Skoda Karoq: Official Details Revealed

Skoda has released the official details of their new SUV, the Karoq, which will replace the familiar Yeti across the world. The Karoq is an all-new vehicle designed in tune with Skoda’s new dynamic design philosophy and resembles its elder sibling, the Kodiaq. The term 'Karoq', whose origin lies in the combination of terms 'KAA'RAQ (car) and 'RUQ' (arrow), is derived from the language of Alaska's indigenous people.  

Gone are the crossover dimensions of the Yeti -- the Karoq looks like a proper compact SUV, measuring 4282mm in length, 1841mm in width, 1605mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2638mm. Skoda ensures this long wheelbase translates into 78mm of legroom and 521 litres of luggage capacity, with the rear seats up. With the seats folded it can hold up to 1630 litres of luggage and with it removed, the capacity extends to 1810 litres. 

The Karoq will get an all-digital instrument panel, for the first time in a Skoda, and the same can be customized according to the driver’s individual needs. Skoda is also offering optional full-LED lamps and ambient lighting feature with its new offering. The Karoq will also get Skoda’s new state-of-the-art touchscreen infotainment unit which supports various connectivity options such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. Other notable inclusions are the Wi-Fi hotspot facility and wireless-inductive charging feature. 

Skoda is offering the Karoq with various driving assist functions such as parking assistant, lane assist and traffic-jam assistant. Blind spot detection, front assist with predictive pedestrian protection and emergency assistant serve to increase safety while on the road. The Karoq comes with rated towing capacity of up to two tonnes and gets trailer assist, which helps in manoeuvring the trailer while reversing. 

Skoda will introduce four new engines with the Karoq and will be offered with five engine options - two petrol and three diesel. All the engines offered will be turbocharged in the capacity of 1.0, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0 litres, with the power output ranging from 116PS to 193PS. All the motors will feature start-stop technology and brake energy recovery feature to enhance fuel efficiency. All engines except the range-topping 2.0-litre TDI diesel can be had with a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The 2.0-litre TDI engine (193PS) on the other hand, comes standard with a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The 1.5-litre TSI motor will be the only motor to feature cylinder-deactivation technology out of the lot. Skoda is also offering various driving modes with the Karoq - Normal, Sport, Eco, Individual and Snow (on 4x4 variants). The off-road mode with all-wheel-drive improves the driving characteristics on rough terrain. 

Based on Skoda's 2025 campaign on expanding its model range further with focus on SUVs, the Karoq joins the carmaker’s first large SUV, the Kodiaq. The Karoq will be unveiled on May 18, 2017, in Sweden and the market launch for Europe is set for the second half of 2017. We expect the Karoq to make it to our shores by early 2018 and take on its rivals, the Hyundai Tucson and the Honda CR-V. 

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