Skoda Karoq Review & Prices

The Skoda Karoq is a brilliant choice of family car. It’s a practical family SUV with a high-class interior that’s comfortable and well-equipped, but it’s far from interesting and it gets expensive in the higher trim levels.

It’s the beige knit jumper of the automotive world. Sure, there are sportier, posher, more stylish and more attention-grabbing items to choose from, but there’s something comforting about the Karoq - just like your favourite old top.

That being said, some of the more striking alternatives make a darn good case for themselves, such as the Peugeot 3008 and Hyundai Tucson - both of which are real head-turners. The Citroen C5 Aircross is another comfortable choice, while the Omoda 7 offers stellar value for money; a plug-in hybrid for the same price as an entry-level Karoq.

Just because there are more stylish alternatives doesn’t mean the Karoq is ugly. Far from it in fact, because its tidy lines, quad headlights and broad grille are totally inoffensive. They just happen to be totally forgettable, too. Better choose a bright colour, else you could easily lose the Skoda in a busy car park…

Don’t expect any more from the interior. The Karoq is not only a bit boring inside, but it now feels dated compared to most alternatives. The dashboard may be high quality, but it’s an expanse of greyness inside with a (comparatively) small infotainment display buried in the middle of it.

Fortunately there are easy to use physical climate and audio controls as a result of the Skoda’s age, while everything feels impeccably screwed together and largely high-quality.

Skoda’s sensible-first approach means there’s plenty of room inside the Karoq, with comfortable, highly-adjustable seats making it a piece of cake to find the right driving position. Rear passengers are in for a pleasant journey, too, especially in models with separately adjustable seats in the back - at which point you can remove the middle chair for a super-spacious four-seater layout.

Boot space starts at 521 litres, but can increase to an impressive 581 litres if you opt for the clever seats, just behind the mighty Peugeot 3008 for cargo capacity.

Another reminder of the Karoq’s age is its engine range, because you’re limited to a choice of petrols and - wait for it - a diesel option, too, with four wheel drive. The Nissan Qashqai and Toyota RAV4 offer much smarter, hybrid engine options, however.

In town the Karoq excels, because it simply ignores bad roads in the way it glides along, soaking up lumps and bumps. All versions do suffer from a touch of wind and road noise on the motorway, but it’s far from intrusive. Don’t expect any thrills on a twisty road, but the Karoq is unbothered by twisty corners at speed.

Verdict

It may be an elder statesman in the game, but the Skoda Karoq still makes for a brilliant choice of family SUV. It’s not as fun to drive as a Ford Kuga, nor is it as handsome as a Renault Austral, but if all you need is a sensible, dependable set of wheels - the Karoq is hard to beat.

Check out the latest Skoda Karoq deals on Carwow, or new Skoda Kodiaq lease deals instead. There are plenty of used Karoqs for sale through our network of trusted dealers, and other used Skodas for sale, too. You can also sell your current car through Carwow, when the time comes.

The entry-level SE Edition Karoq starts at a smidge under £31,000, equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, a touchscreen infotainment system, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and a rear-view parking camera as standard. That price puts it almost on par with the (less practical) Nissan Qashqai - and the excellent Citroen C5 Aircross.

Mid-range SE L models come with 18-inch alloy wheels, suede-like interior trim, an electric boot lid and adaptive cruise control - plus chrome exterior trim - while top-spec Sportline cars have sporty body-colours bumper trims, 19-inch alloys, sport seats, Matrix LED lights and a glass roof.

It’s a very capable all-rounder, but not the most exciting family SUV 

In town

You sit up high in the Karoq, which is great around town. You get a really clear view out, which is just what you want on roads where someone could step out in front of you at any moment.

Any engine in the range has enough performance for town driving, even the 110hp 1.0-litre petrol. So if you are mostly using your car for short urban journeys, don’t think the cheapest engine option won’t be up to the job.

