Test drive Skoda Karoq for Russia: first impressions
Old turbo engine, new automatic and front-wheel drive - the European Skoda Karoq has changed noticeably in order to please the Russians
For several years, there was a gap in the Skoda model range on the Russian market. The niche of the retired Yeti was empty for a long time. Instead, Skoda's Russian office has focused on localizing the more expensive and larger Kodiaq. And only now the turn came to the compact Karoq, which was registered on the assembly line in Nizhny Novgorod
Karoq has been on sale in Europe for more than a year, and the Russian-assembled car is visually no different from the European one. Inside, there are the same conservative lines and the traditional architecture of the front panel, made of gray and nondescript, but pretty decent to the touch plastic.
The difference here is mostly in the trim levels. For example, a modest Swing media system with a 7-inch touchscreen turned out to be on the test car in the rich Style package. However, Skoda reassures that a more advanced Bolero media system with a larger display and a rear-view camera is on the way. True, they do not specify how much it will add to the price of such a car, which already costs $ 19.
The rest of the Karoq is a typical Skoda with comfortable seats, a spacious second next to a well-profiled rear sofa and a huge luggage compartment. And again, all the signature tricks of the Simply Clever philosophy like trash cans in the door pockets, a scraper in the fuel filler flap and hooks with nets in the trunk are also available here.
The base engine of the Russian Karoq is a 1,6-liter aspirated engine with 110 hp. with., which is combined with a five-speed mechanics. This power unit has been localized in our country for several years and has long been familiar to Russian buyers for Octavia and Rapid liftbacks. A modification with a six-band automatic machine is likely to appear. But even the declared base version will be available on the Czech crossover no earlier than the second half of the year.
In the meantime, buyers are offered a car only with a top-end 1,4 TSI turbo engine with a capacity of 150 liters. with., which is paired with an 8-speed automatic Aisin. Moreover, the combination of a supercharged engine and classic "hydromechanics" is relevant only for the front-wheel drive version of Karoq. If you order an all-wheel drive transmission for the crossover, the automatic will be replaced by a six-speed DSG robot with a "wet" clutch. However, the all-wheel drive system, like the base engine, is also not available for order yet.
Such a power unit pleases with an extremely playful character. Few crossovers in this class can boast of similar dynamics. And we are talking not only about acceleration to "hundreds", which fits into 9 s, but also about a very vigorous pickup during acceleration on the move.
The point is in the peak torque of the turbo engine, which is traditionally "smeared" over a very wide rpm range, starting from about 1500. And if we add to this factor the correct operation of the dexterous "automatic machine", in which eight gears are cut quite close to each other in gear relation, then such a dynamo no longer seems to be something extraordinary.
At the same time, thanks to direct injection and all the same eight gears, the car boasts a very modest fuel appetite. Of course, the reference 6 liters "per hundred" cannot be met, but the fact that a weighty crossover in a combined cycle can safely consume less than 8 liters per 100 km seems very valuable.
Another equally important detail is the ride quality for which the Karoq clearly stands out from the competition. Here and the steering wheel with good feedback, and excellent directional stability, and obedience in fast turns. The car, even in tight turns, remains assembled and tightly knocked down - a common story for cars on the MQB platform.
On the other hand, due to such chassis settings, the Karoq may seem unnecessarily harsh to someone on the go. At least, his suspension works quite resiliently. And if the dampers swallow road trifles almost imperceptibly for passengers, then vibrations on larger irregularities like "speed bumps" are still transmitted to the salon, not limited to simple body swing.
On the other hand, fans of the Czech brand have always appreciated refined driving habits and good handling in these cars. Even when it comes to conventionally models of the lower price segment.
However, it is too early to judge how "budgetary" Karoq turned out to be. Skoda's Russian office has announced the price of only the only version of the crossover available for order with a 1,4-liter turbocharger and front-wheel drive. It is $ 19. for the Ambition package and $ 636. for the Style version.
Both versions are pretty well equipped, but still do not look very affordable, and besides, they can add another $ 2 -619 if you get carried away by ordering additional equipment. As a result, the Karoq is exactly one step lower than the Kodiaq, but at the same time it occupies the top positions in the segment of compact crossovers of the same size. Apparently, this is exactly how it was intended.
| A type | Crossover |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4382/1841/1603 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2638 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 160 |
| Cargo space, l | 500 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1390 |
| engine's type | R4, benz., Turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1395 |
| Max. power, l. with. (at rpm) | 150/5000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 250 / 1500-4000 |
| Drive type, transmission | Before., AKP8 |
| Max. speed km / h | 199 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 8,8 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 6,3 |
| Price from, $. | 19 636 |
