Skoda Karoq review

There’s plenty to like inside. The dashboard is designed around a central, glassy touchscreen – eight inches as standard, 9.2in as an option. Apple and Android mirroring is now built in, and the screen is a heck of a lot more responsive than the newer systems in the likes of the VW ID.3 and Golf. VW Group infotainment has massively gone backwards of late, so the Karoq's done well to escape the madness. 

It’s a very grown-up cabin, and even the entry-level version feels more expensive than it really is. You probably couldn’t expect much more from a car for this money.

Is it practical?

It’s not as boxy as the Yeti, but it’s still usefully square and the boot is actually more spacious. The door bins each hold a 1.5-litre bottle of water, and the options list includes some mini rubbish bins with flip-tops and little liners in which to dispose of your more organic waste… things like chewing gum or banana skins.

The central armrest contains a ‘jumbo’ storage box (Skoda’s words, but we’d have to agree) and under the passenger seat there’s an umbrella in a holster. Someone’s really thought about this stuff, and they deserve a light round of applause.

There is one, important carryover from the Yeti and that’s the Varioflex seating system (optional with SE spec, standard on the others). Like before, the three rear seats slide and recline independently, or fold forwards to increase the already-best-in-class boot space.

You can even remove them completely, leaving enough volume to start a removals business. Or with only the middle seat removed, the outer ones can slide inwards away from the doors for extra elbow room. Removing them requires some muscle, and you’ll need a place to store them, but they’re fairly chunky pieces of furniture after all. Better to have the option than not.