The clutch is light enough for stop-start traffic conditions, but if you’d rather give your left leg a rest the Karoq is available with a DSG auto on all but the 1.0-litre engine. The 4x4 models are only available with the DSG automatic.

Thinking of buying a hybrid or plug-in hybrid for low emissions town driving? You’re out of luck with the Karoq. Although Skoda does offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Octavia and Superb, it’s a bit behind the curve with adding electric tech to its SUV range. If that’s a potential deal-breaker, take a close look at the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

On the motorway

After a week of the school run, you want to head out of town. How will the Karoq perform on the motorway?

‘Very well indeed’ is your answer. The Skoda feels stable at 70mph, and the ride is comfortable. Combine that with a high and supportive driving position and a quiet cabin and you have an excellent car for long journeys.

Skoda has kept faith with diesel power for now, and whatever you think of cars that fill up at the black pumps there’s no arguing with the excellent fuel economy they deliver while schlepping up and down motorways. The TSI petrol engines aren’t too far behind, although the 1.0-litre doesn’t have much punch in reserve if the car is full of people and their luggage.

On a twisty road 

Twisty roads don’t show the Karoq at its best, but let’s get this in perspective – the Karoq is comfortable family transport, not a performance car in disguise.

It actually keeps body lean in check quite well and has plenty of grip, it just doesn’t offer much in the way of excitement. It’s like your friend who isn’t the life and soul of the party but is always happy to be the designated driver.

For most of us most of the time, the two-wheel-drive cars are just fine. But if you live somewhere remote where the weather gets rough in winter, the 150hp 2.0-litre diesel can be ordered with four-wheel drive. Every 190PS 2.0 TSI petrol is a 4x4.

The Karoq's interior is very practical with plenty of space and storage bins, but not all of the best interior features are available on all models

You sit up high in the Karoq. A lot of buyers choose an SUV over a hatchback or estate car because they find the lofty seating position comfortable, and the Karoq delivers on that score. It doesn’t just give a good view out, it’s a really supportive and comfortable position on all kinds of journey.

There’s adjustment for the seat height on all models, and manual lumbar adjustment too. Electrically adjustable seats with a memory function are part of the Convenience Package, available at extra cost to SE L and Sportline buyers.

If you’re tempted by the range-topping Sportline, be sure you get on with the sports seats. They do a better job of holding you in place while cornering, but they may feel a bit restrictive depending on your build.

In all versions of the Karoq, the steering wheel has a wide range of adjustment for both height and reach, and the pedals are well positioned. So if you can’t get comfy in the Karoq we’d be very surprised.

Storage space is generous. Okay, so the glovebox isn’t the biggest, but there’s a lidded tray on top of the dashboard to make up for that. The door bins are huge, easily large enough for a big bottle of water. There are two cupholders between the front seats.

Space in the back seats

Whether you choose SE Drive, SE L, or Sportline spec, there’s plenty of kneeroom and headroom in the back. Two adults will be really comfortable, with space for three so long as everyone breathes in a bit.

The standard fit rear seats in the SE Drive and Sportline models are quite conventional. They split and fold in two parts like the rear seats in most cars. The SE L has ‘Varioflex’ seating. Instead of the rear bench, there are three individual rear seats which perform all sorts of tricks to provide more luggage space or greater comfort. For example, if you don’t expect to travel with a third rear-seat passenger any time soon you can remove the middle seat and move the outer chairs in a bit to give more elbow and shoulder room.

Like the sound of that feature but planning to buy the more affordable SE Drive model? Then you can add Varioflex as an option. Oddly it’s not available on the range-topping Sportline.

ISOFIX mounting points for fitting child seats to the outer rear chairs are standard. You get mounting points on the front passenger seat as well.

Boot space

There’s no need to travel light in the Skoda Karoq, because the boot is really quite big. Cars with Varioflex seating have up to 588 litres of luggage space with the back seats upright. With the standard seats, there’s still a useful 521 litres.

