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If you can see the signature panel on my post, you'll see I bought one in October 2020 as a factory order! Much cheaper than the equivalent Tiguan or Q3, with options they couldn't provide. And I don't see the need to pay thousands for a VW or Audi badge on a car! I buy cars to keep for 7 or so years rather than rent for 3 years, so the trade-in depreciation evens out. But this will probably be my last new car anyway as electric cars don't meet my needs. Chris

Well they sold 644 in 2019 and 202 (according to DVLA website - no figures for 2021 yet) so there's clearly a market there! And I can confirm it's a lovely car to drive, with perfectly acceptable fuel consumption. (And the facelifted model has improved CO2 and MPG figures too. Just a pity that Area View has disappeared from the option list, and I can't see a heated windscreen either.) Chris

UPDATE: ======= The configurator now shows the new Karoq - but only here: Choose a trim (skoda-auto.com) and not via the Karoq page at Skoda UK! Prices are from: SE Drive 1.0TSI (110PS): £25,950 SE Drive 1.5TSI (150PS): £27,300 SE Drive 1.5TSI (150PS) DSG: £28,750 SE Drive 2.0TDI (116PS): £28,490 SE Drive 2.0TDI (116PS) DSG: £29,935 SE Drive 2.0TDI (150PS): £29,545 SE L 1.0TSI (110PS): £27,785 SE L 1.5TSI (150PS): £29,140 SE L 1.5TSI (150PS) DSG: £30,645 SE L 2.0TDI (116PS): £30,360 SE L 2.0TDI (116PS) DSG: £31,870 SE L 2.0TDI (150PS): £31,425 SE L 2.0TDI (150PS) DSG 4x4: £34,775 Sportline 1.5TSI (150PS): £31,835 Sportline 1.5TSI (150PS) DSG: £33,285 Sportline 2.0TSI (190PS) DSG 4x4: £36,950 Sportline 2.0TDI (150PS): £34,115 Sportline 2.0TDI (150PS) DSG 4x4: £37,760 Great to see the Sportline 2.0TSI DSG 4x4 has reappeared!!

Thanks yarre, It would probably be helpful if you added your location to your profile so readers know where you're from as Skoda owners across the world all have different options available to them from their Skoda distributors. Best Wishes, Chris

In the UK at least, this is certainly not the case as my car's navigation database was updated several times before my first annual service. And in another thread an owner reported that his new car was supplied with a navigation database that was around a year old, but it then updated itself to the current issue as soon as he started driving it. Again in the UK, Skoda provide a free dataplan to keep the car online for the first year for the navigation database updates and also for the emergency call system, information calls, traffic updates etc. After that we have to either pay for Connect licences or lose some features. If you live elsewhere in Europe (since you refer to a 15,000 km service) then your distributor could have a different sales policy though. Chris

I fitted my own too. It's straightforward and described here: I bought mine from a Skoda dealer in the Republic of Ireland (pre-Brexit) as their prices were much cheaper than Skoda dealers in the UK. So if you go that way you might find it useful to shop around for prices. At present Hortons (Lincoln) seem to be offering them at a good price too: SKODA Karoq 2017 to present Exterior Protection | Horton ŠKODA (theskodashop.co.uk) Chris

For a common design fault in a 2021 car, there should be no question of a diagnostic fee being charged to the owner! Hopefully it is just the dealer loading the warranty costs he wants to recover from Skoda UK

Which hopefully explains the price hike, and perhaps makes the Edition trim redundant?

Presumably the SE trim (and hopefully 2.0TSI engine) will be added some time after the launch? Skoda UK may be thinking that they can't cope with the demand at present, and the eager beavers wanting the new model will take the most popular trims and engines. The loss of the Edition trim is odd too, as that was very popular in the UK. Chris

Skoda UK have now announced details of the facelifted Karoq, with the order book opening on 17th February and first deliveries expected by late Spring. The headlines are just 3 trim levels - SE Drive, SE L and Sportline, with 4 engines - the 1.0 TSI (110 PS), 1.5 TSI (150 PS), 2.0 TDI (116 PS), and 2.0TDI (150 PS). A 7 speed DSG box is available with the 1.5TSI (150 PS) and 2.0 TDI (150 PS). Only the 2.0TDI (150 PS) can have 4x4 drive. Prices seem to have increased by around £1500 from September 21. Details at: https://skodamedia.com/en-gb/releases/1293 Chris

I think our Karoqs come with Western Europe maps? But the online updates are only triggered when there is a change in your 'country'. I'm not sure if that means England or the UK for us. If you look on the Skoda Update website that will probably tell you what maps have been issued for Australia. Chris

The only time I see these messages is when there are some minor changes to the software, and on inspecting the 'notification' area on the infotainment system they always seem to be connected to the 'shop' area on the system. It's interesting that your software version is 0278 as this is yet another level being installed in the factory but not by dealers! Your maps seem to be updating correctly, but again from my experience this happens in the background without any notifications to the driver unless you actually go to check in the system settings. Chris

From another thread on this forum I see that the latest cars being delivered come with software 0302. Don't know how this has changed from 0276 but it'll be interesting to see which level you get.

