Skoda has an SUV to suit every lifestyle
In the market for an SUV? We take a look at what Skoda’s impressively varied lineup has to offer
Over the past 18 years or so, the motoring landscape has changed beyond all recognition, with the rise of the SUV. It makes sense, because SUVs offer a loftier viewpoint, a greater feeling of safety, and more practicality than traditional vehicles.
But things that haven’t changed in that time are the needs of family buyers, because people still need space, ease of use, and all those little touches that make living with a car from day to day that little bit easier. And that’s where Skoda has hit the nail on the head with its SUV range. There really is a Skoda SUV for you, no matter what you and your family’s requirements might be.
Skoda Kamiq
The word Kamiq comes from the Inuit language, and means “something that fits perfectly”, which accurately describes the car and its ability to seamlessly blend into your family life.
The Kamiq may be the entry point to the Skoda range, but it definitely makes a big impression, especially when it comes to interior space, because as our sister title What Car? says: “You’ll have no trouble fitting in the front of a Skoda Kamiq. Even if you’re a six-footer sitting behind someone else of a similar height, you’ll have a gap of several inches in front of your knees. And the Kamiq’s boxy shape means there’s a frankly ridiculous amount of rear head room.” Meanwhile, luggage is catered for thanks to a large 400-litre boot. So if you have a young family that’s growing faster than you can keep up with, a Skoda Kamiq is an ideal choice.
There are three engines available in the Kamiq, all of which run on petrol. The first is a 95PS 1.0-litre TSI, which is linked to a five-speed manual gearbox, and which can manage a remarkable official WLTP economy figure of 51.8mpg. Next up is a 116PS version of the same engine, which is mated to a six-speed gearbox. It has plenty of zing and can do 52.2mpg.
Finally, the 1.5TSI generates 150PS, which gives the Kamiq a real spring in its step. And yet it has an official economy figure of 48.0mpg (or 48.8mpg when fitted with the optional seven-speed DSG transmission).
The entry-level trim is SE Edition, but you wouldn’t know it, because it is so well equipped. For example, it comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and LED running lights, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera, dual-zone air-conditioning and keyless start/stop. Not enough? Well how about a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 10.25in virtual cockpit, plus four USB-C charging sockets, and front assist and lane assist systems.
Moving up to Design Edition adds a Dynamic interior trim and a three-spoke sports steering wheel, then SE L enhances things with tech including keyless entry and start/stop, light and rain sensors, parking sensors at both ends, and selectable Drive modes.
Monte Carlo trim is truly special, and comes with matrix LED headlights, wireless smartphone charging, adaptive cruise control and a panoramic glass roof.
So, something that fits perfectly? That’ll be the Skoda Kamiq.
Skoda Elroq
The all-electric Skoda Elroq is What Car?’s reigning Family Electric SUV of the Year, so you know it’s good.
It was the first car in the range to feature Skoda’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, which includes four front light units and a closed-off front grille – it’s a purposeful look.
There are three versions of the Elroq available, called 50, 60, and 85. The numbers refer to the size of the batteries each model is powered by, so the 50 has a 52kWh battery, the 60 has a 59kWh unit, and the 85 has a 77kWh battery. These translate into range figures of 232 miles, 260 miles and 350 miles respectively, so there is an Elroq that will perfectly suit your daily driving cycle, no matter how far you need to travel.
For a car to earn the title ‘Family Electric SUV of the Year’, it has to easily accommodate a family, and that’s something the Elroq can do without blinking. As What Car? says: “The driver and front passenger get plenty of space, but it’s in the back that the Elroq really impresses: even a six-footer will have plenty of head and leg room to spare when sitting behind a similarly tall driver.” There’s room for a family-quantity of stuff in the boot too, thanks to the 470-litre load space.
Skoda has not skimped on standard equipment, because it has LED lights at both ends, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera (ideal if you’re reversing up to a trailer, for example), and cruise control. SE L trim is ideal if you feel the cold, because it comes complete with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, plus sat-nav and front parking sensors. What Car?’s preferred trim, Edition, adds predictive adaptive cruise control, wireless smartphone charging and cooling, and keyless entry with walk-away locking.
Top-spec SportLine models feature matrix LED headlights that allow you to drive on full beam without dazzling other traffic, 20-inch alloy wheels and animated indicators, plus a plethora of neatly sporty styling touches.
New Skoda Enyaq
Electric cars are expensive, right? Wrong. What Car? says: “Buying an electric car used to require deep pockets or an acceptance of mediocrity, but that’s no longer the case – and the Skoda Enyaq is a shining example of why.”
The testers go on: “The new Skoda Enyaq electric SUV is practical, well-equipped, good to drive and smart inside.” Can’t say fairer than that. And with an impressively spacious interior and a massive 585-litre boot, it makes a fantastic family SUV.
There are three drivetrain options available. The rear-drive 204PS Enyaq 60 model has a 63kWh battery and a range of 268 miles. Next up is the 85 version, which pairs an 82kWh battery with a 286PS electric motor on the rear axle, and has an official battery range of 359 miles. The Coupé version of the Enyaq is slightly more aerodynamic, so can travel 365 miles on a charge.
