Long-distance driving experience with the Skoda Karoq Sportline
In my imaginary shortlist of cars that I would like to drive someday, there was never a Skoda Karoq. The model somehow passed me by, and since the current version is already somewhere at the end of its life cycle, I did not particularly follow its updates. However, I still had the opportunity to test the car, and to drive it not only on city streets, but also on a relatively long distance from Kyiv to Lviv and back. So in this material I will share my impressions of the Skoda Karoq in the Sportline configuration, the car's equipment and tell you how comfortable it is to move around the city and travel on trips.
Sportline design, interior and equipment
The Skoda Karoq is a compact crossover (C-SUV) that was first introduced in 2017, and is technically its first and only generation so far. The model itself replaced another popular crossover, the Skoda Yeti, and is built on the Volkswagen Group's MQB A1 platform, which also underpins its siblings, the Seat Ateca and Volkswagen T-Roc. In 2021, the Skoda Karoq underwent its only facelift so far, receiving updates to some of the design elements of the front and rear of the body, as well as a more modern set of options, including a digital instrument cluster.
Currently, two Skoda Karoq trim levels are available in Ukraine: Selection with the Plus package and Sportline. Each of them is available either with a 1.4 TSI engine (150 hp), an 8-speed Aisin automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, or with a 2-liter turbodiesel engine with the same 150 hp, but a 7-speed DSG transmission and all-wheel drive. So the choice of trim levels is quite wide. I had a test drive with a gasoline engine and Sportline trim level. So I will focus on them.
Externally, the Karoq Sportline is quite different from the base Selection version, thanks to a smaller number of elements made of matte black plastic. Here, the wheel arches and doors are painted in the body color, and only a small plastic strip at the bottom of the doors reminds of a simpler version. The doors themselves, by the way, cover the sills, which is very good, especially in our climate.
The front of the car is also slightly different, the Sportline uses a "sporty" bumper and a black radiator grille. In addition, the mirrors and roof rails are decorated in the same color, which creates a sense of "integrity" of this design. The orange color, as on the test car, is very cool for the Sportline trim and goes well with the black body elements.
The rear of the car has a small spoiler and a false trim in the form of a dual exhaust, which also adds to the body's "sportiness". The Skoda and Karoq lettering are also black here, so the unity of style is maintained.
Of course, these are all cosmetic differences that are not critical, but when you see both trim levels side by side, the Sportline seems larger and is perceived as a larger car thanks to its more expressive bumpers. This is, of course, an illusion. But even despite my love for simple and functional designs, I still want to add something more to the Selection trim level body, because after the Sportline it seems too utilitarian.
In terms of size, it's interesting that modern subcompact crossovers (B-SUVs), including my Peugeot 2008, are built in such a way that they are essentially hatchbacks with higher ground clearance and a corresponding landing. That is, the compactness of the interior is still preserved. But when you get into a C-SUV like the Skoda Karoq, you immediately feel that this is a different class of car. It's like a tent from the Harry Potter movies, it seems compact on the outside, but inside it surprises with its volume. Despite the fact that the Karoq is only 8 cm longer than the 2008 (4382 versus 4300 mm), the Skoda model is noticeably taller, and this affects the landing, you really sit quite high, and there is more space above your head.
Overall, the driver's seat in the Skoda Karoq is quite comfortable, with my height of 191 cm, I had more than enough legroom, they didn't rest anywhere, didn't get stuck, and nothing pressed. This is one of those cases when you spend 6 hours behind the wheel and you don't want to constantly stop to stretch.
The Sportline seats also have a sporty feel, with a good shape with lateral and lumbar support and a high backrest, so they are a good fit for people of my height. They are made entirely of fabric and have mechanical adjustments. Depending on how often you eat behind the wheel, you may need to have them dry cleaned at some point, but the fabric is less stuffy in the summer and is generally quite durable.
