Skoda Karoq review

Have you noticed how Skoda names its SUVs with the same first and last letters to group them into a family? As part of that theme, we’ve got the Skoda Karoq – which sits between the Kamiq and the Kodiaq in the Czech brand’s line-up.

The Karoq is Skoda’s family SUV so it's in the same class as the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai. On the outside, it looks every inch the modern Skoda, but under the skin it shares an awful lot of mechanicals with the Seat Ateca and VW Tiguan – both of which are made by brands that, like Skoda, are part of the VW Group.

To make sure the Karoq doesn’t tread on any of its cousins' toes, it’s slightly smaller than the Tiguan, and is designed to be less sporty but more comfortable and practical than the Ateca, creating its own unique identity and place in the world.

The Karoq has been kept up to date since its launch, with slimmer LED headlights and tail-lights, a more aerodynamic bodykit and increased safety tech appearing over time.

Is that enough to keep it competitive with the best family SUVs? Read on to find out how we rate the Skoda Karoq in all the important areas...

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The Skoda Karoq's entry-level 1.0 TSI 116 petrol engine has decent low-rev shove and is fine if you spend most of your time in town. Even so, we’d go for the more powerful 148bhp 1.5 TSI 150 because it’s more responsive and has greater low-rev urgency, officially sprinting from 0-62mph in just under 9.0 seconds.

At the top of the range is the 2.0 TSI 190 petrol, which gets four-wheel drive and is available only in Sportline trim. It's easily the fastest Karoq, with 0-62mph taking just 7.0 seconds, but it's rather pricey compared with our favourite Karoq.

If you want a diesel, the 2.0 TDI 150 is your only option. Like the most powerful petrol engine, it comes with four-wheel drive and it gives you plenty of oomph at low revs and up to motorway speeds. Indeed, its official 0-62mph of 8.7 seconds makes it the second fastest Karoq in the range.

The Karoq comes up trumps when it comes to smoothing the harsh edges off ruts and bumps around town. The ride gets even better on motorways, making it a soothing companion on long journeys. 

Like the similarly plush Kia Sportage it upstages the firmer-riding Seat Ateca and the bouncier Peugeot 3008 for comfort. Granted, the Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40 are comfier still, but they also have much bigger price tags.

The TSI 150 and 190, and the TDI 150 are available with the optional Performance Package, which introduces Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC). That allows you to stiffen or soften the suspension depending on whether you’re cruising or cornering hard. It makes the Karoq even more cushioned in Comfort mode, but the car rides so well without DCC that we don’t feel it’s worth the extra cost.

The Karoq sits on the same underpinnings as the Ateca and the VW Tiguan but Skoda has clearly worked hard to give it its own character, and it falls squarely between comfort and sportiness. There's more body roll in corners than in the driver-focused Ateca, but the Karoq is just as agile as the longer, heavier Tiguan.

Compared with the Sportage and the Ateca its steering is rather light, but it has a fine level of accuracy that lets you glide from corner to corner with ease. With plenty of grip at your disposal, you won’t lack any confidence as you do so. 

Despite some versions getting four-wheel drive, don’t expect the Karoq to be a cheap alternative to a strong off-roader like the Land Rover Defender. Indeed, while it might help you get across a muddy field, that’s about the extent of its abilities.

Let’s start with the engines and gearboxes. The diesel is a bit grumbly under hard acceleration, while the 1.0-litre petrol thrums away noticeably, although not unpleasantly, if you give it some stick. We’d say that the 1.5 petrol engine is the smoothest, but even that engine shouts fairly loudly when you push on.

On balance, we’d say the 1.5 petrol engine offers the smoothest progress of all, although even that shouts quite loudly when you put it under pressure. None of the Karoq's rivals are significantly better though – unless you start considering near-silent all-electric alternatives such as the MG ZS EV and Kia Niro EV.

The manual gearbox is light and easy to use, as is the clutch. If you opt for one of the automatic models, you'll find that they change gear smoothly but can be a bit jerky when pulling away from a standstill – a bit of a nuisance when parking or in stop-start traffic.

