Here's the new Skoda Karoq in 3 key points

The latest creation from Skoda is here: the Karoq, a new compact SUV that arrives to replace the veteran Yeti.

The new Karoq is ready to take on the fiercely contested compact SUV segment, where it will compete with rivals such as the SEAT Ateca or the Nissan Qashqai.

The Skoda Karoq immediately becomes one of the most important products in the Czech brand’s lineup, which has recently focused its efforts on launching SUV models, as demonstrated by the arrival, just a few months ago, of its bigger sibling, the Skoda Kodiaq.

The new Karoq is a sort of “Kodiaq on a smaller scale”, and it shares numerous components with it. While the Kodiaq stands out with a length closer to 5 metres and a clearly family-oriented, road-trip-ready approach, with the option of 7 seats (a first for a Skoda to date), the Karoq focuses on versatility and compactness.

A distinctive and versatile design

The figures speak for themselves: the Skoda Karoq measures 4.38 metres in length, placing it in line with the SEAT Ateca and VW Tiguan. Its design is more distinctive, logically giving it a family resemblance. The powerful front end stands out most, where the tradition of splitting the light clusters continues in a very similar way to the Kodiaq.

All the body lines are, as on any modern Skoda, very pronounced, leading to a muscular rear end with LED rear lights and a boomerang-shaped light signature, similar to that of the Kodiaq. The side profile is possibly the area that bears the closest resemblance to the Ateca.

High-quality interior with new solutions

The Karoq’s interior design is once again similar to that of the Kodiaq, from which it borrows its basic structure, with the infotainment system at the top, flanked by two central air vents. Build quality will again be high, with neat finishing touches and a variety of aesthetic solutions.

The Karoq has the honour of introducing digital instrumentation within the Czech brand, leaving SEAT as the only brand in the group still without this system, which will change in a few months with the arrival of this innovation on the León and Ateca at the end of the year.

The cabin offers a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere, aided by Simply Clever solutions, the brand’s trademark, among which the VarioFlex rear seat system stands out, with 3 seats that slide individually along their rails. This gives access to a boot with a capacity ranging between 479 and 588 litres.

A complete range of engines and assistance systems

The engine range of the new Skoda Karoq is practically identical to that of the SEAT Ateca, starting with the entry-level 1.0 TSI petrol engine producing 115 CV. Above it, the biggest novelty is the 1.5 TSI EVO with 150 CV, replacing the 1.4 TSI COD with 150 CV fitted to the Ateca.

In diesel, the entry engine is the 1.6 TDI with 116 CV, while one step up is the 2.0 TDI, available in two power levels: 150 and 190 CV. Manual 6-speed gearboxes and 7-speed DSG automatics are available, as is all-wheel drive for the 1.5 TSI and 2.0 TDI engines.

As for driver assistance, the Karoq offers the full battery of electronic systems at the driver’s service, among which the semi-autonomous Traffic Jam Assist stands out. In traffic jams, it can control braking, acceleration and steering, as long as speeds don’t exceed 60 km/h.

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverSkoda Karoq15 versions · from 34,900 €