By modern standards, the Skoda Karoq interior is something from the "last century", but in a good way. Manufacturers are now trying to save money, so even in more expensive cars there is more hard plastic, and large touch screens replace a lot of controls, because one large display is easier to make than 10 mechanical buttons with their electrical wiring. And when it's easier, it means faster and cheaper production. So all your phantom pains about the "twists" of the climate are broken by the graph of revenue growth in the financial reports of automakers. But the Skoda Karoq is "old school" in a good sense. Firstly, there is soft plastic everywhere where you can touch it most often, even on the doors and the central tunnel with the automatic transmission selector, and secondly, there are all the necessary buttons for controlling the climate, ventilation, and seat heating. It is very convenient and allows you not to "scout" through the touch screen menu.
And, of course, there are no touch keys on the steering wheel, only good old mechanical buttons and "twists". In general, the three-spoke steering wheel in the Sportline is very cool, made of nice genuine leather with perforations and all the necessary controls.
Another nice "old school" in the Skoda Karoq is the automatic transmission selector. In many modern cars, they try to reduce it to free up more space on the central tunnel, and also make it less noticeable. Therefore, selectors are often transformed into separate buttons, turned into small switches and even end up under the steering wheel, which, in my opinion, affects ergonomics. I'm not a fan of such solutions, and I like classic selectors that you can use without looking, quickly switching to drive, reverse or park. So in this regard, the Karoq is right on target, the selector here is really very convenient.
A feature of the Sportline configuration is a 10-inch digital cluster with changeable graphics that shows the information the driver needs, such as speed, rpm, or average fuel consumption. The cluster has several digital panel designs and can be switched between them using a button on the steering wheel. By modern standards, the interface here is quite simple and does not allow for any deep customization. However, it is enough to display the necessary data, and there is even a navigation mode when the cluster shows arrows and the distance to turns, taking this data from Waze or Google Maps from the main infotainment system. However, unfortunately, it will not be possible to display full-fledged navigation from Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on the cluster.
The infotainment system in all Skoda Karoq trim levels has an 8-inch diagonal and a row of touch keys on the sides. It is inferior to more modern solutions in terms of size, speed and graphics quality. However, it looks close to Full HD resolution and has a generally clear picture. In addition, Skoda managed to modernize the system somewhat by adding support for wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
In many cars, the infotainment screen is slightly tilted towards the driver, making it more comfortable to look at while driving. But in the Skoda Karoq, it "looks" straight ahead, so at first it caused concern that it would not be very convenient to use on the road. However, this is not the case, and you get used to this arrangement quite quickly.
The Sportline trim also includes wireless charging for smartphones, which is not uncommon for modern cars, but not all manufacturers manage to implement it correctly. Sometimes there is induction charging, but it is low-power and does not charge the smartphone, but simply maintains its charge. In the Skoda Karoq, this is completely fine, you can charge your smartphone while using wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The back row of seats doesn't impress with its legroom, but I was able to fit behind myself without any problems, and overall there's enough room for two adults with good headroom. For added comfort, there's a fold-down armrest with cup holders, which is a nice place to lean on while you're on the road.
Another discovery for me was the Skoda Karoq trunk, the manufacturer claims that its volume reaches 521 liters. Of course, it depends on how you count, but it is indeed larger than you would expect to see in a car of this size, and it will be enough for several travel suitcases and backpacks. It is also convenient that, as part of its Simply Clever concept of intelligent space organization, Skoda has added several hooks to the trunk, on which it is convenient to hang shopping bags, and several niches.
The trunk is fully lined, which improves noise insulation, and in all versions of the Karoq, it has an electric drive with a sensor under the bumper that allows you to open it with a wave of your foot. This is convenient when your hands are busy with shopping bags.
The Skoda Karoq has front and rear parking sensors, but there's also a rear-view camera with dynamic lane markings and decent resolution. Even in the evening, in poor lighting, it does its job well.
It is worth noting that the Karoq Sportline also features matrix LEDs with variable light distribution and matrix beam. Of course, there are not as many LED lamps as in more expensive models, but on a track without lighting they are very effective.
