2023 Skoda Karoq vs Volkswagen T-ROC

What's the difference?

This update hasn’t exactly transformed the Karoq, but arguably, it didn’t need that much of a change to begin with.

The two Karoq grades should appeal to very different buyers. The flexibility, packaging and space of the 110TSI give it ammunition against regular medium SUV rivals, while the 140TSI Sportline offers ripping performance in a more visually appealing package - it just lacks some of the practicality of the Style.

Either way, the Karoq deserves way more attention than it’s been given in Australia since its 2018 launch. This update goes some way to fixing that - as long as Skoda can sort out its supply issues. 

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

It's not great that rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot warning haven't been included as part of the T-Roc R Grid Edition's safety package, but there are also things left out that I agree should be. Who needs the leather seats of a T-Roc R? Or power adjustable ones? Not if you can save thousands and keep all the grunt and dynamics.

Yes, the T-Roc R Grid Edition is great value and seriously good fun to drive with a superb high quality feel.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The changes Skoda has made to the Karoq’s design as part of the mid-life update are best described as subtle.

It gains a new front bumper and wider lower air intake, new headlight design, and split daytime running lights, as well as an extended tailgate spoiler and redesigned slimline tail-lights at the rear, capped off by new alloy wheel designs.

The Karoq is probably the most conservative looking Skoda you can buy, and while the refresh has certainly sharpened up the SUV’s design, it hasn’t elevated it.

Compared with the modern exterior design of rivals like the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage twins, the upcoming new-gen Nissan X-Trail or even the Peugeot 3008, the Karoq looks a little too conventional.

In saying that, fans of understated design will likely appreciate Skoda’s measured approach.

Very little has changed inside and the interior design is functional, but somewhat generic. 

The T-Roc R Grid Edition is just 4.2m long, 1.5m tall and 1.8m wide, making it small but not the littlest Volkswagen SUV you can get in Australia - that's the T-Cross.

Still, it's little and wearing a tough body kit the T-Roc R Grid Edition looks a bit cartoon-like - in a good way.

Really, the only way you can tell a T-Roc R Grid Edition from the regular T Roc R is by its 19-inch Pretoria wheels and the black roof rails.

The headlights and tail-lights are also slightly different, but this grid edition still looks savage.

Inside, the Nappa leather seats from the T- Roc R are swapped for fabric ones which I think suit this little monster better than the ones made of skin. Euggghh, that sounded gross, but it's true.

It's a premium cabin, as you'd expect from Volkswagen, with zero silliness in there, apart from the R button on the steering wheel.

Press it and you're in 'Race' mode which firms the dampers and gives this SUV a more menacing exhaust note.

At $54,300 the T-Roc R Grid Edition is a lot more affordable than its Audi cousin the SQ2 which has the same engine but lists for $68,200.

The Hyundai Kona N almost matches the T-Roc R Grid Edition for grunt, but undercuts it in price at $49,200.

As Skoda points out, the Karoq has smaller exterior dimensions than rivals like the Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V, but, for the most part, it has more interior occupant space in the front and rear rows, and more luggage space, than those models.

That’s down to clever packaging - something Skoda does very well.

In the 110TSI Style, the Karoq has excellent storage in the front doors for tall and wide drink bottles, as well as extra space in the door cavity for the useful Skoda rubbish bin.

There’s a handy storage compartment with a lid on the top of the dash, while the central storage bin can be covered by moving the armrest back or forth. It has a wireless charging pad with a sliding cover and a pair of USB-C ports.

The central multimedia display is good and functions well, and all of the controls and stalks are well positioned. 'Virtual Cockpit' is one of the best digital instrument displays there is. The cabin design might not wow you, but it’s hard to fault the functionality of the Karoq.

In the second row, there’s loads of space for three, with ample toe, leg and headroom, and decent bottle storage in the doors. While the Style might lack the rear ski port and centre rear armrest of the Sportline, it has a much more useful trick up its sleeve.

It comes standard with Skoda’s 'Varioflex' rear seating, which folds 40/20/40. Each separate seat can be folded, lowered or raised, tumbled forward to greatly enhance cargo space, or removed from the car completely. It’s like Honda’s 'Magic Seats', and it’s a brilliant addition that sets it apart from its rivals - aside from Honda.

The Sportline swaps the Varioflex seats for regular sports seats that, in the rear, fold 60/40. The front seats in the Sportline offer incredible support, and the flat-bottom perforated leather steering wheel adds to the sporty vibe.

With a 588-litre boot (with all seats in place), the Karoq 110TSI Style has more space than the CX-5, Sportage, CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, but it can’t match the 615-litre capacity of its VW Tiguan sibling.

But the 140TSI Sportline has less cargo space, dropping to 521L and 1630 with rear seats folded. Both models come standard with a myriad of luggage nets and tie down hooks.

The T-Roc R Grid Edition is 4.2m long or about 50mm shorter than a Volkswagen Golf hatchback.

Volkswagen is superb at coming up with cleverly designed cabins with a focus on good storage and space, and the T-Roc R Grid Edition has big door pockets, a deep centre console box, four cupholders (two in the front and two in the rear fold-down armrest) and directional air vents in the second row.

The boot has a cargo capacity of 392 litres which is a smidge bigger than many of its rivals. Under the boot floor is a space saver spare - better than nothing.

Being based on the top-of-the-range T-Roc the Grid Edition is well equipped with conveniences such as proximity unlocking, wireless phone charging, directional air vents and four USB ports (two in the front and two in the back).

Space for those up front is excellent, although rear legroom is getting tight for me at 191cm tall if I sit behind my driving position.

