Skoda Karoq unveiled

Skoda revealed its compact SUV in Stockholm today. Called Karoq, the name originates from Alaska’s native language, Alutiiq. Skoda had revealed a teaser sometime back, revealing the front of the car and as we had expected, it is clearly based on the Kodiaq’s design theme. Replacing the Yeti, the Karoq is based on Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, which will also be shared with the upcoming Volkswagen Tiguan.

We have discussed the design elements of the Karoq earlier but Skoda has revealed the powertrain details yesterday. The Karoq gets five engine options to choose from – two petrols and three diesels out of which, four are completely new. Petrols include a 1-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 114bhp and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged unit making 148bhp and is able to do 100kmph in 8.4 seconds. Diesel engines include a tried and tested 2-litre unit already doing duty in the Skodas. The top of the line 2-litre diesel makes 189bhp and comes with AWD as standard. It also gets a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The diesel range starts with the 1.6-litre diesel though and the new engine makes 114bhp. From Ambition trim upwards, the Karoq gets driving mode selector as well that lets you choose between Normal, Sport, Exo, Individual and Snow. There is also an Off-Road mode with AWD for the rough terrains.

The Karoq is packed with a range of driver assistance systems, including park assist, lane assist, traffic jam assist, blind spot detect and emergency assist. The all-digital instrument cluster is also available for the first time in a Skoda and the driver is eligible to set displays as per the preference.

Skoda Connect is a part of the package and there’s also the Phonebox system that allows the phone to be charged wirelessly. MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also available as an option on the basic infotainment system. Finally, there is the Varioflex system that allows each of the three individual seats in the second row to be folded. And the front passenger seat is foldable too, to allow you to transport long items.

The pricing and the launch date is yet to be announced.