Best by far is the 1.5-litre petrol, which in this launch model was driving just the front wheels with a manual gearbox. With Karoq weighing in at about 1.4 tonnes in top-model form, this engine, while refined and quiet, can feel a bit breathless at times. If you are planning on towing, you'd probably want the big diesel. Perhaps that reluctance is to do with a slight over gearing, so you need to stir the surprisingly precise (and occasionally stiff) gear lever. What is undeniable is the fine blend of ride and handling. On Skoda engineered dampers, it rides comfortably but positively, with well-controlled body sway and only the immediate response to sharp changes of direction betraying the fact that this is a high-mounted vehicle. The brakes are good, too, but in the end, it's that cossetting ride quality which marks it out as a Skoda.
They say that looks are everything in this family-sized SUV market, though the Nissan Qashqai's place as Europe's second-most popular car ahead of Volkswagen's Polo and Renault's Clio perhaps gives the lie to that. There will, of course, be those who rightly mourn the old Yeti, but while this replacement is hardly memorable or a benchmark in attractiveness, there's no denying that it drives much better and is a lot more refined. I didn't really want to like this bland looking SUV and I miss the old Yeti, but in the end, it's hard to avoid the fact that Karoq is a well engineered, fine riding example of the breed and for most buyers that's enough.
The Numbers
Engines: 1,498cc, four-cylinder TSI turbocharged petrol
Transmission: six-speed manual, front wheel drive
Bhp/lb ft: 148bhp @ 5,000/184lb ft @ 1,500rpm
0-62mph: 8.4sec
Top speed: 126mph
Price as tested: £24,515