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00:00This is one of the smartest small SUVs that you can buy.
00:03It's the Skoda Karoq and the range has just been updated.
00:07And look I'm going to tell you all about it in this review and tell you why I think it's
00:10so smart.
00:11So stay tuned if you've already subscribed, thanks very much, let's get to it.
00:19The Skoda Karoq range has just been renamed essentially.
00:23So the entry level version, it's called Select which follows the naming strategy for other
00:28models in the range and it's very much the value focused version.
00:31If you are just looking for the most affordable version of this vehicle, it's the one to pick.
00:37It has the same engine as the mid-spec model, which I'll get to in a sec, but it also still
00:40comes really well equipped when it comes to standard gear.
00:43You're getting things like LED lights on the outside, 18 inch wheels and cloth trim on
00:48the inside, which might not be to everyone's taste, but you are still getting an 8.25 inch
00:52touchscreen media system and also an 8 inch digital instrument display.
00:56You've got dual zone climate control and all that sort of stuff.
00:59And then in the middle of the range is the newly named Sportline grade and previously
01:04Sportline was reserved for this one here essentially, which is the top spec, but we'll get to that
01:08in a sec.
01:09Sportline in the mid-spec is now available with the 110 TSI base model engine and it
01:16gets the sporty look on the outside and it gets 19 inch alloy wheels and it gets a few
01:21other features on the inside as well to make it feel a bit spesh for the money.
01:25You'll see the price for it on your screen now and I think that it does stack up pretty
01:28decently if you are not necessarily interested in having a super sporty experience and you're
01:33okay with front wheel drive and you just want the sporty look.
01:37Hey, Hyundai's done really well with its N-line packages for that very reason.
01:42And this version here is the Sportline 4x4.
01:46Now it is still very, very well equipped.
01:48It gets a bigger, more powerful engine and also gets all-wheel drive, which might be
01:52all the ticks you need to consider this version.
01:55In fact, it's kind of like a modern-day successor to the Subaru Forester XT in that regard because,
02:00wow, it's a pretty nice thing to drive.
02:02But like I said, we'll get to that as well.
02:04And also, I just want to call out the fact that even on this top spec model, which is
02:08not cheap, you still have to pay extra if you want things like leather trim, that's
02:12part of a package, and also if you want a sunroof, that's an extra $2,000.
02:16And look, there are other brands out there that offer sunroofs as standard or offer different
02:20value equations, but hey, I've got a few alternatives that you might want to consider if you're
02:24thinking about something like this, this size, this space, and this price.
02:28Let's talk about them now.
02:32I reckon the best alternative to this car is actually the Toyota Corolla Cross.
02:36Now, it's about the same size and has similar levels of practicality, but it has hybrid
02:41powertrain standard across the entire range with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive,
02:46and it is a very fun little SUV to drive, even though it's not designed to be fun.
02:50It is still good fun to drive, and it's also got all the tech and safety gear that you
02:54would expect, so it might be a really good alternative to this, and it uses bloody nearly
02:58nothing when it comes to fuel as well.
03:01Another fantastic alternative to this is the Honda ZRV, which has a few different variants
03:06available.
03:07Three with turbo petrol engines, and also a high-grade hybrid model, which might be
03:12the right one for you if you are okay with spending a bit more money.
03:15Look, I would actually choose the turbo petrol because I think that it is a bit more joyful
03:19to drive, but hey, there's three different choices there as well, and it does seem to
03:24stack up pretty well in terms of size and space and features.
03:27It doesn't have annoying safety tech like some other cars out there, and speaking of
03:30annoying safety tech, there's the Hyundai Kona.
03:34It does have a few features that do annoy me, but it is otherwise a really, really impressive
03:38car.
03:39In terms of the size, there's petrol versions, there's hybrid versions, there's an electric
03:43version, so there's heaps of choices for you out there, and also pretty realistically priced
03:48as well.
03:49You can get into an electric version of the Hyundai Kona, if that's what you want, for
03:53about the same price as this.
03:54So, look, those are all great options I reckon, and you could also go and have a look at the
03:58Cupra Ateca, which I'll be doing a review of very soon.
