Skoda has announced pricing and specifications for the new Karoq Sport Utility Vehicle ahead of order books opening on Thursday, February 17.
The UK range is made up of ‘SE Drive’, ‘SE L’ and ‘SportLine’ trims, with customers having a choice of two petrol and two turbo diesel engines. Prices start at £25,950 and rise to £37,760.
‘SE Drive’ is the entry-point to the revised Karoq and comes with 17-inch ‘Scutus’ alloys, LED headlights and LED tail-lights with directional indicators. Creature comforts include an ‘Amundsen’ touchscreen navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, a multifunction trip computer and rear parking sensors.
Mid-level ‘SE L’ cars cost from £27,785 and get 18-inch ‘Miran’ alloys in addition to chrome roof rails and window surrounds, and an extended rear spoiler. This trim benefits from keyless entry and stop/start on top of the more versatile 40/20/40 ‘VarioFlex’ seating arrangement for the second row of chairs.
Also included in the price is Skoda’s ‘Winter Pack’. This comprises a heated steering wheel and front seats, heated windscreen washer nozzles and headlight washers. The ‘Parking Pack’ is also standard and is made up of a rear-view camera and front parking sensors.
Completing the range is ‘SportLine’. With an on-the-road price starting at £31,835, they feature Matrix LED headlights, metallic paint, a panoramic glass sunroof, a powered tailgate and rear parking sensors. Inside, there is a LED lighting pack.
Irrespective of grade, all updated Karoqs receive the same wider, hexagonal Skoda grille, slimmer headlights and alloy wheels that are said to be “aerodynamically optimised”.
The wheels, in tandem with rear window “finlets” and a reprofiled rear spoiler, are intended to improve the SUV’s aerodynamics while lowering total CO2 emissions.
In terms of engines, the range opens with a turbocharged 1-litre, 3-cylinder petrol that develops 108bhp and sends drive to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Above that sits a turbocharged 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol with 148bhp. Buyers get a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard but can choose a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic as an option.
One diesel – a turbocharged 2-litre, 4-cylinder – is offered in two states of tune: 114bhp and 148bhp. Those who opt for the more powerful of the two can specify this with four-wheel-drive and the 7-speed DSG transmission.
To minimise exhaust emissions on the two oil burners, Skoda engineers have introduced lighter crankshafts, improved exhaust routing and tweaked the catalytic converter and exhaust gas treatment systems.
