Škoda has replaced its popular Yeti small SUV with a fresh design car that includes a new name. The Yeti replacement is called the Karoq and with the name change Škoda has delivered a bigger and more modern-looking car.

The Yeti’s unique design style is replaced by a car that looks like a downsized version of Škoda’s bigger SUV, the impressive Kodiaq. This new Škoda Karoq has a more spacious interior than the Yeti of the past and comes with a significantly bigger boot.

This new Škoda is available with the brand’s optional Vario-Flex seat system that can be adjusted forward and back, folded or completely removed. When fully folded flat they give a massive 1,810 litres of boot space. The test car that I drove recently also came with the optional electric boot opening door.

The Karoq sits high on the road and comes with new LED lights to help its road presence.

Interior

Škoda claims the use of better materials and a better build quality with the Karoq. The interior feel is more modern with a new large centrally mounted digital instrument panel. This provides touchscreen control of a host of features, including the optional navigation system or the more simple Apple CarPlay or Android Auto systems.

There are four engine versions of the new Karoq and I took the entry level 1.0-litre petrol version, powered by a lively three-cylinder engine, to the road. This engine is smoother than I had expected. It’s quiet and a new competitor to the entry level diesel version with its 1.6 litre engine.

The petrol v diesel debate will dominate with cars as the Karoq. When you do the maths, there will be an annual running cost difference of about €500 a year, at real-world fuel economy levels, still in favour of the diesel version.

On the other hand, the obvious diesel downside is that this version costs over€2,000 more to buy. The entry diesel also brings with it additional 200kg towing power over the 1.5-tonne petrol version towing rating.

This means that over four years, at a reasonably normal level of road use levels of 20,000km, the ownership costs will be very similar. At lower-use the petrol version makes most sense for drivers who want all of the features that a compact SUV offers.

The unknown is how diesel will be treated in future Government budgets and how that will impact on diesel car running costs. It has to be acknowledged that in terms of CO2 emissions, the petrol and diesel versions are close to identical. Annual road tax costs are only marginally different.

I found that the Karoq achieved a fuel economy figure that was about 16% off the official 18.9km/litre (5.3l/100km or 53mpg) rating. That gave me a range of over 800km from the 50-litre fuel tank. That’s impressive for a petrol-powered SUV that needs to rev to 2,500rpm to achieve 120km/hr on the motorway using its smooth six-speed gearbox.

Out on the road it’s easy to get comfortable with the Karoq and it’s a car that’s easy to drive. It doesn’t feel especially compact, although bigger than the previous Yeti, while it’s marginally smaller than cars such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford Kuga.

The car comes with impressive features and lots of safety equipment to ensure that it achieved a high rating in the Euro NCAP crash test programme before it was even launched late last year. There is a hill start assist system for easier driving and an impressive reversing camera included.

The Škoda price offer on the Karoq is competitive, even if it’s significantly more expensive than the Yeti of this time last year. The real competition for this Karoq is the related Seat Ateca, with almost identical length and wheelbase, as well as similar engine options.

Verdict

Now under Volkswagen Group ownership, the fact that the Škoda brand has grown so strongly is a major plus in the Karoq’s favour. Entry prices start at €27,715 or £21,255 in Northern Ireland, for the petrol version that we drove.

Those considering downsizing from a larger SUV have a real option in this new Karoq and don’t rule out petrol power, when you look at the overall running costs. While those looking at their first venture into SUV world will get space, comfort and value in Škoda’s latest compact SUV.