My Karoq was on 0270 when it went in for its first service last November, but the map database had been updated several times during 2021. As I'd heard on the forum that the general software had been updated to 0276, I asked for it to be updated during the service, and also mentioned a couple of intermittent faults - traffic assist not available, lane assist not available & dynamic road signs not available. The dealer serviced the car and booked it back in for a new steering wheel/controller unit to cure the intermittent faults, but said the software was up to date. While I was waiting for the new steering wheel to be delivered, I suffered the SOS Not Available fault and reported this to the dealer. When I returned to get the new steering wheel fitted, they also updated the software to 0276! So it seemed to me that the software update was only installed if you reported a fault which it would cure! (I understand from my dealer that it takes several hours to download and install the software update.) Since then the navigation database has updated itself again... to 21.9 last December, and again to 21.11 in January. This is all completely in the background and I see no messages about it being updated - unlike the updates to the shop etc. I also have problems with Skoda Connect and the My Skoda app sending destinations to the car. Sometimes it works, while other times it might not arrive until I'm actually on the journey, but I'm putting this down to excess demands on the Skoda cloud software and the data messages getting delayed. Chris

Just checked mine... the navigation database is now at 21.11 too!

Interesting that you're on software level 0302, as mine was updated by my dealer to 0276 (as the latest available) last December. But your navigation database seems seriously out of date from the factory! My car was delivered with 19.11 in November 2020, then updated itself to 20.9 in March 2021, 21.2 in April 2021, and 21.9 in November 2021! (It should update itself as it realises there's an update available, and will presumably just jump up to 21.9 at least once you start driving it.)

I have seen reports recently saying that many cars are being 'clocked' before resale - i.e. the mileage reading you can see on their instrument panel is nothing like their actual mileage. So any graphical record showing how the car's present mileage has been created will be very helpful to the new owner.

I must confess I find the idea of talking to my car so ridiculous that I've never even tried it! Chris

Autocar are talking about it being in showrooms in April 2022.

As far as I can see, the driver personalisation is part of the user id/account and doesn't appear to be part of the Connect services. Also, in checking this, I've realised that the Voice Assist feature also seems to be part of the Infotainment Online package. Chris

Note: Infotainment online also includes Online Voice Assist I think!

Legally, your dealer is responsible for supplying you with a satisfactory car, and they then have a similar contract with Skoda UK. But an opening rear door is a serious safety issue as it will allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicle as well as possibly dumping your luggage in the path of a following vehicle! I'd insist on your dealer soring it out while it's still under warranty, and providing you with a roadworthy car while they do so. If you need help enforcing your legal rights, can you speak to your local Citizens Advice Bureau, or Trading Standards? Chris

Infotainment Online Provides: Parking Space availability and prices, Online Route Import, Petrol Station prices, Online Map Update, Online Traffic Information, Online Route Calculation. Remote Access Provides: Parking Position, Honk & Flash, Speed Notification, Vehicle Status, Online Anti-Theft Alarm, Area Notification, Driving Data, Lock & Unlock, Digital Certificate. So if you don't renew, these are the features you lose. However there is talk about being able to update the maps manually via a USB memory stick and a downloaded update file. Chris

If cleaning the windscreen camera doesn't help, and especially if you get other warnings that Lane Assist and Dynamic Roadsigns aren't available (if fitted to your car) then it could mean the controller in the steering wheel needs to be replaced under warranty. Lane Assist and Travel Assist have capacitive sensors in the steering wheel to detect whether or not your hands are on the steering wheel, and the electronic controller is in the steering wheel too. Several of us in the UK have had faults like this, and dealers are used to replacing the steering wheel to cure it. I had the fault every few months, but only got round to telling my dealer at the annual service, but he ordered up a new steering wheel for me straight away. Some owners think it is also linked to having a heated steering wheel, and whether or not you're keeping your hands warm Chris

The legal requirement is only for one rear fog light, on the offside. So the nearside one is often missing, with the reflector etc being there for righthand drive cars where the one fog light would be on that side instead. Chris