My time with the Skoda Karoq is coming to an end and I will be very sad to see it go. But why have I become so fond of it? Was it because it was the press car I’ve lived with? No. In fact, it’s just been brilliant at everything and anything.
The Karoq will not set the heart of any motoring enthusiasts alight, nor will it turn heads. More so, people won’t notice it, but that’s what makes it so great.
This car was not designed to entertain, its purpose is to provide as much practicality as possible, while getting you to your destination in comfort and safety and the Karoq delivers that in spades.
Its nifty little design cues and features such as the parking ticket holder and famous Skoda ice scraper in the fuel cap that really show that this car has been thoroughly thought through. Its little door bin with a bag and clever elastic door strings to hold bigger water bottles in place just make the car a thoroughly enjoyable experience in terms of ease.
Boot space is cavernous and there are plenty of tethering hooks and storage nets to keep bags and shopping in place, and there is even an umbrella underneath the front passenger seat.
The back seats slide forwards and backwards to increase the already impressive luggage capacity or improve legroom for rear seat passengers. There are picnic tables with slide out cup holders and mobile phone holders – as though everything has been put there to cater for your needs. The back seats also recline and they fold down and can be removed entirely – very similarly to how the car it replaced, the Yeti, did all its tricks.
The engine is perfectly powerful enough and is very quiet at speeds making it very relaxing to travel on the motorway, plus averaging 53mpg on trips was pretty impressive for a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol with an automatic gearbox.
Reliability wise, nothing has broken or fallen off and the build quality is second to none with everything feeling solid and of high quality.
Underneath its skin, the Karoq sits on the Volkswagen Group MQB platform, meaning it’s similar to a number of cars. The Karoq has been exceptional when it comes to long-distance journeys. The suspension does a great job of soaking up all the lumps and bumps and it’s very refined and quiet at speeds. The steering is nice and light and it goes around corners without much fuss, even if it is a little vague.
My only gripe is with the optional DSG automatic gearbox which has a tendency to change down a gear when on steep declines, meaning the engine screams at you. Plus, with the touch of the throttle, the transmission kicks down a couple of gears as you lurch out of your seat.
The interior of our Karoq had the optional cream leather, and although it looked classy from afar, up close, dirt would stick to the seats very easily, with interior shampoo having to be frequently used to remove any marks that would appear. The seats were extremely comfortable and great on long trips. Storage inside the Karoq has been plentiful with a large centre console, decent sized glovebox with a pen holder, and a handy storage compartment located on the dashboard is a nice touch. There is a little drawer located next to the steering wheel and the wheel itself is lovely to hold with a nice design and it’s heated, too.
Overall, for my time in this car, I think the Karoq has been a superb (no pun intended) all rounder. Yes, it may not excite and have the pizzazz but as a vehicle, the Karoq really is a truly brilliant car that I will miss greatly.
As a car enthusiast, you tend to bypass the practicality and comfort side and just focus on the driving experience. But with the Karoq, it’s made me think again about what the average person looks for in a car. For a daily commuter and family wagon, this is an almost complete package.
- Model: Skoda Karoq SE L
- Price as tested: £38,955
- Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol
- Power: 148bhp
- Torque: 250Nm
- 0-60mph: 8.8 seconds
- Top speed: 130mph
- MPG: 53mpg (combined)
- Emissions: 140-144g/km
- Mileage: 8,317 miles
