SUV range from Skoda: Karoq and Kodiaq, cars for every terrain

Each in its own size and price category, the Skoda Karoq and the Skoda Kodiaq are two of the best buys in the increasingly competitive SUV segment. Here are their strengths.

Things are going well at Skoda. During the presentation of the current SUV range, with the Skoda Karoq already taking the place of the Yeti – the brand’s first SUV back in 2008 – and the successful Skoda Kodiaq having become a benchmark among large seven-seat SUVs, we were able to learn some important figures about a brand founded in 1895 that has achieved its best results in its history this year.

Without going into too much detail: Skoda sold more than 1.2 million vehicles worldwide last year, growing by 6.6 percent. And so far in 2018, growth is even greater: 12 percent. As you can imagine, this is largely thanks to the new SUVs, the Skoda Karoq and the Skoda Kodiaq, whose combined sales already account for 18 percent of the brand. The Skoda Octavia remains the best-selling model, with 34 percent of the total. But at the pace SUVs are growing, and with Skoda’s future plans that we’ll tell you about at the end, this won’t last long.

While we start with the most interesting models one by one, here is a video in which Skoda demonstrates that its SUVs are indeed made for leaving the asphalt, should the customer wish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TH9LfPkHZ4&feature=youtu.be

Skoda Karoq: a versatile SUV

The Skoda Karoq was the second to arrive, but it should be first on your shopping list if you’re looking for an SUV for every use as an alternative to a saloon or an estate, and you don’t need seven seats. We have tested it with both the 150 hp 1.5 TSI engine and the 115 hp 1.6 TDI with DSG gearbox, in 4×2 versions with road tyres. And we can assure you that all-wheel drive isn’t necessary to drive safely on tracks and country roads, even with the occasional ditch, more mud than expected and plenty of loose stones.

On the road, which is the main thing – for off-road use you can always choose the 4×4 versions or fit all-terrain tyres – the Skoda Karoq feels very composed and secure, is comfortable on long journeys and, for a car of its size, is manoeuvrable, easy to drive and easy to park, something that cannot be said of every SUV.

Practicality is another strong point of the Skoda Karoq, especially when combined with the versatility of the VarioFlex system of individual rear seats, which fold and can be removed. This way, not only can the interior be configured to suit passenger and luggage transport needs, but it’s also possible to reach a boot capacity of 1,810 litres with the seats removed. Features we previously only had in MPVs are now also available in an SUV like the Skoda Karoq. This is not common among its rivals, which is an additional advantage for the Karoq, which also scores highly when we consider the quality of the finish, the fit and the materials used. In terms of driving aids and connectivity, it lacks absolutely nothing its rivals have, even from higher segments.

After seeing that customers wanted the two top trim options, Skoda has decided to remove the Active versions from the range, and the “basic” Skoda Karoq now comes from the Ambition trim, with 17″ alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, rear camera and a multimedia system with an 8″ screen and SmartLink. It accounts for 60 percent of sales, compared with 40 percent for the Style versions, which for 2,900 euros add 18-inch wheels, keyless entry, an electric tailgate with sensor, LED headlights, navigation, mixed fabric and leather upholstery and driving mode selection.

So you can get a Skoda Karoq Ambition 1.0 TSI with 115 hp from 18,900 euros, with the 5,310 euro discount applied by the brand. A very recommendable option given how well this 3-cylinder engine performs, which you can also combine – I recommend it – with the DSG gearbox. Of course, the best version in the range is the 1.5 TSI with 150 hp and cylinder deactivation, capable of very low consumption, but much smoother than the two TDIs. With the DSG gearbox, you can get it for 23,300 euros (it has a 4,370 euro discount), and for us it is the best buy in the Skoda Karoq range. If you want 4×4 traction, you can combine it with this same engine, or with the 150 hp 2.0 TDI.

Skoda Kodiaq: now also Sportline and Scout

Until the arrival of the Karoq, the SUV option at Skoda was the Kodiaq, coexisting with the Yeti during its last months on the market. Here, we are already dealing with a large SUV (4.7 metres long, compared with the Karoq’s 4.38), with the option of 5 or 7 seats and the best boot on the market, 720 litres. Alternatives below it existed from other brands if you didn’t need a third row of seats or such a large SUV. And the Kodiaq had no direct rivals until the recent arrival of its “cousin”, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

The fact is that 60 percent of Kodiaq buyers have opted for the 7-seater (let’s remember, there was no Karoq; from now on this figure may be even higher), with 75 percent of customers choosing DSG versions, 60 percent choosing 4×4 traction, and a predominance of top trims. Given this, and seeing that Kodiaq customers “aim high”, Skoda has decided to expand the range with two interesting versions that sit above the top Style trim.

Under the name SportLine, you get a sporty Kodiaq which for 4,000 euros adds to the already complete Style trim 19-inch wheels, the SportLine exterior and interior styling package, fantastic electric heated Alcantara sport seats that many sports coupés would envy in design and in how they hold the body, and LED ambient lighting. All Skoda Kodiaq SportLine models are paired with DSG versions and steering-wheel paddles. For example, you can get a Kodiaq 1.4 TSI 150 hp DSG SportLine from 30,600 euros including discounts. No other SUV in this category reaches that level. You can also choose between the 2.0 TDI engine in 150 hp or 190 hp versions, and the 180 hp 2.0 TSI.

And although the SportLine trim doesn’t lower the body height or limit the Kodiaq’s off-road capabilities, those who want more of an off-roader can opt for the Skoda Kodiaq Scout, which has a more off-road focus. Here, the price is 5,900 euros above the Style trim, including 19-inch wheels, heated Alcantara seats, seven seats as standard, the highest-spec navigation in the range, LED ambient lighting and the chrome package with roof bars.

The design of the bumpers slightly improves the approach and departure angles, and the ground clearance is 194 mm. All Kodiaq Scouts include 4×4 traction. With the 150 hp 1.4 TSI engine and manual gearbox, the Skoda Kodiaq Scout has a discounted price from 32,500 euros, and it can be chosen with the same engines as the SportLine. Our favourite here is the 190 hp 2.0 TDI.

Skoda’s future models up to 2025

Among Skoda’s future plans, of course, we find more SUVs and electrified cars. Up to 10 new electrified models by 2025, including 100% electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Skoda’s first electric car will be a city car, the battery-powered version of the Citigo, which will arrive in 2019. Although electrification will begin earlier, with the arrival of the Skoda Superb plug-in hybrid.

Skoda Vision X

That same year, 2019, the third SUV will join the Skoda range, the production version derived from the prototype shown at the Geneva Motor Show, the Skoda Vision X. It will sit below the Karoq in size, as a rival to the Seat Arona, Renault Captur, Hyundai Kona or Peugeot 3008. And it would be a pleasant surprise if Skoda also decided to put a hybrid propulsion system into production, with the 1.5 TSI engine prepared to run on CNG – another of the Czech brand’s bets, which we will see integrated into the petrol versions across almost all ranges – and the electric motor on the rear axle that the prototype has.

And in 2020 it will be the turn of the fourth Skoda SUV, derived from the Vision E prototype presented at the Shanghai Motor Show. At 4.60 metres long, and based on the new electric car platform of the Volkswagen Group, it will be a 100% electric SUV, will have a range of 500 km, and will arrive prepared for level 3 autonomous driving, with the piloted driving technology debuted in the new Audi A8.

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

Off-RoadSkoda Kodiaq16 versions · from 46,800 €

CrossoverSkoda Karoq15 versions · from 34,900 €