04:01I think it stacks up very, very, very similarly to this.
04:05But tell me what you think, I'd love to hear from you.
04:09Why I say this is one of the cleverer small SUVs is that it packs a lot into a pretty
04:14compact footprint.
04:15It's just on 4.4 metres in length, despite the fact that it is categorised as a mid-size
04:21SUV, and that's partly because it offers, well, mid-size SUV levels of space and usability.
04:28And I reckon it looks fantastic, especially in this lovely shade of orange.
04:34Tell me what you think about the colour in the comments, but there's plenty of other
04:37options when it comes to colours as well.
04:40Just have a look at it.
04:41Looks really sharp, really smart, and really stylish as well, in my opinion.
04:44Right, let's check out the boot space and see what we are dealing with.
04:48Electric boot for this one, and as you can see, this is part of the reason this is one
04:54of the cleverer compact SUVs.
04:56There is a heap of cargo capacity in the back of the Skoda Karoq, and yes, clever features
05:03as well.
05:04You've got these little hooks here for hanging things on, and you can move them as well,
05:07which is really handy.
05:09You've also got these little storage sections at the back, and there's another one on that
05:13side as well, and some straps to tie things down too, if you need to.
05:17This reversible mat, so it's rubberised on this side for non-slip, and carpet on the
05:23other side, which is really, really handy.
05:24If you've got muddy boots or something, really good to use the non-carpet side reminder.
05:30And also, underneath the boot floor, there's a space saver spare wheel for all versions
05:34of this vehicle, which does make it just a little bit smarter, even though it was already
05:39very, very smart in terms of the usability and practicality in the boot space.
05:47This might not be the most blingy or the most wow factor interior, but what it does really
05:51well is the smarts.
05:53The stuff that you would expect of a Skoda, yeah, simply clever, and a lot of it actually
05:59is simply clever, and I really love that about it.
06:02So, let's talk about what we've got in this interior.
06:05So, first of all, I've got this virtual cockpit instrument display for me as the driver, and
06:13this is a really usable and easy to interact with screen, and with a few different modes
06:20to look through as well.
06:22And I love the fact that there's a bit of configurability here, it does make for a really
06:26nice experience.
06:27You use these buttons on the steering wheel to jump through the menus on the screen, and
06:31hey, there's a couple of other buttons there that you'll use a fair bit.
06:34The traffic jam assist in this particular vehicle is up there, and on this side of the
06:38steering wheel, you've got a heated steering wheel button.
06:41Thankfully, no haptic steering controls in this car, which is great to see.
06:46A couple of other controls there that you might get used to.
06:49Your main cruise control system interactivity point, yeah, I'll just call it a lever.
06:55It's down there, and up here, let's have a look at this screen, shall we?
06:59So, sorry about the glare, it is a bit of a really glary day out there today.
07:03So, it does have a built-in sat-nav system, this spec, and that's, as you can see here,
07:08what is feeding up onto this screen as well.
07:11But there is Apple CarPlay too, and there's other really clever things about this screen.
07:15Like, it's got gesture control, so you can just swipe in front of it, and it will actually
07:20jump through the screens.
07:21And when you move your hand away, you'll notice the little tab at the top disappears, but
07:24when you put your hand back up, it's there again.
07:27So, there's some pretty interesting elements to this display and this tech, and it is a
07:31really simple system to get your head around as well.
07:33The menus are all pretty logical, and you will get used to it pretty quick as well.
07:38And look, I won't go into too much detail on it, because I'm sure you've seen a screen
07:42like this before.
07:43It doesn't have dials for the volume control, which is probably my biggest criticism of
07:47it, and nor are there tuning dials as well.
07:50So, look, big issue, I'm sure.
07:53Now, below, thankfully, there are dials for your climate control.
07:57You can just adjust the fan speed using that button there.
08:00Turn it off, because it's a bit noisier.
08:02And down here, you've also got a few things that you might want to play with.
08:06Your parking camera system is there, so that's your surround view.
08:10And you've got auto parking in this grade as well, because people like that, apparently.
