Suzuki Jimny vs Skoda Karoq

What's the difference?

The Suzuki Jimny Lite is the most basic of the Suzuki Jimny line-up but that’s not a bad thing.

It’s ordinary on-road, it’s on the wrong side of small – especially in terms of cargo-carrying ability – and it’s still an exercise in driver-adaptability because it’s basic, bouncy and requires a lot of effort to keep it driving in a straight line.

But the Jimny is a lot of fun off road and even on sealed surfaces. It is go-kart-like in terms of everyday suitability and comfort, but its day-to-day drivability has received a healthy boost by way of those new driver-assist technologies and the updated AEB.

If you’re willing to give into the fun and cop a few compromises along the way, then you won’t be disappointed, because the Jimny is a tonne of fun.

This new entry-level Karoq gives the already accomplished mid-size SUV an even sharper value-for-money edge. On top of that it's space efficient, hugely practical and economical. Safety's up to speed, the ownership package is solid and it's a quiet, refined drive. Before joining the RAV4 queue, we'd suggest giving this Skoda some serious thought.

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

The Lite is, like the rest of the Jimny line-up, retro-cool and classic with a striking straight-up-and-down appearance sure to draw more admiring glances than sneering ‘WTF?!’ looks.

The three-door Suzuki Jimny is 3650mm long (with a 2250mm wheelbase), 1645mm wide, 1720mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 1100kg.

The Jimny has it over any rivals in this category when it comes to exterior design.

The Jimny’s interior is plain and practical. It has cloth seats, expanses of durable plastic and an overall utilitarian look and feel.

It is spartan inside, but this all-pervasive no-frills approach best suits the Jimny's simple spirit.

Skoda's distinctively broad, vertically slatted grille stands the brand apart, and even after six years in market the Karoq looks crisp and contemporary with chiselled character lines and jagged head and tail-lights blending successfully with more gently curved surfaces along the car's flanks and turret.

It might be a subconscious side-effect of knowing Skoda is part of the VW Group, but I can't help seeing hints of Tiguan here and there, particularly around the side windows and rear end.

But cool touches like aero-influenced inserts in the 18-inch alloy rims reinforce the Karoq's individual look.

Move to the inside and while the 8.0-inch central media touchscreen and 8.0-inch digital instrument display are on the pace the overall design shows the car's age.

Quality trim materials lift the tone, the cloth seats with contrast stitching look (and feel) great, but the understated dash design in particular is 'traditional', the vibe accentuated by liberal use of piano black highlight elements.

That said, the mix of on-screen functions and physical controls works well ergonomically and the leather-trimmed, partially-perforated, flat-bottom steering wheel is hard to fault.

Functionality is highest on the agenda with the Jimny rather than any attempt at a semblance of plushness.

Having said that, it is comfortable inside, but it is very basic, which is actually part of its charm though some people may rapidly grow weary of its bare-bones interior.

The big news in this small 4WD is the fact it now has a new 7.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That screen is too small but the hands-on controls everywhere else remain one of the refreshingly simple aspects that is easy to like about the Jimny.

There’s also now a 4.2-inch digital driver display between the analogue dials and that includes a speedo, as well as fuel-consumption and driving range details.

With the three-door Jimny's second-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 85L. With the second row stowed away, there’s a claimed 377L of cargo space.

Payload is a claimed 350kg and gross vehicle mass is 1450kg (the Jimny is 1100kg) so there’s not a lot of flexibility in terms of how much camping gear, dogs, or Abba CDs you can pack into this diminutive 4WD.

While others may offer more in terms of comfort and general amenities, the Jimny still wins out for day-to-day durability.

In terms of dimensions, at just under 4.4m long, a bit more than 1.8m wide and a fraction over 1.6m tall the Karoq is a relatively small medium SUV.

Yet, its 2638mm wheelbase means there's enough space between the axles for generous accommodation front and rear with enough room left over for a decent boot.

There's ample room for me, at 183cm, in the front with plenty of breathing space between driver and co-pilot. Not to mention heaps of storage including big door bins with room for large bottles, an open area in the centre console under an extending and height-adjustable centre armrest, various coin and oddments slots, a good size glove box, a broad lidded dash-top compartment and a drop down box near the driver's right knee.

Move to the rear, and sitting behind the driver's seat set to my position, I've got good head, leg and shoulder room. Best for two adults, although three would be possible for (cozy) short trips.

