Long-term report: What are the first few miles like with the Skoda Karoq?

Alright, I’ll admit it – I’m not the greatest fan of SUVs. Whereas most of the current car-buying population prefers to sit in a higher, confidence-inspiring seating position that SUVs deliver, I much prefer sitting lower down which is why I’ve always leant towards estate cars and hatches.

But that doesn’t mean I’m just here to discount SUVs and the Karoq – Skoda’s middle-size high-riding model – seems to be an immensely popular model on the market today. It’s one of our newest long-termers here and during my initial time with the car, I’ve just been noticing how many are on the UK’s roads at the moment.

It’s quite a compelling package, in truth. In classic Skoda fashion, it’s packed full of features and has an uber-large boot but isn’t a car which is so large that you’ll worry every time you go within a 20-mile radius of a multi-storey car park. It’s around 300mm shorter than the Octavia – Skoda’s smallest estate car – yet it has that upright presence which does, in fairness, give you a very commanding view of the road ahead.

Many have called the Karoq the natural replacement for the iconic Yeti. I, like so many other people, absolutely adored the Yeti for its no-nonsense approach and clever, pseudo-Mercedes G-Wagen styling and while the Karoq has a distinctly more rounded design to its spiritual stablemate, I can kind of see the relation. As with the Yeti, you can get the Karoq with both two- and four-wheel-drive but in keeping with what is more popular within the current buying community, ours is the former.

Driving those front wheels is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 148bhp, which is enough for a top speed of 130mph and a 0-60mph time of 8.8 seconds. Sure, it’s not going to give your latest hot-hatch much to worry about, but it’s about right for the size and type of car that the Karoq is. In this model, we’ve got a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, too.

The good people at Skoda also allowed me to choose not only the engine but the specification of ‘our’ Karoq, too. While a colleague in the office shamed me for shying away from trendier Sportline specification with its large alloys and gloss-black trim sections, I felt the spirit of the utilitarian Yeti channelling through me and opted for a more comfortable, easy-going set of choices.

First off is the SE L trim level which brings a veritable selection box of standard options including classy 18-inch alloy wheels, a two-spoke heated steering multifunction wheel and chrome accents for a more refined, grown-up appearance. Before options, this brings the Karoq to £33,060. I did, however, get to tick a couple of boxes too.

Knowing that this car would be seeing us over the chillier months meant the winter package plus – with its heated seats both front and rear – was a must-have, while the Light package with its upgraded headlights was another shoo-in considering the depths of winter that it would be driving through.

However, my real find in the options list and one I’ve been banging on about to anyone who will listen is the leather upholstery. You’re right, I am a hoot at dinner parties.

Why is it such a steal, you ask? Well, for an entirely leather-clad interior, Skoda charges the princely sum of £315 which, to me, seems like an absolute steal. It completely switches the character of the Karoq and provides an instantly more premium feel. It looks more upmarket, is harder wearing and gives the whole car the character of an old-school off-roader, which I think is very cool. All for a fraction of the cost of some of the car’s other options, such as the £1,485 upgraded infotainment.

But never mind all of this leather-clad excitement, what is the Karoq like to live with? Well, these first months have been an absolute breeze with this compact Skoda. Of course, being just-off-the-boat low miles means I’ve been being kind to the engine and gearbox but the thrummy 1.5-litre engine provides more than enough low-down torque even when you’re taking things easy.

As with other Volkswagen Group products, there is a degree of lag from the gearbox – when you press the accelerator there’s a fraction of delay between pedal travel and the power actually arriving – but it’s something which has afflicted compact engines with a DSG for quite some time now. The ride is good, too, and the absence of the stiffened suspension and larger alloys that you get on the SportLine means that this Karoq shrugs off the worst of the potholes and road imperfections.

Overall, things are pretty breezy with the Karoq and I can understand why I’ve been seeing so many on the road. I just haven’t seen many with ‘that’ leather interior, so it might be an option which people fail to spot – just don’t tell Skoda I let you in on the secret.