08:15I never use auto parking, personally.
08:17Your gear selector is down here.
08:18It's not one of those little tiny ones like in some other newer Skodas, so that gives
08:21you an idea of the age.
08:23You've got a wireless phone charger there.
08:25There's some USB-C ports as well, and a few other controls down here for your drive modes,
08:29off-road mode.
08:30I don't know who's actually going too far off-road in a car like this, but some people
08:34do, obviously.
08:35And you've got these big bottle holders in the doors with elastic straps there to hold
08:40things in place.
08:41And there's also a little thing up here where you can store some loose items if you want
08:45to.
08:46And down between the seats, there's another storage caddy as well, and your cup holders
08:49are in there as well.
08:50And you can pull that out if you want to, for whatever reason, if you prefer a big space
08:55instead.
08:56So, that's kind of all neat, isn't it?
08:58It's a pretty tidy little cabin, I reckon.
09:00And I do think that it does have, still, a decent amount of wow factor.
09:04Maybe doesn't necessarily feel like the money that's being asked in terms of that, mainly
09:09down to the fact that, yes, you do get the dark headliner, but you don't get a sunroof.
09:13And I think you probably should when you're asking this much cash for a car like this
09:17in the modern era.
09:18Alright, let's check out the backseat space and see what it's like.
09:20Rightio, so this seat is set for my driving position.
09:23I'm 182cm, 6ft tall.
09:26Yes, I've got knee room back here, and I've got foot room, heaps of foot room, in fact.
09:30I could do a little dance party like I do with my daughter.
09:33I think that this is a really practical space for people who are looking for something that
09:37is not small on the inside, but is small on the outside.
09:41It's a really fantastic design.
09:44And look, look at that headroom.
09:46Like a 7-footer could fit in here.
09:48And if you're 7ft, get in touch with me.
09:50I'd love to do a video on people of different sizes, because no one's really done that,
09:54and I think we could do something pretty cool.
09:56Alright, so what else are you getting in the back here?
09:58You've got these mat pockets on the seat backs.
10:01You've also got directional air vents.
10:03There are seat heaters for the outboard seats in the back, and you get that in the mid-spec
10:08model as well, which is really good.
10:10Obviously, the front seats are also heated too.
10:13And look at this space.
10:15There is plenty of space for three adults to fit across if they need to.
10:19There is a transmission tunnel intrusion.
10:21Just watch your foot space.
10:23But with two adults in the back, or two big kids, it should be fine.
10:27You've got ISOFIX points in the window seats, and three top tethers as well, and a flip-down
10:32armrest with cup holders.
10:34And that is also a load-through port, or a ski port, and that means extra practicality
10:39if you do plan to go to the snow and use those off-road modes.
10:43Bloody hell, this is a really nice back seat, I reckon.
10:46One thing that has changed with this Skoda Karoq lineup though, is that you cannot get
10:50the very clever VarioFlex seating system anymore.
10:55That allowed you to remove seats and have a different seat layout if you required it,
11:00but it's no longer available on any model in the lineup.
11:03And that's a real shame, because it was one of the most important selling features for
11:07this model range.
11:08But obviously, people are more interested in having a sporty-looking SUV than a super
11:11practical one.
11:14The entry-level versions of the Karoq come with a 110 TSI engine.
11:19Now, if that's familiar to you, that's because it's used across the Volkswagen group in different
11:23iterations, and it's a 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine with a pretty decent amount
11:30of power and torque, and it comes as standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission and
11:33front-wheel drive.
11:34It's not a dual-clutch auto, which is interesting, and actually makes it liveable in a different
11:39way compared to versions with a dual-clutch like this one, which is the Sportline 4x4,
11:45it has a 2 litre turbo petrol engine, a dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive,
11:50as I said, and it has a fair bit more power and torque as well.
11:53So it could be a better choice for you if you're looking for something that is a bit
11:56more performance-oriented, and if you plan to tow, I'll put the towing capacity numbers
12:00on your screen now as well.
12:02Alright, let's go for a drive, shall we?
12:07This one is the Sportline 4x4, the top-spec version, and it does have a fairly lovable
12:13drive experience.