Three up to teenage kids will be fine back there, but if your kids are in a capsule, child seat or booster you'll be good with two but three will be a bridge too far.

Again there are door bins with enough room for oversize bottles, three cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest (one is 'venti'-sized) as well an oddments tray at the back of the front centre console and map pockets on the front seat backs. Adjustable ventilation is another plus.

With all seats up the Karoq offers a healthy 588 litres (VDA) of storage space, expanding to 1810L with the 60/40 split rear seat folded. A rear seat 'ski-port' style door also increases flexibility.

There are numerous bag and tie-down hooks as well as thoughtful storage spaces around the boot space. A full-size (speed limited) spare sits under the floor and while the tailgate misses out on power assistance, there's a typically useful dangling grab handle to help with closing.

For those keen on towing the FWD Karoq is rated up to a 1.5-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked).

To tempt people away from the Toyota RAV4 juggernaut you need a distinctive brand personality, which the Karoq has in spades, as well as a standard features list long enough to entice but not so lengthy that it sends the asking price over the top.

And this new Karoq entry-grade model is set at $39,990, drive-away, which is a shot across the bow of the base RAV4 GX 2WD sitting at $39,760, before on-road costs.

It's also in the same ballpark as the X-Trail ST five-seat 2WD ($37,250 before on-roads) and Outlander ES five-seat 2WD ($37,740 BOC).

So, the balancing act between price and equipment lands with standard feature highlights including dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloy rims, auto LED headlights, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a reversing camera, built-in nav and eight-speaker audio.

That's pretty handy, although it's worth noting while the start is keyless, entry to the car isn't, and while the Karoq Style and SportLine boast an auto tailgate, this grade misses out.

Clearly, there's been careful fine-tuning of the value equation but the car maintains a premium look and feel that stacks up well in the segment.

This entry-level Suzuki Jimny has the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the rest of the line-up, producing 75kW at 6000rpm and 130Nm at 4000rpm, and it has a five-speed manual transmission.

The Jimny is always zippy, manoeuvrable and punchy off the mark simply because it is so small and light, however, it feels underpowered on the open road and strained at highway speeds.

It has a part-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range, and off-road traction control.

While it’s far from offering the best power and torque outputs, even in the small 4WD realm, the Jimny is so light that there’s enough here to work with.

The Karoq is powered by a 1.4-litre, all-alloy, direct-injected, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sending 110kW (at 6000rpm) and 250Nm (from 1500-3500rpm) to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Suzuki Jimny has official fuel consumption of 6.4L/100km (on a combined cycle).

I recorded 7.2L/100km on this test but, as always, I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing.

The Jimny has a 40L fuel tank so, going by my fuel figures, a full tank should give you a driving range of about 550km.

Skoda's official combined cycle fuel economy number for the Karoq is 6.5L/100km, the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine emitting 147g/km of CO2 in the process.

On the launch drive program for this new entry-level model, covering city, B-road and freeway running along the coast south of Sydney, NSW, we recorded an average of 7.6L/100km.

That's useful for a conventional combustion engine without the benefit of electric hybrid assistance. Worth noting, however, minimum fuel requirement is the pricier 95 RON premium unleaded.

You'll need 50 litres of it to fill the tank which equates to a theoretical driving range of 770km using the official figure or around 660km using our on-test result.

It may come as no surprise to any of you who have actually driven a Jimny but it is rather ordinary on road.

It's a small vehicle and quite light so it does get buffeted by passing traffic, thrown around by any wind stronger than a mild breeze, and this Zook’s ride and handling are barely the right side of atrocious.

But – and it’s a big BUT – the Jimny is still a lot of fun to drive, even as wild as it is on-road, and it absolutely comes alive when you hit the dirt.

Being light and nimble may detract from the Jimny's performance on sealed surfaces, but those characteristics help immensely when you go 4WDing in this little car.

It is highly manoeuvrable – it is very agile around the bush through tight tracks and up tight wheel-rutted hills – and it’s incredibly easy to find and maintain the correct driving line in the Jimny because it is so small and there's a tyre at each corner so you know where your wheels are positioned at any one time.

Low-range gearing is good and there's a nice spread of torque across a decent rev range. Traction control is reasonably well calibrated, although it is a little choppy in application now and then.

