The updated Skoda Karoq SUV is available to order in the UK now, with fresh styling and a few technology improvements
The facelifted Skoda Karoq family SUV has been launched on the UK market, with prices starting from £25,950. Improvements stretch to design tweaks, equipment upgrades, better driver assistance technology and a revised engine range – all of which help to bring the car’s specification into line with the recently updated Kodiaq SUV.
Skoda has separated the revised Karoq range into just three models, called SE Drive, SE L and SportLine. The base-model comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, scrolling rear indicators and rear parking sensors. The cabin also gets an eight-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Skoda’s mid-range Karoq SE L is priced from £27,785. Upgrades over the entry-level model include 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome roof rails, a larger tailgate spoiler, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. Buyers also get Skoda’s Winter Pack as part of the trim, which adds heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated washer jets.
The flagship Skoda Karoq SportLine gets even more standard equipment, such as Matrix LED headlights, metallic paint and an electrically opening tailgate with a kick sensor under the rear bumper. Other upgrades include a panoramic sunroof and LED interior lighting. Prices start from £31,835.
The facelifted Skoda Karoq will help keep the brand’s popular SUV competitive in a class crowded with rivals that include the Hyundai Tucson, the new Nissan Qashqai, the Peugeot 3008 and soon, an all-new Kia Sportage.
New 2022 Skoda Karoq: facelift updates
Styling tweaks include a new hexagonal radiator grille, slightly slimmer headlights, reshaped tail lights and some new aerodynamic plastic trims for the alloy wheels, which Skoda says help to cut back on drag and improve efficiency.
Following the same brief, the front bumper has been reshaped to help the Karoq cut through the air more cleanly – and it’s joined by an updated apron and new spoiler at the rear. Skoda says all of these minor changes have reduced the Karoq’s drag coefficient by nine percent compared to the previous model.
Inside, buyers will be able to specify Skoda’s new Eco pack, which features upholstery made from recycled materials. The LED ambient lighting system is also new, and comes complete with light strips on the door cards and dashboard.
It isn’t all bright lights and eco credentials, though – Skoda says it has also considered passenger comfort. Depending on the specification, the Karoq is available with new seats that have electric lumbar support and a memory function, which the firm says offer more support. A 40:20:40 VarioFlex split-folding rear bench will also be available as an option.
Practicality is unchanged over its predecessor, with the new Karoq offering 521 litres of boot space as standard, although this figure rises to 588 litres when optioned with the VarioFlex rear seat. Fold the rear bench flat, and there’s 1,605 litres on offer – but the seat can also be removed completely to increase the Karoq carrying capacity to 1,810 litres.
Skoda has also improved the Karoq technology. Now, there’s a choice of two digital instrument displays – an eight-inch unit on the base-model and a larger 10.25-inch unit that comes as standard on higher specifications, or is available lower down the pecking order.
The standard eight-inch infotainment system can be swapped out for a 9.2-inch system, but both screens come as standard with over-the-air map updates. Skoda also offers a wireless smartphone charging box as an optional extra, mounted in the centre console.
There’s even a little more safety equipment on offer. Now, the Karoq is offered with up to nine airbags and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and collision warning comes as standard.
Buyers are also offered a choice of two different Travel Assist packages, both of which feature predictive cruise control. The lower package comes with traffic sign recognition, adaptive lane assist and traffic jam assist. The higher-spec package offers park assist and side assist with rear traffic alert on top of this.
New 2022 Skoda Karoq: engines and drivetrains
UK Karoq buyers have a choice of four engines – two petrols and two diesels – all of which offer greater efficiency and lower CO2 emissions than the previous model. The range opens with a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit which develops 108bhp and 200Nm of torque. It sends drive to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.
Above that, there’s a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. It features a cylinder deactivation system which can shut down two of the engine’s cylinders under light loads to improve efficiency. Buyers get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is available as an option.
Both diesels are based on the same basic turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit. The cheaper model produces 114bhp and 300Nm of torque, while the flagship variant has an output of 148bhp and 360Nm of torque. The latter engine can also be specified with four-wheel drive if you opt for the seven-speed automatic gearbox.
Skoda hasn’t yet confirmed any economy or emissions figures for the Karoq’s engine range. However, where the diesels are concerned, the company says it has introduced lighter engine internals, better exhaust routing and further improvements to the catalytic converter and exhaust gas treatment systems to help keep emissions down.
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