I would use Google Maps via Android Auto for navigation, which means that the standard Bolero infortainment system with SmartLink+ should be enough.

 

Still, the optional virtual cockpit looks great and makes Karoq feel much more modern. But would it make any sense without satnav in the car?

Edited 1 January, 20197 yr by Guest

Didn’t you post this yesterday?

 

“I would prefer to keep electronic parts to the minimum in my car, but without compromising on comfort where they are absolutely necessary.”

 

 

 

I did, but after realising that a top spec Karoq almost gets into the price range of a premium SUV, I started comparing it to them.

 

And quite a few of them (like Volvo XC40) come with virtual cockpit as standard even in the basic trim.

Therefore, I wouldn't be able to avoid it.

 

And maybe I shouldn't try to anymore.

 

Because it's likely to become a standard part of a car even in Škoda in the next few years. And then my new Škoda Karoq would just look old and out-dated.

 

Still, in the most demonstrations of virtual cockpit it's satnav that plays the major role. But is it good enough in Škoda to compete with Google Maps? And what's the point of virtual cockpit without it?

Edited 1 January, 20197 yr by Guest

This is a comparison of the two from Netherlands, just to illustrate the point (English subtitles available):

 

 

The pricing can be different in every market, but my personal conclusion is, that Škoda Karoq provides the most value for money in its non-premium trim (analog cockpit, fixed rear seats, cloth upholster), and becomes a little bit harder to justify in the top spec. Because no matter how many premium-level extras one adds, it still doesn't look or feel like a premium SUV, and costs nearly as much.

 

Therefore, I might as well settle with a non-premium trim of Škoda Karoq, which makes everything feel in-line: exterior, interior, and the price.

 

Or go for Volvo XC40, if a more premium-feeling car with satnav and virtual cockpit is what I really want.

Edited 1 January, 20197 yr by Guest

I checked out the XC40 and whilst it looked very nice inside it all seemed a little tight, not least the drivers seat, it just didn’t go far enough back for comfort and when speced up with auto box and leather it was just shy of £40k. Too much for a motor. There were some cracking  lease deals available about a year ago but not these days.  The Karoq felt better. Each to their own I suppose.

4 hours ago, onvo said:

Because it's likely to become a standard part of a car even in Škoda in the next few years. And then my new Škoda Karoq would just look old and out-dated.

 

All you need to do is keep the car long enough for analog to become trendy.
Like wrist-watches. 

I almost don’t use the build-in satnav, and still I think the digital cockpit is great. 

5 hours ago, BlackKaroq said:

I almost don’t use the build-in satnav, and still I think the digital cockpit is great. 

 

If you went for Columbus or Amundsen infotainment systems, do you find any of them worth it without using the built-in satnav much?

 

Or would Bolero be totally enough in such case, even with digital cockpit?

Edited 2 January, 20197 yr by Guest

I have the Amundsen, as it was part of a package. I don’t know if there are any other differences between Bolero or Amundsen (eg. in terms of screen size, quality of display etc.), but if satnav is the only difference, I would have a look at the price difference Bolero/Amundsen. And that would be individual...

Thanks.

 

In my country, Bolero comes as standard in all trims, and upgrading to Amundsen gets you 2.5D satnav, Wi-Fi hotspot, and a 2nd SD card slot for 520€.

 

Everything else seems to be the same, if I am not mistaken:

 

http://master.skoda-auto.com/models/karoq/connectivity

 

It looks like a fair deal when satnav is needed, but probably a bit harder to justify when it's not.

Privacy and safety is another concern.

 

Does Karoq with Bolero (without satnav) have any internet connection to the outside world?

 

If it doesn't, it should be much harder to hijack:

 

 

And it shouldn't be able transmit any information about the car to the third-parties (incl. Škoda) by itself.

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by Guest

On 01/01/2019 at 17:20, Berisford said:

I checked out the XC40 and whilst it looked very nice inside it all seemed a little tight, not least the drivers seat, it just didn’t go far enough back for comfort and when speced up with auto box and leather it was just shy of £40k. Too much for a motor. There were some cracking  lease deals available about a year ago but not these days.  The Karoq felt better. Each to their own I suppose.

 

Interestingly, in my country XC40 T4 2.0 AWD (entry spec, but it has everything I need) costs the same as Karoq 1.5 TSI DSG 4x4 with all the options ticked, apart from the premium ones: panoramic roof, varioflex seats, satnav, canton, and 19" alloy wheels.

 

That is, €38k (£34k).

 

I don't like how much darker it is in the back of XC40, because of the smaller windows. And the fact, that it's a bigger car, but with a smaller boot.

 

Still, it looks better, sits higher, and feels more premium.

 

The top spec XC40 (with the same engine) costs €43k (£38k) – which is not much more than Karoq with all the boxes ticked.

 

I like everything about Karoq, but if the version I would buy costs as much as a premium SUV, it's a much harder choice to justify.

 

The major thing here is, that German-owned car manufacturers (including Škoda) start with much lower entry level models, and let you add options until you reach almost 2x the initial price.

 

But Volvo treats entry level models as complete cars. And higher level trims are mostly about some premium or luxury features, which most drivers could do just fine without.

Edited 5 January, 20197 yr by Guest

On 03/01/2019 at 17:58, onvo said:

Privacy and safety is another concern.

 

Does Karoq with Bolero (without satnav) have any internet connection to the outside world?

 

If it doesn't, it should be much harder to hijack:

 

 

And it shouldn't be able transmit any information about the car to the third-parties (incl. Škoda) by itself.

 

Too late, eCall is now mandatory in all new cars sold in Europe.

9 minutes ago, xman said:

 

Too late, eCall is now mandatory in all new cars sold in Europe.

 

I had no idea! Just wow. This is a pure privacy nightmare.

9 hours ago, onvo said:

The major thing here is, that German-owned car manufacturers (including Škoda) start with much lower entry level models, and let you add options until you reach almost 2x the initial price.

 

But Volvo treats entry level models as complete cars. And higher level trims are mostly about some premium or luxury features, which most drivers could do just fine without.

 

That's fairly normal for Chinese-owned car manufacturers - Volvo being owned by Geely (officially Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd) - I'd rather buy European. 

On 02/01/2019 at 12:11, onvo said:

 

If you went for Columbus or Amundsen infotainment systems, do you find any of them worth it without using the built-in satnav much?

 

Or would Bolero be totally enough in such case, even with digital cockpit?

The question is do you want or need sat nav instructions on your cockpit, if the answer is no then go for bolero. 

Admundsen is same as Bolero but you get sat nav guidence on maxidot or in case of virtual cockpit a full map. 

Google maps in any case are not shown on cockpit.

I like to have guidance on maxidot, no need to look on multimedia during driving. 

Virtual cockpit with no maps is missing half of its purpose.When I bought the car it was not available yet, now I would consider it. 

1 hour ago, Arkaig said:

 

That's fairly normal for Chinese-owned car manufacturers - Volvo being owned by Geely (officially Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd) - I'd rather buy European. 

 

I have never owned a Volvo, and expect to keep the car for 8-12 years.

 

Am I likely to face more technical issues with out-of-warranty Volvo than with out-of-warranty Škoda?

 

Škoda should be easier / cheaper to maintain in the long run, as it shares many parts with Audi, Volkswagen, and Seat. Or am I wrong?

 

Another thing I haven't considered, is that Škoda is much less likely to be stolen or broken into, and should attract less unwanted attention when in the countryside.

 

49 minutes ago, FrankLK said:

 

Virtual cockpit with no maps is missing half of its purpose.

 

Thanks for directly confirming my thoughts.

 

It seems then, that either Admundsen / Columbus + virtual cockpit, or Bolero + analog cockpit.

 

I would love to have driving directions in virtual cockpit, but the built-in infortainment system seems to be inferior to all the apps I would gain access to if I replaced it with Android Auto:

 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-android-car-apps/

Edited 5 January, 20197 yr by Guest

I found exactly the same question raised in Audi TT forum:

 

https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=1774561

 

Almost everyone there claims that satnav is an essential part of virtual cockpit.

 

There are some advantages to it, too: it is more reliable and convienient on international roads and in remote locations, where 3G / 4G data connection might be costly or unavailable.

 

And satnav might be better for privacy than Android Auto, because Android Auto "tracks variables including vehicle speed, throttle position, fluid temperatures, and engine revs" and sends everything back to Google (which is developing its own self-driving car technology):

 

https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/6/9460471/porsche-911-carrera-apple-carplay-google-android-auto

 

So, it seems to be possible to justify any choice one could go for.

 

Edited 5 January, 20197 yr by Guest

On ‎01‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 15:20, Berisford said:

I checked out the XC40 and whilst it looked very nice inside it all seemed a little tight, not least the drivers seat, it just didn’t go far enough back for comfort and when speced up with auto box and leather it was just shy of £40k. Too much for a motor. There were some cracking  lease deals available about a year ago but not these days.  The Karoq felt better. Each to their own I suppose.

If it's tight, that's a pity as that car is something I'm inclined towards now. As has been said, once you start speccing up a Karoq, in my case a 1.5 TSI SE L, and without going too mad was soon up to £33k, so the Volvo doesn't start to look too bad.

 

Berisford, how tall are you? I'm 6'1" and the Yeti is great with bags of room, as is the Karoq. I don't want to not have enough room as that would be a backward step.

 

I see that Mercedes Benz are also due to release a new SUV, the GLB in 2019, that looks interesting. I wasn't going to look anywhere else, other than the VWG and Skoda in particular, but I am now. With the pulling away issues with certainly 3 out of the 4 VWG marques that takes a lot of alternatives out of consideration all in one hit.  

3 hours ago, VAGCF said:

If it's tight, that's a pity as that car is something I'm inclined towards now. As has been said, once you start speccing up a Karoq, in my case a 1.5 TSI SE L, and without going too mad was soon up to £33k, so the Volvo doesn't start to look too bad.

 

My impression is, that Volvo designed XC40 with a modern city woman in mind, and left XC60 as a 5-seat SUV of choice for men in its line-up.

Edited 6 January, 20197 yr by Guest

Chinese ownership showing ...

2 hours ago, onvo said:

 

My impression is, that Volvo designed XC40 with a modern city woman in mind, and left XC60 as a 5-seat SUV of choice for men in its line-up.

Whatever the brief, the XC40 is just the right size and looks to be about the same as the Yeti. A relative has an XC60 and it is quite a bit bigger, and far too big for our needs now. I shall still have a look at the XC40. I'd already dismissed the Mini Countryman out of hand size wise, but when my wife's car was in for service I tried one out for size and was pleasantly surprised at how much room there was in it. Not over struck on the styling but it's still on the list as one to test drive.

Edited 6 January, 20197 yr by VAGCF

6 hours ago, VAGCF said:

Berisford, how tall are you? I'm 6'1" and the Yeti is great with bags of room, as is the Karoq. I don't want to not have enough room as that would be a backward step.

 

 

I'm 5'10", perhaps 5'11" in my boots as worn whilst checking out the Volvo.........'twas my wife that wanted to look at the XC40 seeing as her friend has one but the seat (electric leather) just didn't go far enough back for me where as the Karoq is fine. Plus as I mentioned before, the Vovo v Skoda seems all too cramped in the cabin.....it could be as 'onvo' points out, the XC40 is a ladies motor at heart?

Thanks for that. As said, I'll take a look but it could be off the list. Pity, as it does get good reviews and has a conventional auto which I wouldn't have had years ago, but they are much improved and are more reliable than the double clutch jobbies.

3 hours ago, Berisford said:

 

.........'twas my wife that wanted to look at the XC40 seeing as her friend has one but the seat (electric leather) just didn't go far enough back for me where as the Karoq is fine. Plus as I mentioned before, the Vovo v Skoda seems all too cramped in the cabin.....it could be as 'onvo' points out, the XC40 is a ladies motor at heart?

 

Actually, in all official Volvo XC40 commercials, it's women who are presenting and driving the car:

 

 

 

And what do women care about the most in a car? Style and safety.

 

At least with Škoda Karoq I feel much closer to the target audience in terms of both, spirit and appearance:

 

 

Interestingly, Volkswagen Tiguan is trying to appeal to the same audience, even though I consider it much more of a city SUV:

 

 

 

Just love these SUV ads.

Edited 6 January, 20197 yr by Guest