12:14It gets a few drive elements to it that the other versions don't, even the mid-spec Sportline.
12:20So things like adaptive suspension, which does make a difference to the ride comfort
12:27and the control as well.
12:28So the adjustability factor is on the drive mode, so you just hit the different drive
12:33mode that you want.
12:34If you want it to be pillowy and soft, you choose Comfort mode.
12:38If you want it to be sporty and firm, you choose Sport mode.
12:42And there is a really nice tunability to that, and customisability, which I really
12:48like.
12:49And in fact, I think that in Sport mode, it does feel kind of like a Subaru Forester XT
12:54in terms of the way that it handles itself.
12:57It does have a slightly firm edge, but it's never too firm, it's never too crashy, and
13:02I really like that about it.
13:03And when it's in Comfort mode, it's bloody plush.
13:05It really feels quite nice to drive and live with.
13:08And then there's the progressive steering, which does have a really nice action to it.
13:13It's very direct and very responsive and very trustworthy.
13:16It never feels like you don't have control of this car in terms of the steering, no matter
13:20which drive mode you're in, in fact.
13:22And I really love that about it.
13:23I think it's just such a predictable, liveable, likeable car that you, well, you don't have
13:29to think about driving it.
13:31And that is one of the biggest pluses that you can have in a car like this, I reckon.
13:36Part of the reason that you don't have to think about it is because there are no super
13:40frustrating safety systems.
13:41Like there is a lane keeping system, which does have a button that you can press on the
13:45steering wheel to deactivate it if you don't like it.
13:48I don't like it, so I do turn it off, especially when I'm on the freeway.
13:51I just find it a little bit too pushy for my tastes.
13:54But there's also a new driver monitoring system, and thankfully it's not a camera.
13:59It is just a system that bases the interactivity with you based on how long you've been driving.
14:06And whether it can sense that you're not maybe paying as much attention as you could be by
14:12your steering inputs.
14:14So that's pretty neat, and I do think that it's a better way to apply that tech rather
14:18than having a camera that's looking at you and telling you're distracted when, you know,
14:23you're actually just looking around and being safe.
14:25So that's the chassis sort of stuff out of the way, but what about this powertrain?
14:29Well, honestly for a lot of people I think that the 110 TSI is going to tick the box
14:34for them well enough, because it's still a very punchy little turbo petrol engine with
14:39a pretty responsive transmission.
14:41It's not quite as snappy a transmission as this, and I think that that might be the main
14:46consideration if you are really into a sporty drive experience.
14:50Then yeah, the Sportline 4x4 will be the one to choose.
14:54But if you're not, if you just want the sporty look and you do want to pay less money, I
14:59can understand that, and I would say that the 110 TSI Sportline mid-spec model might
15:04be a better choice.
15:06But hey, that entry-level version as well does argue a pretty strong case when it comes
15:10to value for money too.
15:12And now, back to the engine, this 2.0-litre turbo is an absolute cracker.
15:15It's bloody fast, it's nice and zesty, and it feels really responsive, low in the rev
15:21range, and it's got that real turbo push that you might love as well.
15:25And the dual-clutch automatic transmission DSG in Skoda-Land, it's actually a really
15:29smooth operator, very good at higher speeds especially, super snappy, it just like clicks
15:36through the gears before you even know that you've needed to upshift, and it's so good
15:40in that regard.
15:41You've got paddle shifters if you do want to take matters into your own hands, but you
15:43probably won't need to, it's that good.
15:46And at lower speeds, I mean, that's probably the biggest concern or consideration for DSG
15:52versions in years gone by, so we'll just come up to an intersection here and see how
15:55things behave.
15:56We'll come to a stop as well, it does have engine start stop, but it's not working for
16:00some reason right now.
16:02And we'll take off, and look, that's not not responsive, it got away pretty quick there
16:07as well.
16:08So, don't go thinking that it's like old DSGs of years gone by, it's a very good operator,
16:16and it's nice, and it's fun, and it makes me happy.