Overall, despite the fact that this generation of Skoda Karoq is at the end of its life cycle, the manufacturer manages to maintain its relevance. The design is slightly modernized with the Sportline version, and the interior retains space, good ergonomics and is complemented by modern technologies, such as induction charging and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. When you start driving the Karoq, you don’t feel like you’re missing anything, either in terms of comfort or technology.
On the road
As I mentioned above, the Skoda Karoq Sportline I tested was equipped with a 1.4-liter inline-4 turbo engine with 150 hp and 250 Newton meters of torque, which allows the car to reach a top speed of 201 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds. This is a good option for a compact crossover, and it works well with the 8-speed automatic transmission from Aisin, which shifts gears instantly and there are no noticeable pauses. The same box is installed in my Peugeot 2008, so the driving sensations were very similar.
The Sportline trim has a button to switch driving modes, you can choose "normal", "sport" or "eco", but they only change the nature of the gearbox and increase or decrease the effort on the steering wheel. That is, in "sport" you can get longer gears that will hold the revs longer and a stiffer steering wheel.
In general, this engine and gearbox combination is quite comfortable in city traffic. At the same time, on the highway they allow you to confidently overtake trucks and most other road users, but there is no noticeable power reserve. Therefore, on the highway it is more comfortable to stay at a speed of 110-130 km/h. With such movement, there is less noise in the cabin and lower fuel consumption.
The noise insulation in the Skoda Karoq is generally at a good level, you can talk or listen to music comfortably at speed, but, as is often the case in models of this class, it is worse in the lower part of the car and you will hear road noise, especially if you are driving on cobblestones.
The suspension in the Karoq Sportline is slightly different from the standard configuration, mainly in terms of settings and higher ground clearance (up to 16.9 cm), but its design is the same - it is an independent McPherson with coil springs and a stabilizer bar in front, as well as a semi-independent torsion beam with coil springs in the rear. It is not very soft, but on the other hand it gives a feeling of stability at speed. True, the steering wheel here is not very sharp either, its informativeness could be better. On the other hand, for a family compact crossover, which you drive 90% of the time around the city, everything is great here. Just don't think that Sportline is about sport, and not about design.
The average fuel consumption from Kyiv to Lviv was 5.8 l/100 km, because I left early in the morning and there were almost no cars in the Zhytomyr district. But from Lviv to Kyiv I got 6.4 l/100 km at a speed of 70-120 km/h with the climate control working and two people in the cabin, so overall a very good result, which corresponds to the "combined cycle" declared by the manufacturer.
The Skoda Karoq Sportline does not have adaptive cruise control, it is an additional option, there is only a regular one with a speed limiter. Its control is placed on the turn signal knob, but it is compact and does not take up much space. At the same time, there is an automatic braking assistant that warns of a possible collision with a car, cyclist or pedestrian and, if the driver does not react, performs emergency braking on its own.
I already wrote above about the comfort of the seats and the driver's space in general, but I will add that here, as in some other models from the Volkswagen Group, there is a chic armrest that is adjustable not only in terms of reach, but also in terms of angle. And this significantly adds to the comfort on long distances.
In the end
After a week with the Skoda Karoq and a relatively long trip in the car, I can say that it pleasantly surprised me. I expected to see a model at the end of its life cycle, which is asking for updates, but on the contrary, I was pleased with Skoda's "old" approaches to organizing the driver's seat and interior. The only thing, in the spirit of the times, I would still like a larger infotainment screen and a slightly sharper steering wheel. As for the equipment, the Sportline version did not initially seem to me to be a rational choice, because "sport" is only in the name. However, since Skoda now offers promotional cars with ready-made packages, such as Selection Plus and Sportline, comparing the design and set of options, you understand that it is in Sportline that most of what I would add myself if I were to assemble the package through the configurator. So the Skoda Karoq Sportline is definitely worth considering if you are choosing a compact crossover for the city and periodic long trips.