The Karoq does generate more suspension noise than the Ateca and Tiguan, even though they're very similar mechanically. There's a background boom as it deals with bumps in the road, as well as a little more tyre and wind noise. Mind you, none of this is extreme enough to really nark you. For those with particularly sensitive ears, the Mazda CX-30 is a quieter companion.

“You can add extra weight to the steering on most models, just not on the entry-level car. I found that a shame, because the Kia Sportage’s steering has a little more heft, which boosts confidence.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

You shouldn't have any problems getting comfortable in the Skoda Karoq, whatever your size or shape. All versions have front seat height and lumbar adjustment, plus there's plenty of up-and-down and in-and-out steering wheel movement.

You’ll also enjoy good seat support and a relatively high driving position – although the Karoq is no skyscraping Range Rover. Even so, you sit appreciably higher up than you do in the Mazda CX-30 let alone in conventional family hatchbacks.

Life is made easier still by well-sited, sensibly grouped buttons and switches on the dashboard, and the crisp digital instrument cluster. We like the wealth of information and the level of customisation the 10.25in Virtual Cockpit allows, including showing a full screen map.

The Karoq is one of the easiest family SUVs to see out of because it combines a raised driving position with narrow windscreen pillars and big side windows. Pulling out of T-junctions, manoeuvring around multi-storey car parks and changing lanes on a motorway are a breeze.

It also scores much better than the Kia Sportage, the Peugeot 3008 and the Vauxhall Grandland when it comes to over-the-shoulder vision. That’s thanks to its relatively slim rear pillars – a rare treat these days.

As a back-up, all models have rear parking sensors, with SE L models and above gaining front sensors and a rear-view camera (which are also available as part of a fairly expensive Parking Package on entry-level SE Drive models). All models get LED headlights for better visibility at night.

Regardless of trim level, the Karoq comes with an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen as standard. It gives you clear graphics, has a simple operating system, and is, quite frankly, up there with the best in class.

It’s packed with features too, including sat-nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay (so you can use your smartphone apps on the screen) as standard, along with two USB-C ports in the front centre console.

A bigger 9.2in Columbus touchscreen is available as an expensive option on SE L and SportLine models. While the screen resolution is impressive and the larger size makes it easier to hit the on-screen buttons, we’re not sure it’s worth the extra cash.

The Karoq's design team – determined to ensure that it has a distinct Skoda brand identity – has come up with an interior look that is surprisingly far removed from those of the Seat Ateca and VW Tiguan.

Its modern-looking dashboard borrows styling cues from the bigger Skoda Kodiaq and a few metal-effect and piano-black trims add a touch of class to finish it off. You’ll find plenty of squishy surfaces on top of the dashboard and doors, and even the harder materials lower down are textured so they don't feel cheap.

It's not just the finish that’s good – everything feels solidly screwed together, suggesting that the Karoq will easily shrug off the rigours of family life. That said, it doesn’t have the visual wow factor of the Peugeot 3008 inside or the sense of premium luxury the Mazda CX-30 imparts.

“The Karoq is virtually the same as the premium Q3 in terms of interior build quality. That surprised me, given the price difference.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

It’s unlikely that anyone will get into the front of the Skoda Karoq and start grumbling about a lack of space. It’s possible to slide the seats back a good amount to accommodate long legs, while those tall in the body will find the seat drops low enough to give plenty of head room.

The only caveat (and it’s a slight one) is that the panoramic sunroof (standard on Sportline and optional on lesser trims) nabs a bit of ceiling height.

There are lots of storage spaces dotted around, including big door bins and cubbies around the central dashboard area.

The Karoq has large rear door openings that make fitting a child seat relatively painless. There’s plenty of leg room for adults, so even six-footers won’t find their knees pressed up against the front seatbacks. If you require even more leg room, take a look at the limo-like Kia Sportage. 

Head room is excellent too. The Karoq's ceiling is higher than in the Nissan Qashqai and similar to that of the Sportage and VW Tiguan. As in the front, the panoramic roof fitted to some versions does reduce head room a little, but not by enough to bother six-footers.

What about carrying three in the rear seats? Well, there’s a high central floor hump to clamber over and, once in place, the middle passenger will feel a little squished. We wouldn’t recommend a long trip with three adults sitting in the back. Again, the Sportage is better in this respect thanks to its wider interior.