That figure puts it in the middle of its rivals, with the Hyundai Tucson having up to 620 litres. Other alternatives like the Peugeot 3008 (520 litres) and Nissan Qashqai (504 litres) offer around the same storage space.

Either way, the load cover lifts with the tailgate, so it doesn’t get in the way as you fill the boot.

If you want more space, the rear seats fold down leaving a floor with a slight slope. With Varioflex you can go further, tumbling the rear seats forwards or even taking them out completely if you want to turn your SUV into a van.

It’s not the kind of interior that wows you in the showroom, but it rests easily enough on the eyes and the longer you live with the car the more you start to appreciate some useful features

Some mid-life updates have given the interior a lift, and every car now comes with an 8.0-inch digital display instead of conventional analogue dials and a small trip computer. The new screen gives the dashboard a more high-tech feel. It’s useful as well as smart-looking, allowing the driver to choose between three different display layouts.

Every car also comes with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, including sat nav and a web radio. There are shortcut buttons down one side of the screen, which helps find your way through the various menus quickly. However, they’re to the left of the screen – the far side for the driver in right-hand-drive cars.

We can forgive this foible, as the system is smart-looking and easy to use. If you don’t get on with Skoda’s system, you can connect to your phone using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Apple phones can connect wirelessly, but you’ll need a USB cable to connect your Android device.

Skoda has resisted the trend to bury air-con controls within a touchscreen menu. Instead, you get separate buttons and knobs below the infotainment screen. It’s a lot easier to make quick changes with proper buttons rather than reaching for an on-screen icon.

Everywhere you look, the Karoq is well made from high quality materials. Well, almost everywhere. You can find some harder plastics lower down in the cabin if you go looking for them, but the overall impression is very favourable. So while you might not be bowled over by the design, the inside of the Karoq is a very pleasant place to spend time.

The 150hp, 1.5-litre petrol is the best engine in town, returning up to 45.9mpg with the DSG automatic transmission. Go for a manual gearbox and fuel economy should be marginally better.

If you want the most economical petrol, take a look at the 110hp 1.0-litre, which achieves up to 48.6mpg in official tests. The 190hp 2.0 TSI petrol is the thirstiest model in the range by some distance, returning up to 36mpg on the official test figures.

For high-mileage drivers, especially those who spend a lot of time on motorways, the diesels are hard to beat. The 116hp 2.0-litre TDI is the Karoq range’s fuel economy champion, returning 49.6mpg.

Don’t go scouring the price list for a tax-busting hybrid or electric Karoq, because you won’t find one. That could be off-putting if you are a company car driver looking for the lowest possible tax bill, as a plug-in hybrid sits in a much lower Benefit-in-Kind band than a regular petrol or diesel.

Keep an eye on the value of any options you add to one of the high-spec models. If you push the car over £40,000, you’ll have to pay the luxury car supplement between years two-to-six.

The Karoq earned the full five stars from Euro NCAP when tested in 2017, with a 93% score for adult occupant protection, 79% for child occupants, 73% for pedestrian protection, and 58% for its safety assistance systems. This result has since expired, however, and the latest tests are much stricter.

You can upgrade the standard safety features further with the Safety Package, which includes front and rear curtain airbags and Crew protect assist. This closes open windows and the sunroof and tightens seatbelts if the car is about to crash or turn over. Keyless entry and starting is standard on the SE L and Sportline.

Skoda came 20th out of 30 manufacturers in the 2026 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, isn't a great result. Still, the Karoq has been around for a good few years now, and we’ve not heard any horror stories about it. Most of the mechanical parts are well proven and shared across many other models in the Volkswagen Group.

Skoda’s standard warranty lasts for three years. Mileage is unlimited for the first two, then capped at 60,000 for year three. That’s about standard for the industry, but Kia, Hyundai and Omoda offer longer warranty periods - while Toyota and Geely lead the way with ten-year and 125,000-mile warranties, respectively.