• Choice of modern petrol and diesel engines
• No super-economical hybrid versions
• Servicing should be reasonably priced

What are the running costs?

Running costs for the Skoda Karoq are impressively low even though there are no hybrid models with super-high on-paper fuel economy figures. For some buyers this will automatically put rivals such as the Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid in a preferential position, but don’t rule the Karoq out just yet.

The engine range consists of three different turbocharged petrol units – 116hp 1.0-litre TSI Evo, 150hp 1.5-litre TSI Evo and 190hp 2.0-litre TSI Evo – and the 150hp 2.0-litre TDI.

If you want the most efficient petrol engine above all else, the 1.0-litre is the way to go. However, the 1.5-litre version has active cylinder deactivation to save fuel when cruising, so it’s surprisingly close between the two petrols in the real world. We think the 1.5-litre’s extra muscle is more than worth sacrifice a couple of mpgs for.

Meanwhile, the diesel uses a twin-dosing selective catalytic reduction system to reduce harmful emissions – and it remains the best bet for maximum economy on longer journeys. Whether that’s worth the extra purchase cost is even more marginal these days, especially if you don’t spend every waking moment hammering down the motorway.

Opting for a DSG automatic or 4x4 version of the Karoq will reduce efficiency, but not by a huge amount in regular driving. Besides, you’ll also see a drop if you opt for a trim level with larger wheels.

Servicing and warranty

Servicing intervals are once a year or every 20,000 miles. Skoda servicing prices are among the more reasonable around. Service plans start from a shade over £500.

The standard warranty is for three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. Skoda can extend that warranty to as much as five years or 100,000 miles for around £600, which we think is good value.

Reliability

• Good overall levels of reliability
• Build quality appears generally strong
• Beware of expensive repairs once outside of the standard warranty

Skoda has earned itself a good reputation for reliability over the years, producing a wide range of well-built, reliable cars. The Karoq shares plenty of parts with other Volkswagen Group products, so there shouldn’t be any nasty surprises, and typically, this Skoda performs well in customer satisfaction surveys. But that doesn’t make it perfect.

Owners’ forums show these cars suffering with a wide range of mostly minor niggles, and there have been a number of official safety recalls for manufacturing errors as well. If buying used, check to see that any applicable ones have been carried out.

A sound piece of advice would be to extend the Karoq’s warranty beyond the standard manufacturer offering. If something like the DSG transmission goes wrong, you could end up paying Volkswagen repair prices to fix your Skoda.