Among car owners, there is an increasing opinion that all-wheel drive on a crossover is a waste of money. About the same number of people think that a crossover must be all-wheel drive. Both are right. However, all-wheel drive affects not only the cross-country ability, but also the safety and controllability of the car, making it enjoyable to drive. “Yuzhny Avtomobil” went to Khakassia to find out whether it is worth overpaying for an all-wheel drive Skoda Karoq.
Live sales of the Skoda Karoq in Russia began in January last year. At the initial stage, in our country it was possible to buy only the front-wheel drive version of the crossover with a 1.4 TSI engine (150 hp) and a classic eight-speed torque converter automatic. But there were quite a lot of people who wanted to buy an all-wheel drive Karoq. Now it’s their turn to celebrate.
Technically, the all-wheel drive Skoda Karoq is a more complex car. Firstly, the all-wheel drive is controlled by a multi-plate Haldex clutch with electronic control. Many sensors constantly monitor the road situation. In normal mode, up to 10% of the torque is transmitted to the rear axle, but if the front wheels start to slip, the car’s electronic brain immediately transfers up to 50% of the torque to the rear axle. Secondly, the front-wheel drive Skoda Karoq has a semi-independent beam at the rear, while ours has a fully independent multi-link suspension. Thirdly, the all-wheel drive Skoda Karoq is paired with a 1.4 TSI turbo engine with a six-speed DSG robotic transmission, which has a positive effect on the dynamic characteristics of the car.
Of course, the Karoq is not designed to cross deep fords or overcome mud baths, but with the above set, it allows you to feel more confident when overtaking, as well as on wet and slippery asphalt. In addition, the turbo engine with a power of 150 horsepower is quite economical and has good dynamics. The acceleration time from zero to a hundred for the all-wheel drive Karoq takes only 8.8 seconds. The presence of adaptive cruise control allows you to overcome many kilometers without fatigue, and the consumption will be around 6-8 liters. Not every crossover can show such results.
Inside
The interior of the seemingly small crossover is quite spacious. The new Skoda fashion – a two-spoke steering wheel appeared here, it is the same as in Rapid or Octavia. In the center of the interior is the screen of the Bolero multimedia system, already familiar from other Skoda models, and the digital screen also displays the instrument panel indicators.
The ergonomics are typical “VAG”. All the necessary elements are in their places and its control is intuitive. Also on the central console, next to the gear lever, there is a place for wireless charging of the phone, but the slot for connecting the phone via a wire is a newfangled USB-C, so if you do not have the latest smartphone model, you will have to buy an adapter.
Due to the fact that the Skoda Karoq has an electromechanical parking brake, a small compartment for small items is located between the front seats. It has a place for a contactless Kessy key, as well as niches for two glasses or plastic bottles. At the bottom of this niche there are five protrusions that allow the driver to unscrew the cap from the bottle with one hand. A 1.5-liter water bottle can be placed in the pockets of the driver’s or passenger door.
It is comfortable to sit not only in the front, but also in the back seats. Two or three people can sit comfortably on the back sofa. Also for rear passengers there are adjustable air conditioning deflectors, three-stage heating of the left and right parts of the seat, USB ports for charging gadgets. There are also two additional sockets – a 12V car socket and a full 230V socket. The power of the latter is enough even to charge a laptop. Safety while driving is additionally ensured by the Side Assist blind spot monitoring system and the Lane Assist lane keeping system
The trunk has a whole range of Simply Clever solutions in the form of additional niches in the floor, various hooks and nets for fixing things, but due to the all-wheel drive, the trunk volume has decreased. If the front-wheel drive version has a useful volume of 500 liters, then the 4×4 version has decreased to 426 liters, but this is quite enough. If you need to carry more, the backs of the sofa can be folded in a ratio of 60 to 40, and then the trunk will grow more than three times.
Is it worth buying?
Of course, if you need to show off, then the Karoq is not for you. But if you need family values, safety and comfort, then this model will definitely suit you. Do you need to buy the all-wheel drive version? Perhaps, if you do not leave the city, then there is no point in overpaying and a front-wheel drive will do just fine for you. If you are planning long trips out of town with your family, picnics or to the country, then the difference of 100 thousand will not be so significant against the background of competitors.
At the same time, the driving pleasure, driving habits and safety of the all-wheel drive Karoq are one step higher than the front-wheel drive. In all Active, Ambition and Style trim levels, the all-wheel drive car will cost one hundred thousand more. The minimum cost of the Skoda Karoq 4×4 in the Active trim level will cost 1,793,000 rubles, the top-end Style trim level costs 2,079,000 rubles. In today’s reality, it is not that expensive for a high-tech, modern and comfortable crossover.
