Skoda Karoq all ready to roll
NOT so long ago you could count the number of small SUVs on one hand. Now, even if you took your shoes and socks off, you would struggle to tot up all of the contenders in this ever-expanding sector.
Skoda can number itself among the early adopters of this hugely popular scene with its Yeti and now we have its replacement in the shape of the Karoq. Why hasn’t Skoda carried over the Yeti name?
Scrape through the marketing spiel and it comes down to the Yeti having performed its task of establishing the Czech maker in this market. Now it’s time for the Karoq to get in line with its Kodiaq big brother.
There’s also the lingering suspicion that the Yeti’s styling had a Marmite effect right to the last. Some loved it, others didn’t. As a result the Karoq is more conventional and in keeping with the norms for this sector.
That’s a bit of shame for those who like a distinctive appearance for their car. However the Karoq compensates by still being handsome in a non-challenging way and bigger in every direction than its predecessor, offering more cabin and boot space.
The Skoda shares its underpinnings with other Volkswagen Group cars, such as the Tiguan and Seat Ateca, which all sprout from the Golf. This means there’s the latest line-up of petrol and diesel engines but no hybrid or electric models on the horizon yet. The range starts with a 114bhp 1.0-litre turbo-petrol costing from £20,875 and it’s a plucky performer for a small engine in an SUV.
Like all Karoq models it’s available with a six-speed manual gearbox that takes 10.3 seconds to get from 0 to 60mph or a sevenspeed twin-clutch automatic that’s only 0.1 slower over the same sprint. You need to give this engine a bit of a workout to get the best from it and this means its average fuel economy of 53.3mpg for the manual, or 1mpg better for the auto, is only realistic on longer drives.
A much better bet and the engine Skoda says most buyers will choose, is the 148bhp 1.5-litre turbo-petrol. Just as in the Golf, this is a cracking motor and gives the Karoq a nippy turn of speed in town and on faster roads. Use all of its potential and 0 to 60mph comes up in 8.1 seconds.
There’s also little penalty in fuel economy with the 1.5 over the 1.0-litre as the bigger unit gives 52.3mpg. Even more impressive is its refinement at all speeds, which adds to the overall hush inside the