A family car with attitude and an array of creature comforts
The powerful Skoda Karoq Sportline boasts great handling, writes EDWARD STEPHENS
THE appeal of an SUV tends to be in the space it can offer alongside its height and good all round visibility. But Skoda has decided to pep things up a little – well more than a little – with the newest Sportline model in its Karoq SUV range.
Originally the Sportline Karoq boasted a 150bhp, 2.0-litre engine but now the Czech car maker has decided to add a bigger brother boasting 190 bhp and a top speed of more than 130 miles per hour.
So while the Karoq is a spacious family car the latest Sportline version, at just under £32,000, is a family car with attitude.
Despite the extra weight that comes with a four-wheel-drive model this Sportline will propel you to 62mph in just 7.0 seconds.
And with its exclusive 19-inch anthracite Vega alloys, sports bumpers, sports seats and heavily tinted privacy glass it boasts the sort of dynamic look that puts other Karoq models in the shade.
A smart interior with aluminium pedals, discreet ambient lighting with a choice of 10 colours and easy to read dials all add to this car’s appeal.
The engine is mated to a sevenspeed DSG gearbox offering the choice of Normal or Sports drive as well as paddles behind the steering wheel for when you want to take even more control by changing gear manually.
It has to be said, however, that with the boost in performance comes a boost in engine noise which will be acceptable by some drivers but perhaps not others.
That apart the Karoq Sportline is a great drive. The suspension is on the firm side so you get impressive road holding and cornering but at the same time it’s incredibly comfortable thanks in part to the new three-ply air-permeable Thermoflux fabric used on the seats, which is particularly good in summer.
And like other models in the range you have a choice of driving modes which can be changed instantly on the central touchscreen from Eco, to Normal or even Sport.
A switch close to the gear shift also allows you to call up the off-road mode for when the going gets tough.
As the flagship of the Karoq range – along with the Scout model – the Sportline boasts a wide range of standard features which makes it easy to live with.
For starters there’s a huge panoramic glass sunroof, heated front seats, powered tailgate, reversing camera and Amundsen satellite navigation with an eightinch touchscreen.
But in addition to that there are a host of smaller, typically Skoda features which help you warm to the car, like the rail in the luggage area with hooks for the handles of carrier bags so your shopping doesn’t roll around, a clip on the inside of the windscreen so your parking ticket doesn’t blow away when you close the door, an umbrella under the front passenger seat and a boot mat which is reversible, with carpet on one side and rubber on the other for when you have muddy wellies or a wet dog.
And in a nice little touch of theatre the word Skoda is projected onto the floor when you open either of the two front doors after dark.
The Sportline is obviously a model the company is proud to have in its line-up and wants to tell everyone it’s a Skoda.
FAST FACTS