16:19I like this car a lot, I can't really find too much to fault about it in terms of the
16:23drive experience per se, but I will say this, it is a little bit noisy on course-chipped
16:30road surfaces.
16:31That is common across a lot of the Volkswagen Group products of this generation built on
16:36this platform.
16:37It can be, yeah, pretty loud on the open road if you are driving on rougher surfaces, but
16:45I don't think that would change my mind about it, because it is a very impressive vehicle.
16:49Now, let's talk about fuel consumption, see if it impresses there too.
16:53So, there are two different versions of the Karoq to consider here.
16:58The ones with the smaller, less powerful, less torquey turbo petrol engine, the 1.4
17:03110 TSI model, and look, it still has a very, very impressive fuel consumption number.
17:10You see it on your screen now, that's the combined number, the official combined figure,
17:15which is what you should be able to achieve across a mix of different driving scenarios,
17:19and look, that's not too bad, no doubt about that.
17:22But if you want to have more power and more torque and just a fraction more fuel consumption,
17:28this one stacks up pretty well, I reckon.
17:30You'll see the official figure for it on your screen now, and look, over my week of testing
17:35this vehicle, I've seen a pretty impressive number, including a mix of driving urban stuff
17:41like today, and also freeway driving, the usual day-to-day stuff, going and picking
17:47up my daughter from daycare, that sort of thing.
17:49You'll see the number on your screen now, and if you think that that's a high number
17:53for a petrol turbo all-wheel drive SUV like this, I think that you're out of touch.
18:00I think it's a pretty good number, and look, it isn't necessarily as good as you can get
18:05if you are choosing a hybrid like a Corolla Cross or even that ZRV that I mentioned, or
18:11the Kona for that matter.
18:12So look, if you are after a super-duper frugal small SUV, there are probably better options
18:20out there, but in terms of the drive experience and the whole package, I really, really like
18:24this one.
18:29This car doesn't come with an ANCAP safety rating, but it did have one expired, and that
18:34gives you an idea of how old this platform is.
18:36It's not the newest vehicle on the market, but it is still one of the smarter ones and
18:39still has heaps of really good tech as standard.
18:42Things like autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, there's
18:46lane keeping assistance, there's blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, all
18:50of that is standard, and so is a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors
18:55too.
18:56If you spend up to the higher grade versions, you're getting things like a surround view
18:59camera system and parking assistance if that matters to you, and also a traffic jam assist
19:03feature which will basically use the adaptive cruise control and a lane keeping system to
19:08keep you in your lane and also do the accelerating and braking for you.
19:13And hey, I reckon that it is pretty good in terms of the tech, none of it's annoying thankfully,
19:17and also there are seven airbags fitted to this vehicle.
19:20Dual front, front side, driver's knee and full length curtain coverage as well.
19:27Skoda offers a seven year unlimited kilometre warranty in Australia, which no other European
19:32brand currently matches, and also there is some really impressive considerations when
19:37it comes to servicing here.
19:38So, the intervals, every 12 months and 15,000 kilometres, and if you wish, you can prepay
19:44your servicing for the seven year, 105,000k duration, and look, if you decide, hey, I'm
19:52going to sell the car after four years, you can pass that on to the next owner which adds
19:55to your resale value, and I love that.
19:58And also, there's roadside assistance if you service with Skoda, it'll renew every year
20:02for the period, and keep this in mind, the brand also has a guaranteed future value program,
20:08so if you're not sure whether this car might hold it's value well enough for your liking,
20:13you can always lock that value in early on when you're doing your finance calculations.
20:16You can do that on the Skoda website, it's actually really, really clever and simple
20:19to do too, nice.
20:24So there you have it, the Skoda Karoq is one of the cleverer small SUV options on the market,
20:30with a few different options to choose from.
20:31Which one do you think would be right for you?
20:33Let me know in the comments, or would you choose one of those alternatives I mentioned
20:36earlier on?
20:37There's plenty of appeal there too, and if there's any other small SUVs that you'd like
20:41me to review that I haven't done yet, make sure you let me know in the comments and I'll
20:44see if I can get to it for you.
20:46Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.
21:07Transcribed by https://otter.ai