Skoda Karoq 2019 review

Practicality wins any family over. So I'm starting with boot space because goodness it's got such great space for this size vehicle!

As standard, you'll get 479 litres of boot space - that's more than a CX-5 right there. But then you also have what Skoda calls 'VarioFlex' - a system that allows you to reconfigure the back seats so you get more boot space.

First, you can slide or tilt the back seats depending on what you need to fit in the boot (you'll see when the middle armrest goes down, you can see straight into the boot) which will give you up to 589L of boot space - better than most other mid-size SUVs.

Then, you can pop the back seats down flat which is pretty standard across the category, but in the Skoda Karoq you can also actually remove the back seats altogether for a van-load of space. Or take just one seat out, or two, so you reconfigure the car to be a three- or four-seat vehicle depending on your boot load. See, clever. And considerate.

I didn't need to do that this week, so I drove it as a five seat SUV, but it was just nice knowing that I could if I needed to. My two children aged five and seven had heaps of room in the back, they were happy and comfortable in there.

The front also had plenty of leg and head space for both me and my 185cm husband. He didn't look cramped or extra large in this car as he can do in small SUVs.

Really nicely. The Karoq is smooth and handles well whether you're driving along a highway in the rain or snaking through city streets, both of which I did this week. There's a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine which fares well zooming up hills or along the freeway. 

It only comes in a FWD option unfortunately because some people will be looking for AWD, to have more traction on wobbly dirt or gravel roads, however there is apparently an AWD version coming in late 2019. 

The steering felt great - it's really easy to turn which made doing U-turns, three-point turns and reverse parking a breeze, I actually didn't mind doing any of those things this week. It's also got a clear reverse parking camera (to help you effortlessly slip into parks) and front and rear collision warnings.

The steering felt great.

In the Skoda there are two cupholders in the front, though they are too small for my KeepCup. But you can remove them all together and make the centre storage bin one, large space (however, it's still not ideal to rest your coffee in there). 

If you've opted for the launch pack, there is a wireless charging spot, but if not just a spot to chuck your phone and keys. I found the power operated park brake and push button start both really easy to use in this car.

Their positions made sense and you can also tell if the park brake is on or off or not, which is such a simple thing, but some car companies haven't nailed it yet. 

Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest and pockets on the back of the front doors, a bottle holder in each door and with the launch pack you'll get a power operated tailgate which is one of my favourite features. 

Plus, with the Skoda you get some thoughtful inclusions like a soft boot cover which actually moulds to your load, so much better than a regular hard one (I usually have to take those out altogether). Plus two sets of shopping hooks in the boot, a mini bin in the driver's door and a removable torch.

I found the power operated park brake and push button start both really easy to use in this car.

As standard with the Skoda Karoq you'll get airbags that cover the driver and front passenger, plus side curtain airbags that extend to the back row. However there are only two sets of ISOFIX and top tether points for children's car seats. 

But maybe Skoda is just being realistic. In cars this size it's unlikely you will use that centre spot for a child seat, and other cars in this category that do have a centre top tether are just kidding themselves, because people with three kids will go for a car the next size up. 

You'll also get Auto Emergency Braking, which actually kicked in for me this week because I somehow missed a bin on the footpath as I was reverse parking. It's sharp and it works. Other new safety features like blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert are a part of the launch pack or you can choose to just option extra safety in with the much cheaper 'Travel Pack), $1700.

There are only two sets of ISOFIX and top tether points for children's car seats.

The Skoda Karoq comes in at $35,290 drive-away, the Launch Pack is an extra $8900, and 'our' test car featured 19-inch alloy wheels at $700, for an all-in price of $44,890.

Fuel consumption is pretty great with it using a claimed 5.7L/100km. When the car is not under a heavy load it switches to two cylinders, and saves fuel. 

It's covered by Skoda's five year/unlimited km warranty, and servicing is required every 12 months/15,000 km.