda’s car-naming department obviously likes Alaska. Following on from its Kodiaq full-fat SUV – named after one of the region’s bears – comes the more compact and similarly unusually named Karoq.
In this case the moniker means ‘car’ and ‘arrow’ – which the Miss Marples among you will have deduced refers to the Skoda badge – and comes from the lingo of the Alutiq tribe which is native to the area.
And the rival for the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008 shares something else with Alaska – it is very cool.
This second SUV from the Czech car maker – effectively a replacement for the popular Yeti – is aimed at increasing its armoury in the battle for sales in a crossover market that continues to carry all before it.
The Karoq does this by incorporating many of the strengths of its seven-seat big brother into a less expensive five-seat package.
Built alongside its sister and rival, the SEAT Ateca, at Kvasiny in the Czech Republic, it also shares the VW Group’s latest MQB platform.
But it sets its own standards on the road via a soothing drive thanks to a softer suspension than the sportier Ateca giving the Karoq a more comfortable ride. Obviously it lacks a certain something for those who like getting from A to B as quickly as possible but for families wanting a smooth, relaxing journey it will be appreciated.
And that’s not to say the Karoq is a bus as the steering is nicely weighted while body roll through corners is well controlled. The front-wheel drive versions offer plenty of grip, but fourwheel drive is also available if you opt for the largest diesel engine.
The 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine with 150ps on tap is a willing performer reaching 62mph from a standing start in 8.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 126mph.
It is reasonably frugal with fuel claiming a consumption figure of 51.4mpg and emissions on 125g/km. Other power units include a nippy 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol as well as 1.6 and 2.0-litre oil burners. The six-speed manual transmission is pretty slick and there is also a dualclutch automatic DSG gearbox available on all engines for an extra £1,300.
The interior is modern with a nice atmosphere helped by dual zone air conditioning, while rear seats that are adjustable and removable allowing you to decide the amount of legroom or boot space adds a dash of practicality.
The cabin is family-friendly with lots of cubby holes and storage spaces while the boot offers luggage space ranging from 479 to 1,810 litres.
Neat ideas include an LED torch in the boot, an ice scraper inside the fuel filler cap, an umbrella positioned beneath the front passenger seat and a cooler system in the glovebox.
The top spec Edition models lack for little and boast 19-inch alloys as well as a Columbus sat nav system and a 9.2-inch touchscreen with voice and gesture control. But even the entry models feature a decent sound system with Bluetooth and smartphone connectivity standard across the range.
The SUV/crossover sector is obviously where it is all happening in the motoring world at the moment and the Karoq adds a practical, goodlooking, well-kitted out feather to Skoda’s cap that should attract lots of buyers.
TEST DRIVE SKODA KAROQ
Model: Skoda Karoq Edition 1.5 TSI Price: £27,115 Mechanical: 150ps, 1,498cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox Max speed: 126mph 0-62mph: 8.4 seconds Combined mpg: 51.4 Insurance group: 16 CO2 emissions: 125g/km BiK rating: 26% Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles