My Candy Whiote 1.5TSI DSG SE-Tech Karoq arrived last week. Having covered ~160 miles I thought I would share my first impressions.

 

Looks
Extreior-wise the SE-Tech looks pretty much the same as any other Karaq, albiet with base 17" Triton alloys and black roof-rail and window trimings. The Karoq cannot be called pretty, trendy, quirky or ugly. My personal opinion is that functionally-bland best fits it's appearance.

 

Practicality
My other car is a MK3 Octavia VRS TSI Estate. I am 6ft5" tall with a rather large build. Front space is pretty much identical to the Octavia (huge), with perhaps an inch more headroom and a tiny bit more shoulder room. The Karoq's rear loses ~2-inches kneeroom to the Octavia, but I can still sit behind myself with an inch to spare and plenty of headroom. The boot is noticeably smaller than an Octavia Estate, but is nice and square, and large enough for most family needs. I like that Skoda includes the full set of boot nets and sticky fixing blocks. I probably won't use the blocks, but the nets are usefull for holding footballs in place.

 

Interior
The fromt seats are very comfortable for a big bloke like me. My missus who is a petite 5ft3" also likes the raised/upright driving position, and finds the seats comfy. The rear seats (basic 60/40 within SE/SE-Tech) are also comfy, but have noticeably less padding than the fronts. The 8" Amnunsden infotainatment system is clear, fast and easy to use. The satnav is okay, but my wife and I both prefer google maps via Android Auto or Car Play. The front and rear parking sensors are very useful, and Adaptive Cruise Control is also standard on SE-Tech. Many people love ACC, but I have not gotten on with cruise control within any car, so I will never use it.

 

Refinement
The 1.5TSI engine is quiet and smooth at low-medium rev's, but has very little character. Above 4000rpm it begins to sound strained and by 5500rpm it audibly begs for a gearchange. Skoda/VAG should really have engineered a better sound from the exhaust - a 1.6L Alfa sounds 100x better. The 7-speed dry DSG box is very refined on the move, but it lacks the precision of a manual box when pulling away from standstill and when parking in tight spaces. With a manual box I can edge a car forwards or backwards with milimetre accuracy. With DSG the fine control is lost and it creeps or (sometimes) lurches an inch at a time. Inside the cabin it very quiet at normal 30-80 speeds. Wind noise is low for a tall car. About the only area where it is noiser than my Octiva is over rough ground, where kicked-up stones rattle against the underside and wheel arches.

 

Performance
The 1.5 may sound like a hairdryer, but it is incredibly tourqey and offers very decent performance. The DSG box does like to choose too-high a gear for economy, but when pushed this engine/gearbox combo really can fly. It feels faster than the 0-60 time of 8.6 seconds suggests. The engine pulls well from 1700-4500rpm (where it is most needed), before the turbo starts to choke. It is not really worth pushing past 5000rpm.

 

Ride and Handling
Compared to the Octy VRS, the Karoq's ride is quite soft - but not overly so. There is plenty of grip from the front wheels and it hangs on well around corners. If you are after a smooth and relaxed drive - it beats an Octavia VRS hands-down. Being the 1.5 it is front-wheel drive only with basic torsion-bar rear suspension. Do not let the torsion-bar rear setup put you off - it is refined and grips well over flat and unevern surfaces. For 95% of my driving needs it is as good as my VRS multi-link setup - with the Karoq being far better over speed bumps and when mounting/dismounting kerbs. Fair to say that the Karoq is not a sports car and it will lean a fair bit into corners. This is the compromise for the smooth ride.

 

Likes
*Very nearly as practical as an Octavia Estate
*Great value for money - same lease cost as a Fiesta or Fabia.
*Averaging 42mpg (maxidot) after 158 miles.
*Very nice kit level for an entry-level car
*17" alloys and high-profile tyres help protect the car against my wife's parking. She killed my VRS alloys.
*Very cheap to insure - I can even add a 17-year old for an extra £300.

*3x 12V sockets - Front / Rear / Boot. Adding a 12V-to-USB insert within the rear means my kids can charge their phones.

 

Dislikes
*The car has just one USB port. This is placed within the front centre-console, but can only be used when the money/phone tray slide-door is open. This also applies to the front 12V socket, so if you like to run a dashcam 24/7 (like me) you need to leave the dash-tray open all of the time and cannot hide money or charging phones there.
*The boot floor cover is made out of paper-thin chipboard covered in very cheap "carpet". My Octavia was the same.
*Stop-start is too eager to stop-start. Can cause the car to lurch from the light's unless you are deliveratly slow onto the throttle.

 

Not sure's

*I am not completely won over by DSG. I have owned several dual-clutch equipped cars (including BMW ZF), and they all seem to lack precision/feel at low speeds. Once moving DSG is great, but generally I find manual's more fun and much more involving.

 

Overall
I purchased the Karoq as a cheap second car before ever seeing one. The Karoq is larger, more-refined and more-practical than I anticpated. The 1.5TSI engine combined with DSG are a very good match for a vehicle of this size. It is a better car than I expected.

 

Edited 11 March, 20188 yr by Orville

Great write-up, thank you for taking the time. Out of interest, does the SE Tech have the foldable tables on the back of the front seats as per the other trim levels?

 

I'm surprised that you're able to fit so comfortably 'behind yourself' at 6' 5". I'm a little apprehensive as having tested with the VarioFlex seating in the rear I don't have much space 'behind myself'. Interesting that the 60/40 bench rear seat provides so much more space.

 

I'd also be interested to know if you added one of the spare wheel options, and whether there's a step up when the rear seats are folded down.

Thanks for the great review Orville!! You have covered most if not all of what I wanted to know. Reassured for the most part. I note the low speed maneuverability aspect - I have only ever used manual and torque converter auto gearbox which are probably easier. But hopefully its technique and learnable.

1 hour ago, terrapin said:

Great write-up, thank you for taking the time. Out of interest, does the SE Tech have the foldable tables on the back of the front seats as per the other trim levels?

 

I'm surprised that you're able to fit so comfortably 'behind yourself' at 6' 5". I'm a little apprehensive as having tested with the VarioFlex seating in the rear I don't have much space 'behind myself'. Interesting that the 60/40 bench rear seat provides so much more space.

 

I'd also be interested to know if you added one of the spare wheel options, and whether there's a step up when the rear seats are folded down.

The SE-Tech does have the foldable rear tables. My son likes them, but they are really just a gimmick for kids.

 

Regarding legromm, I am an equally proportioned 6ft5. Some shorter people with longer-legged frames may find the rear tighter than me. It will also depend upon how you sit. I damaged my spine playing sports many years ago, so I deliberately sit quite upright to maintain a good posture. If you slouch then you'll steal a few extra inches. The Karoq has decent legroom and excellent headroom so it suits my size and posture. The car is a foot shorter than an Octavia but most of that room appears to be lost within the boot. I would suggest trying an SE/SE-Tech before you buy because I doubt whether the variflex seats would eat much additional legroom (if any).

 

As a side note, the driving position is definately better (for me) than within my Octavia. My wife greatly prefers the comfort AND refinement of the Karoq over the Octy. I just collected her work (yes on a Sunday) and she commented specifically on the cars quietness and smoothness. Note that my VRS can be a bit bumpy/crashy due to the sporty factory suspension.

 

My (trendy) daughter affectionately calls the Karoq a B-TEC Range Rover - she wanted the new car to be an Audi A1 and the wife wanted an Evoque. I wanted value and practicality - and for once I won.

Edited 11 March, 20188 yr by Orville

Great write up. Thx  for taking the time as we are expecting the very same car but in manual this month.

Get my 1.5TSi SE Tech DSG on the 23rd, can't wait and glad to hear the engine has plenty of grunt, was concerned how it would be to drive after my 2.0 TDI Octavia.

Should be no problem whatsoever creeping forward or backwards with a DSG box.

 

Keep your foot off the Go Pedal.

 

I love ‘em.

On 11/03/2018 at 21:45, Orville said:

 

I just think that looks great despite the smallish wheels. Ours is the same but still 2 weeks away. Feel free to post more pics, pretty please.

14 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

Should be no problem whatsoever creeping forward or backwards with a DSG box.

 

Keep your foot off the Go Pedal.

 

I love ‘em.

It's not a problem, but DSG is less precise than a manual during low speed driving. There is more fine-control when you dictate both clutch and accelerator action. An example is when parking within really tight spaces, where in my manual Octavia I would be comfortable very-slowly "bumping" the car into the vehicle infront or behind. This can be controlled at really-low speed without any risk of damage. DSG likes to disengage the clutch too quickly which can result in a more uncontrolled lurch. It is one of the few areas where (IMO) DSG is weaker. The box itself is lovely and smooth when driving at anything above parking speeds.

I have identified two further minor niggles.

 

*Automatic Dimming Mirror.

There is no way to turn of automtic dimming. My Octavia has a switch that can turn it off, but the Karoq is always-on. This wouldn't normally be much of an problem, but the the mirror's ligh-sensor being on the left-hand side. If you fit a dash-cam behind the mirror (on  the passenger side of UK cars) it blocks the sensor - so the car always thinks it is dark and dims the mirror. I personally prefer not to have my mirror dimmed but the Karoq offers me no option.

 

*Light Switch Posistion

The main light / headlight switch is placed level with my right knee. Several time I have knocked it out of "Auto" position when getting in and out of the car. Last night I managed to drive for 100 yards before realising my light's were off. To fix the issue I have now stuck the switch in Auto position with the aid of a piece of black duct-tape. I am too used to using Auto-lights within previous cars to revert back to manual switching nowaday. My Octavia light-switch is located higher on the dash so has never been knocked accidentally.

 

and another positive

 

*Electronic Parking Brake

I really like the EPB. After stopping/parking, place the car in Park, turn off ignition , and the EPB applies itself. Start the car, put it into Drive or Reverse, release the footbrake, and the EPB turns itself off allowing the car to creep forwards/backwards. I have completely stopped using the manual override as letting it run automatcally is so effortless on a DSG equipped car. I guess the same applies for manual versions.