If you want a well-built small SUV with plenty of space, the
Skoda Karoq is well worth a look. Just don’t expect to be wowed by how
it looks or the way it goes around corners.
 |
| Skoda Karoq |
Skoda Karoq interior
The Karoq’s cabin might not be particularly exciting to look
at but it feels sturdy and all models get a slick 8-inch touchscreen
infotainment system as standard
 |
| Skoda Karoq |
The Skoda Karoq’s interior is logically laid out, solidly built and packed with useful features.
Expensive-feeling soft-touch plastics are used for the top half of
the dashboard and the doors, and although the lower half of the
dashboard’s plastics aren’t soft they don’t look cheap.
The large glovebox lid feels robust and opens with a damped action,
you get flashes of chrome and reasonable looking trim pieces that
brighten up the interior. The only black mark in terms of quality is the
cheap-looking plastic used for the lower half of the doors.
Even entry-level cars get an 8-inch colour touchscreen with clear
graphics which does wonders for adding a bit of a high-tech air to the
Karoq’s cabin.
SE models have chrome door handles and chrome surrounds for the air
vents that give them a classier look than a Nissan Qashqai. The Karoq
comes with attractive dark cloth upholstery that should hide bad stains
very well. SE L models are worth considering though because they come
with suede-effect upholstery that looks and feels expensive.
In fact, it’s nicer than the leather you get in Edition models,
although the latter should be a lot easier to keep clean. Edition models
also get lights that illuminate the sides of the car at night – so you
don’t hop out into puddles – and ambient lighting that makes the
interior look prettier at night.
If you fancy something a bit sportier, there’s also the aptly named
Sportline model. These versions come with more supportive front seats
with some contrasting silver trim, a set of aluminium pedals and a
posher leather-trimmed steering wheel.
Infotainment
 |
| 2020 Skoda Karoq |
Even entry-level SE Karoqs come with an 8-inch touchscreen that’s smart looking and easy to use.
It’s actually slightly easier to operate than the upgraded system
because it has a couple of large knobs for volume and scrolling in and
out of maps. Sat-nav doesn’t come as standard, but you do get Android
Auto, Apple CarPlay and Smartlink so you can use the navigation apps on
your compatible smartphone via the Karoq’s big screen. It’s such a good
system that you’ll not miss having integrated sat-nav and it also makes
it easier to access your phone’s contact list and play music.
Mid-range SE L models’ infotainment screens look exactly the same but
do come with Skoda’s own sat-nav system. Its graphics are slightly more
detailed than the ones you get when you use your phone, but your
phone’s sat-nav is better because it can route around congestion.
Edition models are the only ones to come with a 9.2-inch sat-nav
screen that has a faster processor – although loading times are quick
enough on the other systems – and a higher resolution display.
Its touch controls – for volume and map scrolling – are trickier to
operate when you’re trying to concentrate on driving, but on the plus
side, they give the system a pretty, glassy appearance that looks a fair
bit posher than the cheaper screens. It also gets gesture control – so
you can wave your hand to scroll through menus, but its unresponsiveness
means it isn’t worth the extra cash.
Overall verdict
The Skoda
Karoq is a small SUV with a very practical cabin and plenty of
equipment as standard. It’s comfortable to drive, too, but it doesn’t
look or feel quite as fun as many more stylish alternatives. It’s a
pragmatic, straight-to-the-point fish finger of a family SUV in a world
of fancy goujons.
That being said, if you want a roomy small SUV
with a raised driving position and a solid-feeling interior, the Skoda
Karoq makes an excellent choice. As an added bonus, it comes with loads
of clever features that’ll make it dead easy to live with.
The Skoda Karoq isn’t a car to shout about all its clever kit, though
– it certainly doesn’t look as flashy as the sportier Hyundai Tucson
and Kia Sportage. You do get some cool two-piece headlights like on the
larger Kodiaq and the Karoq’s raised ride height means it’ll still tower
over most conventional family hatchbacks in the school car park.
Step inside, and the Skoda’s sensible, staid theme continues – garish
colours and oddly placed buttons just aren’t Skoda’s style. While this
might mean the Karoq’s cabin isn’t particularly memorable, it does mean
everything’s a doddle to navigate and use – including the standard
8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
You’ll be sitting comfortably while you fiddle with the Skoda’s
built-in gizmos, too. Every model comes with height-adjustable front
seats to help you get settled and there’s absolutely loads of space for
tall adults to stretch out.
The Skoda Karoq’s sliding rear seats and wide cabin mean three adults
won’t feel like tinned sardines in the back and the boot’s roomy enough
to carry everything you need for a family week away. It’s dead easy to
load and you can even remove the back seats in high-spec cars to carry
some seriously bulky loads, just like in a van.
That said, the Skoda Karoq drives much better than any van ever will.
Entry-level SE models have comfy suspension that only jars over sharp
bumps and the cabin is quiet at a cruise – save for a little bit of wind
noise coming from the door mirrors.
You won’t notice any of this around town, but the slightly jerky
automatic gearbox will make its presence felt at slow speeds. Stick to
the standard six-speed manual and one of the Skoda Karoq’s smaller
petrol engines though, and it feels right at home nipping to the shops
or pottering around town.
If motorway journeys are more your thing, a diesel will be more
economical and you’ll want to consider the optional adaptive cruise
control upgrade to give your leg a bit of a rest on long drives.
Luckily, the Skoda Karoq comes with plenty of other driver assistance
features as standard to help keep you safe – including automatic
emergency braking.
All this makes the sensible Skoda Karoq one of the safest and most practical small family cars on sale
0 Comments
Post a Comment