Skoda Karoq review - Practicality & boot space
The Skoda Karoq has lots of room for rear-seat passengers and a big boot, too
Skoda is aiming the Kodiaq and Karoq squarely at families, so as you’d expect, the Karoq has plenty of interior space, despite being about a foot shorter than the larger car. Of course, the smaller Skoda SUV has five seats instead of seven, but its shorter length also makes it easier to park.
Skoda Karoq interior space & storage
Thanks to the Karoq's elevated ride height and tall roofline, it’s easier for passengers to get in and out than a low-slung hatchback or gigantic 4x4. Once inside, a typical young family will find plenty of space front and rear. In the front, there’s plenty of headroom and shoulder room and the driver’s seat and steering wheel offer lots of adjustment. Most rear-seat passengers will be comfortable, too, although the tallest may find their knees brushing the front seatbacks.
Boot space
In the SE Drive trim Karoq without VarioFlex, the boot measures 521 litres, making it larger than the Ateca (510 litres), while almost identical to the Peugeot 3008. When VarioFlex is fitted, the luggage space can be adjusted from 479 to 588 litres – as long as your backseat passengers don’t mind the reduction in knee room.
The Karoq offers a respectable amount of space with all its rear seats folded down, with 1,605 litres of space when Varioflex is fitted, compared with the 1,670 litres of the Peugeot and 1,655 litres of the Volkswagen Tiguan. This can be increased further to 1,810 litres by removing the rear seats but this isn't something we expect owners will do very often.
It’s a very practical space, with a fairly low loading lip for an SUV, a large aperture and a very square cargo area, although there’s a slight step to lift items over when the back seats are folded down. Every nook and cranny to the rear of the boot has a cubby hole for keeping smaller items, preventing them from rolling around in the boot, and there are plenty of hooks for securing items as well.
Towing
Despite being relatively small, the Karoq should make a good tow car; even the 1.0-litre petrol can tow a 1,400kg braked trailer, bringing many caravans into reach. The 1.5-litre TSI can handle 1,700kg, while the top 2.0-litre diesel with four-wheel drive can haul up to 2,100kg.