This is an area where the Karoq wipes the floor with its rivals – even closely related ones such as the Seat Ateca.

That is, providing you go for the SE and SE L’s optional VarioFlex seats, which do all sorts of clever things. For a start, the seatbacks are split fairly evenly into three separate sections rather than the usual 60/40. That offers much more flexibility if you want to carry long loads as well as passengers.

That’s not all – the seats also recline, and slide back and forth independently. You can even remove all three rear seats from the car, freeing up more space (the only trouble is that they're rather bulky and heavy). Without VarioFlex seats, the rear bench is split 60/40 and the sections don’t slide or recline, unlike with the Sportage's 40/20/40 split bench.

The Karoq’s boot gives you 521 litres of space, or up to 588 litres in versions with VarioFlex seats. That's one of the biggest storage volumes in the family SUV class.

The closely related Ateca managed to swallow eight carry-on suitcases below its parcel shelf, while the Karoq opened wide and gulped down nine. It's worth noting, though, that four-wheel drive models have a slightly smaller boot.

You can add a height-adjustable boot floor as an option, allowing you to create a flat extended load bay, removing the otherwise sizeable step up to the backs of the rear seats. Handily, all Karoqs have a range of hooks, trays and other clever features that should stop your shopping sloshing around the boot when you’re driving home from the supermarket.

“Unlike the Audi Q3, the Karoq’s rear seats don’t slide, but it still had enough space for a couple of my rugby-playing friends to sit in comfort.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

In entry-level form, the Skoda Karoq costs slightly more than the entry-level Seat Ateca, around the same as the Kia Sportage and less than the Nissan Qashqai and VW Tiguan. It’s worth noting that the Karoq is predicted to depreciate faster than most of those rivals, though, so you’ll want to get the best price through our Skoda deals pages. 

Officially, the entry-level 1.0 TSI 116 can manage up to 48mpg and, surprisingly, the 2.0-litre diesel isn’t that much more efficient, making it harder to recommend given that it also costs more. Entry-level versions of the Sportage and Qashqai promise around 44mpg, but they both have hybrid engine options, which are much better if efficiency is important.

Company car drivers looking to minimise their benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax payments will be better off with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Sportage or a fully electric car like the Kia Niro EV or MG ZS EV.

The Karoq's SE Drive trim is generously equipped, with 17in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, automatic wipers, privacy glass, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and cruise control. Indeed, it’s highly recommendable if you’re on a budget, especially if you add the optional VarioFlex rear seats.

If you can, we’d spend a bit more and go for the mid-spec SE L trim. That trim adds a couple of extra niceties, including 18in wheels, heated front seats and steering wheel, heated windscreen washers, keyless entry and start, and extra parking aids. 

Top-spec Sportline trim, meanwhile, adds 19in wheels, sports front seats, matrix LED headlights, an electrically-operated boot lid and bespoke styling. It costs a fair bit more though, and comes with the head room-limiting panoramic roof.

The Karoq had mixed results in the family SUV class of our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey. The petrol versions performed well, placing in the top third, but the diesel came bottom out of 34 models. 

As a brand, Skoda claimed 16th place out of 32 car makers, putting it above Ford, Seat, Nissan, Peugeot and VW, but below Kia in eighth place.

You get a par-for-the-course three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, which you can extend up to five years or 100,000 miles for a reasonable fee. Hyundai and Kia match or beat that extended warranty time period as standard.

When it was tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP the Karoq scored the full five stars. The thing is, that was back in 2017 and the rating has since expired. 

Even so, while the tests have become more stringent since then, the Karoq should still be a very safe car. It comes with plenty of standard safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), a drowsiness monitor, lane assist and traffic-sign assist. 

If you go for SE L or Sportline trim, you can also add the Travel Assist package option, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist with traffic jam assist and emergency braking for adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring is reserved for the Sportline’s optional Travel Assist Plus package.

“The Karoq’s option list is far more extensive than for the Kia Sportage or Vauxhall Grandland. I found that while that makes it easier to get precisely what you want, it all can be a bit confusing.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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