Skoda Karoq : Exterior
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Skoda Karoq : Interior
Now time to tell you what the back seat is like. Now as I'm
sure you've guessed by looking at the exterior dimensions of this car, space in
the back seat of the Karoq is good but perhaps not one of this cars USP(s). I'm
just under five foot eight inches tall and well I've got enough knee room and
just about enough Headroom but I suspect taller passengers might just only find
it adequate. They might also find that the backrest is a little bit upright but
apart from that this is a really-really great seat. It's very supportive and
very comfortable and it's placed high enough that you get a good enough view
out of the front. Plus there are these quarter glasses behind me that let in a
lot of light and if you want more light still that's always the massive
panoramic sunroof. So it's more comfortable in the backseat then its exterior
size would suggest but what about if you're sat in the front. Now this being a
Skoda as you might imagine quality levels inside here are pretty high but to
drive that premium point home a little bit further they've added quite a few
embellishments like this brushed aluminum strip down here on the co-driver side
dashboard, chrome around the AC vents and my favorite the digital instrument
cluster which is really a highlight of this car.
Moreover it's a very practical
cabin with loads of storage spaces like one down here for your mobile phone
although there's no wireless charging and this nice sliding armrest over here
that reveals a big bin with cup-holders that can be removed if you don't want
them. There are also big door pockets over there and even a little storage bay
up here on the dashboard. They've also managed to load up with lots of
equipment with the likes of a powered driver seat with memory and 8-inch touch-screen
and dual zone climate control. So let's take a closer look at all that
equipment right now. Yes while we would have liked to have seen things like
wireless phone charging and three-zone rather than to zone climate control. You
have to admit they've chosen to include a number of big-ticket features like
the power driver seat, panoramic sunroof and digital dials. Plus on the safety
front there's the usual suite of electronic aids as well as nine airbags.
Skoda Karoq : Driving Review
Before anything else the first thing you notice is just how
comfortable these front seats are. The driver's seat is power adjustable
including four lumbar support, so there's a number of ways you can fit around
to get into the perfect driving position. It even has a memory function. The
next thing you notice is that visibility is really rather good. The dashboard
is nice and low and the A-pillars are quite thin. So you get great visibility
forward even a short person like me would and if you look in the rearview
mirror you get a great view of the large windscreen at the back. This is our
first taste of the Volkswagen Group's 1.5 litre direct injection turbo charged
petrol engine and well first impressions are rather good. It's very refined low
down and as long as you keep it around under 2,000 rpm, it stays that way. Okay
you might hear a little bit of a buzz once you cross 2,000 rpm but it's not too
intrusive. It's just when you get closer to about 4 or 5,000 rpm if you're
really-really gunning it in this car that it gets really quite booming, so
that's only if you're absolutely on the limit when you reach that level in this
car and frankly that seems rather unlikely because this is quite a relaxed
engine. It encourages you to drive in a relaxed manner. It doesn't have a
serious punch in the mid-range nor does it Rev like an absolute maniac.
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So you do get a bit of a step up in power in the mid-range like you'd expect from a turbo-charged petrol engine but it's not a solid hit that makes you want to absolutely go for the accelerator. This car is best driven at about 80 still it does make 150 horsepower and 250 Newton meters of torque so performance is pretty decent. Against our testing equipment it did 0 to 100 kmph in a respectable 10 seconds and kickdown acceleration was pretty Swift too. Helping here of course is the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Volkswagen Group's DSG, which does its part to make the driving experience smooth at lower speeds and shifts really quick at higher speeds. On the dynamic front, Skoda has managed to nail an absolutely excellent blend of ride and handling. It's not perfect in either aspect but then you couldn't complain about either of those aspects either. The ride might have a very slight firm edge but it still can't be called uncomfortable and the upshot is that you get tremendous stability. After encountering a rough road the Karoq suspension simply pummels it into submission with little interference inside the cabin and a confidence that reminds you of the old Yeti. Likewise, the handling isn't pin sharp and yes the steering can feel a bit mushy in the corners when you're pushing it really hard but for most of the part it is really easy to drive and that what matters the most and because of the way the suspension is set up, body control is really-really good. So the Karoq has a nice middle-of-the-road driving dynamic that should suit both the enthusiast and the everyday driver just fine.
Skoda Saroq : Key Specifications and Features
1.
Adaptive Full-LED Headlamp
|
10.
Tyre-Pressure Monitoring
|
2.
Auto Headlamps and Wipers
|
11. Ambient
Interior Lighting
|
3.
Digital Instrument Cluster
|
12. Keyless
Entry and Go
|
4.
8-inch touchscreen
|
13. Parking Sensors (Front and Rear)
|
5.
Apple Car Play and Android Auto
|
14. Rear-View
Camera
|
6.
Panoramic Sunroof
|
15. Driver
Fatigue Monitor
|
7.
Powered Driver Seat
|
16. ABS
with EBD
|
8.
Driver Seat Memory Function
|
17. ESC
|
9.
Dual-Zone Climate Control
|
18. 9
Airbags
|
Skoda Saroq : Competition
First thing we make clear that Skoda Karoq is going to compete with Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Compass. Skoda was the first to show Indians, way back in the day that
you didn't have to stretch your budget all the way to Mercedes-Benz levels, in
order to have a premium, well built, solidly engineered car and that earned it
a reputation as a very aspirational car maker but that was a long time ago. These
days there are a lot more players in the market and well those luxury brands
now offer you a smaller more affordable car than they did before. Moreover
Skoda's reputation kind of took a hit when it came to after sales, although
that is on the mend and well the product lineup it has since sort of stagnated
into four products, largely most of which are kind of niche. That's all set to
change though as Skoda has taken the reigns for the whole Volkswagen Group in India
and though the big revolution is coming in 2021, it has started right away with
this all new Skoda Karoq.Say hello to the Karoq, an SUV that will sit in Skoda India's line up
below the Kodiak and above the upcoming Hyundai Creta rival that's due in 2021.
However unlike its two SUV siblings the Karoq will be a full cvu import, that
means it will attract heavy import duties which means that it will likely be
priced higher than its size suggests. So while it's about the size of a Kia
Seltos on the outside, its price will likely make it a close arrival to the
likes of the Jeep Compass. But if you think it's coming to battle with one arm
tied behind its back think again because Skoda has a few clever tricks up its
sleeve with this one.
Verdict
Skoda's big India 2.0 plan may only be truly kicking off in
2021 but it's got a few products to tide us over until then and the Karoq is an
excellent start. Sure, those looking for a good price to size ratio in their
SUV might want to look elsewhere but then Skoda customers tend to prefer cars
with a bit more substance. To that end, Skoda had made sure to spec the Karoq
well with all the really desirable equipment buyers want but interestingly they
don't seem to have overdone it either, leaving out some non-essential equipment
that you would find on the European model. Moreover they've left out
all-wheel-drive, which seems fine for an urban SUV like this but what this
points to, is a price that might just be more aggressive than we thought. The
new 1.5 TSI engine isn't the most exciting but it gets the job done. But what
the Skoda fans will truly appreciate is the quality interiors, the
all-conquering ride, the tidy dynamics and the solid build quality and with the
right price it may have just what it takes to jumpstart Skoda back to the glory
days of old.
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