The Enyaq 85x model features the same battery and electric motor as the 85 model, but has the benefit of four-wheel drive courtesy of an electric motor on the front axle. This version has a battery range of 332 miles (the Coupé can do 334 miles).
What Car? is a fan of the Enyaq’s equipment levels: “Even if you go for the entry-level Enyaq trim – SE L – you get loads of standard equipment. That includes 19in alloys, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, wireless phone-charging and touchscreen infotainment.”
However, What Car? considers the next trim level up, called Edition, to be the sweet spot in the range, saying: “Stepping up to one of the Edition trims adds the larger battery, along with matrix LED headlights, an electric driver’s seat with massage and some styling upgrades. It’s the one we’d go for.”
There is also a SportLine trim, which comes with sportier styling, 20in alloys, a head-up display, an upgraded Canton sound system, sportier steering, sports suspension and a variable boot floor.
Skoda Karoq
The Skoda Karoq is the perfect car for those who need a family SUV but who don’t yet want to go electric. It also contains all the attributes people love about Skoda vehicles, namely huge interior space, a vast 521-litre boot, top-notch build quality, great driving manners and down-to-earth running costs.
The engine range comprises four options, starting with a 116PS 1.0-litre petrol unit, which emits just 135g/km of CO2 and manages an official economy figure of 47.9mpg. Next is a 150PS 1.5 TSI engine, which is What Car?’s preferred option because it can do 46.3mpg and hustles the Karoq from 0-62mph in just 9 seconds.
With the 190PS 2.0 TSI petrol in situ, the Karoq can sprint from 0-62mph in just 7.0sec, helped by its standard four-wheel-drive system and seven-speed DSG transmission. But Skoda has not forgotten customers who prefer diesel power, so there’s a 2.0-litre TDI model that produces 150PS, 360Nm of torque and which can manage a combined economy figure of 49.6mpg. And as What Car?’s testers note: “It gives you plenty of oomph at low revs and up to motorway speeds. Indeed, its official 0-62mph of 8.7 seconds makes it the second fastest Karoq in the range.”
Family cars have to be tough, but the Karoq’s build quality is more than up to the task, according to What Car?, which says: “Everything feels solidly screwed together, suggesting that the Karoq will easily shrug off the rigours of family life.”
SE Edition models come with luxury equipment including keyless entry, power-operated child locks, automatic lights and wipers, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, and an 8.0-inch Amundsen satellite-navigation unit, which also incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
SE L Edition models add an upgraded 9.2in Columbus navigation system, headlight washers, keyless entry and engine start/stop, adaptive cruise control and an electrically operated tailgate with virtual pedal.
The purposeful-looking SportLine trim features touches such as gloss black exterior styling additions, a three-spoke sports steering wheel and matrix LED headlights.
Skoda Kodiaq
If you’re going to name a car after a bear, you need to be pretty confident that it has the ability to see off allcomers. But that’s precisely what Skoda has done with the new Kodiaq, an SUV that’s designed to give growing families far more than just the bare necessities, and instead provide absolutely everything they need from their car.
For a start, it’s a bargain; as What Car? says: “With Skoda’s aggressive pricing strategy, the Kodiaq’s starting price is a lot less grizzly than those of rivals.”
So, prices are small, but interior space is exactly the opposite, because the Kodiaq is vast inside. Up front, What Car? notes: “There’s head and leg room going spare even if you’re well above 6ft tall.” And those behind have no reason to feel hard done by: “You can easily fit six-footers with leg room to spare in the outer two rear seats, even if the front seats are slid far back. There’s the width to fit a third passenger in the middle seat without things getting too friendly, and head room in the second row is so generous you can order the panoramic roof and still not worry about heads touching the roof lining.”
But that’s not all. The Kodiaq is available as a five-seater with a cavernous 910-litre boot area, or as a seven-seater with a load area that’s barely any smaller. As What Car? says: “The difference really is minimal.” And even with all seven seats in use, there’s more luggage space than you’ll find in the boot of a small hatchback.
There’s a powertrain to suit everyone in the Kodiaq. Petrol fans can choose from either a 150PS 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine, a 204PS 2.0 TSI, or a 265PS 2.0 TSI in the hot vRS version. Diesel fans haven’t been forgotten either, with the choice of a 150PS 2.0 TDI or a 193PS 2.0 TDI that’s linked to Skoda’s four-wheel-drive system as standard.
Company car users can opt for the perfect Kodiaq, too, in the shape of the 1.5 TSI iV plug-in hybrid model, which has CO2 emissions as low as 9g/km, which equates to minimal Benefit-in-Kind taxation.
What Car?’s testers are big fans of the entry-level Kodiaq SE, saying: “Its equipment inventory includes 18in alloy wheels, ambient interior lighting, keyless start, three-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, auto lights and wipers, power-folding door mirrors and heated front seats.” Generous is the word that springs to mind.
SE L adds an electrically operated tailgate, matrix LED headlights, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory, and keyless entry and start, among many other things.
SportLine trim adds numerous sporty styling touches, plus Dynamic steering, adaptive cruise control, bespoke interior trim and materials, plus semi-automatic vehicle control in an emergency.
Source: Autocar
