Skoda Karoq 2025 review | A great value SUV all-rounder

What is the Skoda Karoq?

Skoda launched the Karoq SUV in 2017, plugging a gap in its range after the Yeti was discontinued. Although too big to be considered a direct Yeti replacement, the Karoq brings clarity to the Skoda SUV range, fitting between the smaller Kamiq and larger Kodiaq models.

The Karoq offers the raised driving position that SUV buyers enjoy, as well as plenty of features to boost practicality. Following a facelift in 2022 and further updates in 2024, its design was tweaked, the range gained more standard equipment and new trim levels, and a revised 1.0-litre petrol engine option was made available.

How practical is it?

The Skoda has a lot of space inside. There’s excellent headroom and legroom in the front seats, and also for passengers in the back. Adults can relax in the rear seats with room to spare, even if somebody tall is up front.

In the SE Edition and SE L Edition versions, the rear seats offer a 60:40 split, but the Varioflex system is optional. Although sadly not available on the SportLine, Varioflex seating provides three separate rear seats, with a 40:20:40 split. Each of these can slide, fold or be removed completely to give a huge 1,810 litres of luggage space, up from the usual maximum of 1,630 litres.

Boot space is also generous with the seats in place: 521 litres with the standard seats and 588 litres with Varioflex. By comparison, a Nissan Qashqai offers 504 litres of luggage capacity, while a Hyundai Tucson can accommodate 546 litres.

What's it like to drive?

Practicality is certainly a strong point, and makes this a very good family car. The Karoq is also decent to drive, especially if you choose one of the 4x4 versions. All-wheel drive comes as standard with the most powerful petrol and diesel engines. Not only do these top models offer extra traction, they also have more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, which improves the Karoq's ride and handling. On bumpy roads, two-wheel-drive cars don't feel as taut or controlled at the rear, but they still ride well by class standards.

If you are looking for driving enjoyment, however, you're better off with a Ford Kuga or Mazda CX-5, both of which have all been set up for more sporty handling. The Karoq majors on refinement and comfort rather than agility and entertainment: a general theme across many Volkswagen Group vehicles.

As mentioned, there is a choice of petrol and diesel engines. The smallest is the 1.0-litre TSI petrol, which on paper looks the same as its predecessor, but is actually an EVO2 engine with 6bhp more – for a total of 114bhp – and greater fuel-efficiency.

For regular long journeys, the 148bhp 1.5 TSI petrol is a better choice, and is available with either a manual or seven-speed double-clutch DSG auto gearbox. The 1.0-litre petrol engine is manual-only. For near hot-hatchback performance, there's the 187bhp 2.0-litre TSI petrol with four-wheel drive and the DSG automatic gearbox, available in combination with the SportLine Edition.

There is only one diesel: a 148bhp 2.0-litre engine that comes as standard with the DSG gearbox. This was the middle-specification engine before, and while the economical 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI and punchy 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI have both been discontinued, it remains a good all-round option.

Be mindful that moving from SE Edition to SE L Edition and then SportLine Edition brings an increase in wheel size, up from 17- to 18- and then 19 inches, respectively. There is progressively less tyre sidewall with each step up, which will mean a slightly firmer and less forgiving ride.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Every engine and specification comes with a long list of safety equipment, contributing to a five-star rating from safety organisation Euro NCAP. Driver aids such as lane assist, an attention and drowsiness monitor, automated emergency braking and traffic sign recognition are standard on every model. A connected infotainment system (with a three-year subscription) is also included across the board.

A revised model range in 2024 brought in the SE Edition, SE L Edition and SportLine Edition, plus a number of updates and new standard features. The Karoq SE Edition comes with front parking sensors, a rear-view camera, keyless entry, a heated two-spoke steering wheel and heated front seats as standard. SE L Edition models add an electrically-operated boot with a kick release, adaptive cruise control and a larger 9.2-inch infotainment system (compared to the SE Edition’s 8.0-inch screen) with built-in navigation included at no additional cost.

Finally, the SportLine Edition includes the same larger screen as the SE L Edition, along with Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive suspension, progressive steering, adaptive cruise control, hill descent control (for all-wheel-drive versions), heated rear seats and a heated windscreen.

The 10.25-inch digital driver display (or ‘Virtual Cockpit’) is standard across the range, along with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to make phone connectivity easy. For audiophiles, a higher-spec Canton sound system is available on the SE L Edition and SportLine Edition.

Crew Protect Assist was available as an option from 2023, helping to mitigate the effects of a collision. Reacting to the car’s radar and stability control systems, driver and passenger seatbelts are pre-tensioned and any open windows are closed to a 50mm gap. If an accident subsequently does occur, airbags and the emergency call function are ready and waiting. If an accident is avoided, the seatbelts return to their original tension and the windows can be opened again.

Skoda Karoq running costs

Diesels may not be as popular as they were, but one engine does remain for the Karoq. It doesn’t deliver night-and-day-different economy figures when compared to its petrol siblings, but that’s down in part to it coming as standard with a DSG gearbox (there’s no manual diesel option) and all-wheel drive. Tested to the WLTP standard, the 148bhp 1.5 TDI diesel achieves 44.7-46.6mpg in the SE L Edition and 48.3-49.3mpg in the SportLine Edition.

While the diesel is the most economical option on paper, the petrol engines aren’t far off. The 1.0-litre delivers 46.4-48.8mpg, the best figures of any petrol Karoq. The 1.5-litre with a manual gearbox delivers 44.5-47.6mpg depending on trim level, while with a DSG it’s less efficient, returning 44.1-46.8mpg. The all-wheel-drive, automatic 1.5 TSI with 187bhp available in the SportLine Edition is the least efficient model, returning 36.3-36.9mpg.

There are no hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains available in the Skoda Karoq.

The Karoq's service intervals are once a year or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. Interim services and major services alternate each year.

By the standards of Skoda's parent company, the Volkswagen Group, prices for servicing and maintenance are pretty reasonable. At the time of writing, Skoda offers Standard, Plus and All-In plans for vehicle servicing, each offering different levels of maintenance and care depending on the vehicle age.

You can, in most cases, expect to save money by having services carried out at an independent garage, but check your car’s warranty before going to a non-authorised garage or retailer.

Skoda Karoq reliability

Strong showings in reliability studies throughout the Karoq’s life suggest it should be a pretty dependable choice. In the Small SUVs category of the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, the car came 15th out of 38 cars considered, with a score of 95.5%. That's a drop from 9th place and 96.5% a few years ago, but the latest iteration had 38 contenders compared to 28 previously, so that’s still a strong showing.

The biggest historical concern is that some owners have complained that the 1.5-litre petrol isn't as smooth as it should be at low speeds, particularly when matched to the manual gearbox. The car can 'kangaroo' rather than building speed smoothly, especially when the engine is cold. A software update was released in the spring of 2020 to fix the problem. However, some owners remain unhappy with the car even after the 'fix' has been applied.

Otherwise, it seems there is very little to worry about. Most problems that do occur are minor and can be fixed quickly and should be covered under warranty for the first three years or 60,000 miles.

There have been a handful of recalls. One relates to a possible defect in the driver's airbag housing, which may prevent the airbag from inflating in an accident. This applies to cars made between January and August 2018. Another concerns the development of cracks in the driver's seat mounting. Models affected by this recall were made in January 2019.

To check if a used Karoq you are thinking about buying has any outstanding recall work, just go to the recall checker on the GOV.UK website and enter the car's registration number. You can also check with Skoda if you have a car’s chassis (VIN) number.