Karoq o dile Rock
Skoda’s latest release is technically the cub of the Kodiaq (last year’s most awarded SUV) and the replacement for the lovable Yeti. Karoq is more conventional, but no less Simply Clever for all that. It’s also really easy to draw cheesy musical headlines from!
I remember when Karoq wasn’t here. Ha! You thought I was going for the Elton John intro, didn’t you? Nope, sorry to disappoint you.
But I do remember when Karoq’s position in the great Skoda scheme of things was held by a quirky little thing called a Yeti.
Now the Yeti was a polariser – you loved it or loathed it, and usually once you drove the little abominable snowcar, you’d walk over broken ice shards to claim your key, yes, it was really that good.
But somewhere along the way, someone suggested Skoda settled down some and started bringing in a mainstream image to its products, so we lost first the Roomster – ok, that was kooky, and the Yeti soon went the same way.
Meantime, Skoda went on a diet of sensible pills, which wasn’t a bad thing as the brand delivered award winning machines, one after the other.
Then another someone suggested Skoda revisit the SUV market, resulting in a great big bear taking its ‘q’ to enter from stage east and the Kodiaq turned up, making other big SUV makers very grizzly indeed.
Kodiaq did so well, the Skoda streamers quickly contrived a cub for the big bear, and the Karoq sailed in out of apparently nowhere, to tuck in under Kodiaq and fill the footprints of the Yeti.
So, what’s a Karoq? Well, from
what we can tell, it’s an amalgamation of two Aleutian words for car and arrow, which is the badge you – sort of – see on the bonnet of every Skoda. As to what its based on, well, you’ve got to go looking at Volkswagen Group.
Check out the Tiguan. Now look at the Seat Ateca (also a VW Group product) and now look at a Karoq. The same car, but different, according to which badge is on the front.
Put into context with the Yeti, Karoq is longer, wider and lower and a lot more sensible. Is it better? Well, much though the Yeti is still adored by its fans, yes, the Karoq is better.
Ergonomically, it’s more functional and in terms of its specification, it’s a lot more sophisticated. It’s actually more sophisticated than other Skoda’s in the brand’s range and under the bonnet, it’s cleaner, greener and more efficient, with engine downsizing being an ongoing drive on the part of the VW Group.
The hero engine is the 1.5 TSI turbocharged petrol engine which delivers 110kw @ 5000rpm and 250Nm of torque to push a 1929kg SUV around the place.
❝under the bonnet, it’s cleaner, greener and more efficient❞
What’s more, if the engine works out that you don’t need to be running all four cylinders to stay at your cruising speed, it shuts down two to save even more fuel. When you need the full noise of four cylinders, just put your foot down.
Alternatively, you could go for our pick, the two-litre turbocharged diesel with again 110kw, but at 3000rpm and an impressive 340Nm torque figure to power through the sevenspeed DSG auto transmission and 4x4 drivetrain.
The engine’s not as simply clever as the petrol, but for hassle free adventuring – especially in the snow – that 4x4 system is worth its weight in gold.
The Karoq is all about adventure touring for sure. Its capacious boot will swallow huge amounts of cargo and still give you plenty of in-cabin space for the whole family. That’s not an average 2.5 kids by the way, you can get three of ‘em on board.
They’ll likely make more noise than either the petrol or the diesel of the the Karoq, both of which are smooth and quiet enough to sneak up on a cat burglar.
Our drive found the Karoq to be not quite as surefooted as the Yeti, no doubt a situation derived from the larger physical size of the Karoq’s body, but then the Yeti didn’t have the levels of grown up sophistication the Karoq has to offer, and we suspect this is something the young urban family is going to appreciate.
Will we see Karoq’s blazing trails through wild and untamed gravel roads as the Yeti once did? Not so much in the models that we have available today. Boat ramps and skifields yes, but without the 4x4, the larger percentage of Karoqs will likely spend their time accessorised with bicycle racks, or roof rails to accommodate the toys for the destination as opposed to the fun found on the journey.
Of course, if a ‘’Scout” version of the Karoq should make its way here, that could be a different game entirely. Scout models from Skoda typically mean slightly hiked suspension and a few plastic panels to preserve the body sure, but they mostly paint the picture of a weekend fun warrior.
Even so, the Karoq is not going to be a disappointment on longer trips to the likes of Houhora or Hahei, or Gore to Greymouth.
Comfortable, smooth, and well specified with Skoda’s excellent infotainment systems and if anything, an even more practical and logical layout of in cabin controls, buttons and switches.
Could you drive a Karoq all day every day? Most assuredly yes, which effectively doubles the usefulness of the small Skoda, which can be the recreational ride for the weekends and the daily grinder for those annoying work days that interrupt the holiday times.
It is almost a shame that Skoda had to swallow its sensible pills, but there comes a time in any car maker’s history when the quirkiness that endeared early adopters to the brand must make way for the more conservative and safe designs that ensure robust sales.
Skoda has certainly taken that step, but in the long game, which is what we hope all our carmakers are looking to, it makes sense for the company’s continued survival.
Will the Kodiaq’s cub endear itself to the modern user chooser?
We can’t see why it shouldn’t: the engines are great, the styling is sharp, the appointment and build quality is Skoda superb (no pun reference to Skoda’s super saloon intended), the price is right and yes, there is still that desirability factor which is inherent in all Skodas.
Even if it could be said that the modern car is shying away from being overtly distinctive and trending towards conservatism in its appearance, Skoda will still have its point of difference from other brands.
The marque has built its reputation on individuality after all, and this could be considered one of the brand’s pillars. It’d be dumber than dirt to destroy that and ‘’dumb” is not something you could ever accuse Skoda of being.
This is, after all, the brand that is Simply Clever, and the Karoq is proof positive of that.