The Yeti is no more – the Skoda Karoq will go on sale as the brand’s second SUV later in 2017.
The new model, which will be unveiled in Stockholm, Sweden on 18th May, is a much more typical SUV compared to the Yeti that was more distinctive in shape. It will sit alongside the larger Kodiaq, measuring 4,382mm long, 1,841mm wide and 1,605mm high, with a 2,638mm wheelbase on front-wheel-drive models (2,630 with all-wheel-drive).
A rear-seat VarioFlex system will be on offer, allowing the bootspace to vary between 479 and 588 litres. Folding the rear seats down will allow a 1,630-litre volume and they can be removed altogether to create 1,810 litres of space.
Five engine choices will be available, TSI petrol and TDI diesel units ranging in output from 115hp to 190 hp, and four of them new to Skoda. They will be matched to six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG auto transmissions and all will feature start-stop and brake energy recovery.
Digital dash
Technology upgrades include LED headlamps and the first digital instrument panel offered in a Skoda. A host of driver-assistance systems are included in the specification while infotainment options range up to Columbus and Adamson systems operated through a touchscreen, and including the Skoda Connect assistance service.
The name comes from the same tribe that inspired the title of the Kodiaq, the Alutiqs who live on the island of Kodiak off the southern coast of Alaska. In their language Kaa Raq means ‘car’ and Ruq ‘arrow’. Skoda says this naming style will be adopted for other future SUVs.
