Skoda Karoq crossover debuts

After the awkward Skoda Yeti was cancelled, the Skoda lineup was missing a small crossover to act as a smaller brother for the Kodiaq. And that’s exactly what they create with the all-new Skoda Karoq crossover, unwrapped at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Karoq is a sister model to the Seat Ateca and the VW Tiguan. The design language is similar to the one flaunted by its bigger brother, the Kodiaq albeit with minor changes. The design of the headlights and tail light are new and more squared on the Karoq. Like most Skodas, the Karoq offers decent space inside the cabin, as shown by the 521 litres worth of boot space. The rear seats are a part of the VarioFlex system that debuted on the Skoda Roomster. The three rear seats can be independently removed to liberate more space, a whopping 1810 litres of it.

On the comfort front, Skoda can fit an all-digital instrument cluster in the Karoq if you opt for it. It can also be specced with full-LED headlights, wireless charging, Wi-Fi hotspot and an LTE module for the infotainment system.

Under the hood, many engines and gearboxes from the Tiguan and Ateca are used to power the Karoq. Apart from these, the new 1.5-litre 150 hp TSI “Evo” engine from the new VW Golf can also be opted for. This new powerplant comes with cylinder deactivation tech to help with the fuel efficiency figures. The other engines include a tiny 1.0-litre petrol engine with 115 hp, and two TDI diesel units, displacing 1.6 and 2.0-litres. A six-speed manual and a DSG gearbox can be added to the Karoq, depending on the engine choice.

The Karoq will go on sale by the end of 2017 and will be followed by a smaller subcompact crossover based on the Fabia.

It will likely be offered in the UAE and a few other GCC markets, considering the Kodiaq quietly debuted here earlier this year.