Basic but crucial physical aspects, such as the Jimny’s off-road angles, are well suited to off-roading with approach, rampover and departure angles clocking in at 37, 28 and 49 degrees respectively. Those help to make this little vehicle a champion in the dirty stuff.

Ground clearance is listed as 210mm but feels like more and while wading depth is not listed, it’s fair to say it’s about the 300mm mark.

Warning: the three-door Jimny is bouncy because it's so small, light and quite tall for its size, and has a narrow wheel-track.

It is very tippy and bouncy and you do get bumped around a lot but that's kind of the point of off-roading in the Jimny. It’s a barrel of laughs purely because it is such a dialled-in and driver-focused experience.

But those characteristics may rapidly become tiresome and tiring for some people who have grown accustomed and attached to more comfort and cushioning in modern vehicles.

This is a very capable off roader and it’s one of the few vehicles you can drive straight out of the showroom and have a tonne of fun in, in the dirt, but it is somewhat let down by its showroom-standard tyres (Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 195/80R15). Replace those with some more aggressive all-terrain rubber and Roberto’s your uncle.

As mentioned earlier, payload is 350kg, GVM is 1450kg.

Towing capacity is 350kg (unbraked) and 1300kg (braked) so you’re limited in how much you can drag with the Jimny, but that's okay because I don’t think too many people are buying a Jimny because they have to tow a caravan, horse float or boat. They’re buying it because it’s a shedload of fun off-road and the Jimny has that factor in abundance.

Despite riding on sizeable 18-inch alloys (shod with 215/50 Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber), first impressions behind the Karoq's wheel are dominated by how composed and refined it is.

Even on coarse, irregular B-roads the car remains supple yet balanced and well buttoned down in the corners. The steering is nicely weighted and road feel is good.

Skoda says the Karoq will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds, which isn't ferociously fast but the 1.4-litre turbo four delivers its peak pulling power from 1500-3500rpm, which means you're never short of mid-range urge.

The smooth eight-speed auto also helps keep things on the boil although power delivery isn't always linear. Squeeze the throttle and the engine can take half a beat before responding in something of a rush.

Shift from 'Normal' to 'Sport' mode and the transmission will respond more urgently, holding on to ratios longer and changing down more readily. And if you want full control, move the lever over into the 'Tiptronic' manual position for satisfyingly rapid changes on-demand.

The engine remains quiet, only making its presence felt at higher revs, the supportive front seats remain comfortable over lengthy stints and the brakes (vented discs front, solid rotors rear) deliver firm, progressive stopping power even under the pressure of an enthusiastic twisty backroad run.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, the multimedia system is easy to navigate and quick to respond, the extending, height-adjustable front centre armrest is brilliant and the adaptive cruise system responds to changes quickly yet calmly.

The Skoda Karoq's previous five-out-of-five ANCAP star rating has timed out, given the assessment was from 2017, so it's now unrated.

But that doesn't mean it's underdone in terms of active crash-avoidance tech, this base version featuring AEB (operational from 4.0-250km/h) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, 'Lane Assist', 'Side Assist' (with rear cross-traffic alert), Parking Distance Control (front and rear), a reversing camera, rear AEB as well as tyre-pressure and fatigue monitoring.

If a crash is unavoidable, there are seven airbags on-board - dual front, front side, full-length side curtain and a driver's knee bag.

Multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent collisions following an initial impact and there are three top tethers and two ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats across the second row.

The Suzuki Jimny has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Suzuki offers the first service at two months/2000km for free, then under the capped-price servicing program, your Jimny is scheduled for a service every 12 months/15,000km at an average cost of $453.

Those costs are okay for something in the small 4WD realm.

Skoda is ahead of the mainstream pack, offering a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is two years up on the majority of the Karoq's competitors.

Roadside Assist is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually if you have your Karoq serviced at an authorised Skoda dealer.

The main service interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is in line with most of the competition, and Skoda offers a seven-year service pack for $2750, or $393 per workshop visit, which is competitive with much of the segment but some way off the Toyota RAV4 non-hybrid at $215 per service on a capped-price deal.

On top of that, through Skoda Choice you can opt for a Guaranteed Future Value offer ranging up to five years, with variable deposit and finance currently at a 6.99 per cent rate.

At the end of the term you can trade-in for a new Skoda, pay out the balloon amount and keep the car or simply hand it back.