► Next-generation Skoda Karoq is on the cards…
► … providing the EU doesn’t move its emissions targets again
► It’ll adopt hybrid tech from the new Volkswagen T-Roc

Few brands have the nerve to keep a car on sale for nine years – but that’s exactly what’s happened with the Skoda Karoq. It hit the market in 2017 and it’s been selling well ever since. So well, in fact, that Skoda hasn’t felt the need to replace it, even when rivals such as the Mk4 Hyundai Tucson and Mk3 Nissan Qashqai arrived with fuel-saving hybrid tech.

That could all be about to change, though. Skoda recognises that not all its customers are ready to make the switch to an EV – and it’s eyeing up which cars in its line-up are right for a hybridised replacement. The Karoq is at the top of the list.

Martin Jahn, Skoda’s board member for sales and marketing, said: ‘It would certainly make sense to have a new generation of Karoq for us. Karoq is already, I would say, quite the age. Still a great car. We still sell a lot. But, as I said, it would certainly make sense for us to have a new generation of Karoq.’

If it sees the light of day, it’ll be based on a heavily revised version of the current car’s MQB platform, using the architecture from the new Volkswagen T-Roc as its starting point. However, some complicated politics need to happen in Brussels before Skoda feels comfortable enough to pull the trigger on the car.

Jahn explained, saying: ‘With some design uplifts with some technological improvements such as hybridisation, we can keep the MQB going for quite some time. We are also waiting for the new rules for CO2 – what happens after 2035 – and that will basically determine how much we will invest into combustion engine cars.’

In 2024, Skoda’s CEO Klaus Zellmer stressed the importance of not forcing drivers into EVs – and Jahn still echoes that sentiment. He said: ‘[Combustion cars] are still very popular and we are quite happy about the volume, so we will run them as long as the customers want them, as long as it’s legally possible and as long as it’s financially viable for us.’

What will the new Karoq’s specs look like?

Like the T-Roc, it’s likely that the most expensive versions of the next Karoq will be available with a pair of 1.5-litre self-charging hybrid powertrains with either 134bhp or 168bhp, both of which will allow the car to creep around town on electric power alone. Volkswagen says the tech will reduce the T-Roc’s fuel consumption by around 15% compared to its cheaper mild hybrid powertrains.

The Group’s self-charging technology should also bring the additional benefit of not sacrificing hundreds of litres of boot space to a massive battery pack, which has been the case with its larger plug-in hybrid powered SUVs until now. Take the Kodiaq as an example. Conventionally powered five-seat models have 910 litres of boot space, but the five-seat PHEVs only have 725 litres as the big hybrid battery eats loads of space under the floor.

But because full hybrid batteries are much smaller than PHEV batteries, the new T-Roc should give away less of its 475-litre boot to the hardware. The hope is that Skoda can match that figure with the full-hybrid powered Karoq, as its cars are generally larger than their Volkswagen-badged counterparts.

As for the interior, because it’s now quite difficult to separate platforms from their electrical components, the next-generation Karoq will likely feature the same 8.0-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.9-inch infotainment system as the T-Roc.

Sadly, it’s doubtful the Karoq will get the same dashboard layout as the current Kodiaq and Superb. A conversation with some of Skoda’s engineers revealed that the high cost of its multifunction dials would price the next Karoq out of the C-segment SUV market. They were outrageously expensive to develop, which is why they’re reserved for the cars with the biggest margins.

How much will the next Skoda Karoq cost?

We’ve still got a long time to wait before Skoda can release any prices for the next Karoq – we haven’t even seen a concept version of the car yet. If we had to take an educated guess, however, we’d expect a starting price of around £30,000 for the mild-hybrid base model.

That’ll put it on level-footing with the T-Roc. The Skoda should offer better value for money, though. If the brand’s previous cars are anything to go by, it should have more space inside for passengers, more boot space and slightly better comfort.

Time – and EU legislation – will reveal the outcome. Although, given the size of the market, it would be daft for Skoda to not take advantage of the opportunity.