The T-Roc R Grid Edition lists for $54,300, which is $6000 less than the T-Roc R.

A lot of that saving is down to the Grid Edition not having Nappa leather seats or a power adjustable driver's seat. Instead there are manually-adjustable fabric sports seats.

The Grid Edition also doesn't come with the 'Matrix LED' headlights of the T- Roc R. But it does have performance LED headlights, it also has 19-inch 'Pretoria' alloy wheels, plus an angry R body kit and quad exhaust.

There's proximity unlocking, dual-zone climate control, a 9.2-inch media screen with sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as digital radio and wireless phone charging.

Two powertrains are on offer in the Karoq, starting with the 110TSI Style’s 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, driving the front wheels via an eight-speed torque-convertor automatic transmission. 

This is the same powertrain found in many a VW Group product, including entry-level versions of the Golf, and it pumps out 110kW at 6000rpm and 250Nm at 1500-3500rpm. Skoda says it can cover 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds.

Under the bonnet of the 140TSI Sportline 4x4 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, delivering 140kW at 6000rpm and 320Nm at 1500-4100rpm, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

A version of that engine is found in the Tiguan and the Golf GTI. The Sportline can do 0-100km/h in seven seconds. It also gains a multi-link rear suspension set-up for sportier handling.

In the snout is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 221kW and 400Nm. It's the same engine as the Golf R, just a smidge less powerful.

Like the Golf R the T-Roc R Grid Edition is all-wheel drive and the transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

All of that is enough to accelerate the T-Roc R Grid Edition from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. That's the same time as the Audi SQ2 and more than half a second faster than the Kona N.

Fuel consumption in the 110TSI Style is rated at 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, and it emits 147g/km of CO2. It has a 50-litre fuel tank.

The 140TSI Sportline consumes 6.6L/100km of fuel and emits 152g/km of CO2. It has a larger 55-litre fuel tank. Both Karoq grades require a minimum 95 RON premium fuel.

The T Roc R Grid Edition needs premium unleaded petrol and quite a lot of it with Volkswagen saying it'll use 8.3L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads.

At that rate, and with its 55-litre fuel tank, the range of the T-Roc R Grid Edition is about 660km.

The two Karoq variants have quite different driving characteristics and will likely appeal to different buyers.

On the road, the 110TSI Style is competent, acceleration is adequate but it will not set any hearts racing. The 1.4-litre engine is rowdy when pushed, particularly up hills, but remains composed around town.

The ride is firm and you will feel and hear potholes and large ruts in the cabin. It lacks the supple ride of a RAV4.

The Sportline ups the fun factor considerably, with the punchy 2.0-litre turbo and seven-speed dual-clutch combo ensuring smooth yet engaging acceleration and performance. 

When it comes to dynamic driving, the Karoq Sportline shines, proving that it’s more than just a family hauler - it’s a warmed up SUV that would give a few hot hatches a run for their money. 

And that becomes clear the second you hit a twisty section of road. The Sportline handles like a much smaller car and gives the Karoq yet another selling point that many of its rivals can’t match - genuinely engaging dynamics. 

But the compromise here is, again, the ride quality. The suspension has an even firmer setting than in the 110TSI Style, unsurprising given the performance bent. But those road corrugations will make themselves known.

Ultimately, however, it’s something you can get used to. I spent a few months with a pre-facelifted Karoq Sportline in 2020, and found the ride quality around town more than fine for day-to-day driving.

It's only March but I'm going to put it out there and say the T-Roc R Grid Edition is going to be up there in my Top 10 funnest cars I'll drive this year.

How could it not be? It's a little car that's only a bit bigger than a kitchen table with 300 horsepower, big disc brakes, lowered sports suspension (independent rear) with adaptive dampers, all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Add Volkswagen's quality and superb build and it drives exactly how you'd think - almost darn perfectly, in that you don't drive it but more wear it and it responds instantly, predictably, rewardingly.

At the same launch I drove the Tiguan R Grid Edition too, but I'd say the little T-Roc R Grid Edition is even more agile, more pointable, and more fun because of its smaller size and lighter weight.

Quick in a straight line, with great grip even in slippery corners, reassuring traction from all-wheel drive and steering that's so precise with good road feel, the T-Roc R Grid Edition is a gem to pilot.

The T-Roc R Grid Edition has the same maximum five-star ANCAP score as the T-Roc, but this is from 2017 and, well, the world of safety has moved on a lot since then.

That said, the T-Roc R Grid Edition comes with AEB, lane keeping assistance, manoeuvre braking (front and rear) and adaptive cruise control.

Missing is blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert. This is because of the semiconductor shortage globally right now preventing the installation of that technology.

The thing is, the regular T-Roc R comes with those other safety features but not the Grid Edition.

For child seats you'll find two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchor points across the second row.

Curtain air bags protect those in the back and front, while the driver and their co-pilot have side and front airbags.

The Karoq comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever occurs first, which average for the class.

Capped-price servicing packs for the Karoq cost $1500 for five years, or $2100 for seven years, both averaging $300 per service, which is pretty good. 

Skoda has also just launched service and maintenance subscription plans that allow owners to pay a monthly fee to cover servicing and some parts costs.

Skodas are covered by an initial one year of free roadside assist, but if you continue servicing your Karoq with a Skoda dealer, it will be topped up by a year for a maximum of nine years.

The T-Roc R Grid Edition is covered by Volkswagen's five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

A five-year servicing plan costs $2950 and you'll need to get it service every 12 months or 15,000km.