The Czech carmaker will unveil its new Karoq SUV this May. The car comes with advanced driver assistance technology and four new turbocharged engines. The new car ditches the unique exterior shape of its predecessor, the Yeti, to look more like a conventional SUV. The Karoq shares many features with the larger Kodiaq, which it sits below in Skoda’s line-up.
The Karoq can seat five passengers and its boot can hold 521 litres or 1,630 litres with the back seats folded down. Built on VW’s MQB platform, the Karoq comes with a choice of five turbocharged engines, four of which are new to Skoda. The new petrol engines include an entry-level 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder and a 1.5-litre TSI. There’s a new diesel 1.6-litre TDI and a new 2.0-litre TDI and these new Skoda units are joined by a familiar 2.0-litre TDI. The Karoq will come with two- and four-wheel-drive guises and with a choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. This car will also feature Skoda’s Drive Mode Select system, which allows you to tweak the car’s drivetrain with modes such as Normal, Sport, Eco, Individual and Snow.
There’s radar-based adaptive cruise control, blind spot detect and front assist, which includes automatic city braking with a pedestrian braking system. There’s also hill hold control and emergency assistance. This car also features gesture control for certain functions, wireless phone charging, as well as a mobile online connection that works with the infotainment. In top spec, the infotainment system has a screen of up to 9.2-inch and three other displays, including a new digital instrument cluster that makes its debut in a Skoda. There is no news on whether the Skoda Karoq will come to India but the company is readying its new flagship SUV, the Kodiaq, for launch in India.