New Yeti replacement looks much more conventional.
Just three days ahead of its official reveal, Skoda has released a handful of high-res teaser shots of its new Karoq SUV, which will sit below its well-received Kodiaq in its lineup. The Karoq represents the second step in its SUV offensive, and will duke it out in the highly-competitive compact SUV market when it arrives on May 18th.
The Karoq has been designed to be instantly recognisable, though as a Skoda rather than a unique model. This differs somewhat from the Yeti that it replaces, which would never fail to stand out from a crowd, even within the Skoda family of cars. The adoption of a more uniform design isn’t all bad news though, with the Karoq appearing to gain some of the handsome features that we first saw in the bigger Kodiaq.
The fascia sees a four-light arrangement, with “crystalline” elements in the full-LED headlights inspired by Bohemian crystal that the Czech Republic is famed for. The rest of the face should be typical Skoda, with a grille featuring vertical slats sitting beneath a prominent Skoda badge on the snout. The rear features LED technology as well, with the typical C-shaped light signature that we’ve come to recognise from modern Skodas seen here.
Measuring in at 4,382mm in length, 1,841mm in width, and 1,605mm in height, the Karoq has grown in every dimension over the Yeti (except in height, with a marginal difference between the two). The real differences can be seen when comparing the Karoq to the Tiguan, with which it shares a lot of its basic architecture with. The extra size over the Yeti means that the Karoq gets 521L of cargo space behind the rear seats; with the brand’s VarioFlex seating, that space can be expanded further to 588L should you need it to. For ultimate carrying capacity, you can remove all three seats (individually of course, for maximum flexibility) to free up 1,810L of space.
The cabin itself, when not being used as a van, is an entirely pleasant place to be. Don’t expect any surprises, as this is a VW Group product at its heart. The dashboard reminds this writer of the first-generation Tiguan in some regards, though it features modern Skoda cabin embellishments all round. The touchscreen head unit (size not detailed) appears to feature sharp graphics, and the teaser image here shows off what appears to be a fully-digital instrument cluster.
Skoda is keen to highlight the LED ambient lighting, which features through the cabin in thin strips. With ambient lighting, the volume of the cabin is accentuated further, and adds a degree of personalisation to the interior. The driver can control not only the brightness of the cabin lighting, but also the hue, with no less than 10 options available.
The Karoq fits in neatly with the Skoda 2025 strategy, which will seek to expand its SUV offerings considerably. The Karoq and Kodiaq will see the Czech brand charge head-first into the highly-competitive SUV market, with the former contending with other VW Group products in some markets (like the bigger Tiguan and similarly-sized SEAT Ateca). The Karoq will be revealed in full on the 18th in Sweden, with a market launch expected to follow not long afterward.
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