Skoda Karoq 2.0 TDI 4x4 2017 first drive

Although Skoda won’t admit it, the Karoq is the replacement for the much-loved Yeti. That was a likeable car of comfort, character and tidy handling, not to mention one of the first to latch onto the galactic moneymaking potential of the crossover segment – but it was undoubtedly flawed. Not as spacious as it needed to be and a touch too dear in the face of Nissan Qashqais and the like, after eight years of service the Yeti was ready for retirement.

Built on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, the new Karoq is not an obvious successor. It’s much sleeker, for a start, exhibiting Skoda’s increasingly chiselled design language while at the same time smoothing out the two-box silhouette of Skoda its predecessor to resemble a scaled-down version of a full-size SUV. It’s also larger than the Yeti in every department and, with LED lights front and rear, looks smart, lean and modern - although not that endearing.

Four engines are offered at launch – two diesel and two petrol, ranging from 113bhp to 148bhp – and, depending on which you choose, the Karoq can be had with all-wheel drive and a double-clutch transmission instead of the standard six-speed manual. A range-topping 2.0-litre TDI with a warm-hatch-baiting 187bhp is due at some point next year.

Inside the austere but comfortable cabin (which features front seats that can be set usefully high or low, as well as plenty of innovative storage) is a version of the digital instrument panel pioneered by Audi’s Virtual Cockpit and a choice of two glass-faced central touchscreen systems for the infotainment: the 8.0in Amundsen and the sprawling 9.2in Columbus. Skoda’s optional VarioFlex rear seats, meanwhile, can be individually removed, allowing owners to tailor the trade-off between passenger count and luggage capacity.

Competent to a fault. We’ve already driven the 1.5-litre TSI Karoq – the model Skoda expects to rack up the most sales in the UK. Like that car, the more powerful of the two diesels currently on sale, the 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI sampled here, doesn’t disappoint.

Developing 251lb ft from 1750rpm, it serves up its ample muscle discretely and responsively in a manner typical of the VW Group’s turbodiesel engines in a low state of tune. That means it’s more usable than the petrol (itself good for 184lb ft from 1500rpm), although the usual caveats apply: the diesel is neither as satisfying to wring out nor as cultured under load, particularly while overtaking.