Skoda Karoq SUV costs MORE in the UK than the Nissan Qashqai – prices from £20,875

The new Skoda Karoq – Skoda’s SUV replacement for the Yeti – will cost from £20,875 in the UK, around £1,500 more than the Nissan Qashqai.

Long gone are the days when Skoda was the cheap option, and the arrival of the new Skoda Karoq as a replacement for the Yeti – and attempting to take on the Nissan Qashqai – makes that clear.

With prices starting at £20,875, the Karoq – which shares its underpinnings with the SEAT Ateca And VW Tiguan – the entry-level point for Skoda’s new compact SUV isn’t a market beater, but it does come with a decent spec.

With three specs on offer – S, SE-L and Edition – and a choice of five engines including the 1.0 litre TSI three-pot with 113bhp, 1.5 litre TSI with 148bhp, 1.6 litre TDI with 113bhp and a 2.0 litre diesel with 148bhp – it’s arguable the Karoq does offer better value.

Standard kit includes a six-speed manual gearbox, with a seven-speed DSG on the 2.0 litre TDI, two and four-wheel drive options and an ‘Off-Road’ option for the 4WD models.

Even the Karoq SE comes with 17″ alloys, Privacy, LED rear lights, Climate, Front Assist, Pedestrian Monitor and Driver Fatigue Sensor as standard, with the SE-L adding 18″ alloys, Sat Nav with 8″ touchscreen, Keyless, Adaptive LED headlights, heated front seats and Alcantara.

The launch special Karoq ‘Edition’ adds 19″ alloys, Panoramic roof, Metallic paint, Leather, 9.2″ Sat Nav, electric boot, Ambient Lighting and Blind Spot and Rear Traffic alerts. The top spec Karoq Edition costs from £27,110.

The new Skoda Karoq range kicks off with the Karoq 1.0 TSI at £20,875 and tops out with the £31,435 Karoq Edition 2.0 litre TDI DSG 4×4, and officially goes on sale on 3 October in the UK.