2023 Skoda Karoq vs 2022 Volvo XC40

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.

In such a rapidly evolving electric car space, the XC40 Recharge definitely finds its place. To me, this is a more appealing offering than something like the similarly equipped and priced Mercedes-Benz EQA, with the Recharge feeling particularly coherent for an EV on a combustion platform.

With the healthy range, easy-to-use tech, and impressive performance on offer, I can see how the sums might add up against its less-premium long-range rivals, especially since the price is not so much higher that it might rule it out for first-time adopters.

However, it would be nice to see a trimmed back version in the future with a more efficient 2WD drivetrain and smaller battery option to put price pressure on rivals, particularly the likes of the also design led and much larger Hyundai Ioniq 5. Until then, you can always wait for the similar Polestar 2, which brings much of the same in an interesting package, arriving early in 2022.

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. 

It’s been a while since I’ve driven an XC40, and although this car launched back in 2018, it is ageing very well. The exterior is still as sleek as ever, having been slightly and tastefully tweaked for this fully electric version, and the interior remains, in my opinion, one of the best examples of design in the entire small SUV market.

Starting from the outside, though, one thing I’ve always liked about Volvo’s current design ethos is how it doesn’t try to scream about its alleged performance or how prepared for the future is. It’s quiet, elegant, and understated, with confident lines, gentle but meaningful highlights, tasteful wheel designs, and sturdy proportions.

Yet none of this makes the XC40 anonymous; it’s still striking to appreciate, set well apart from the designs of other brands. It slots seamlessly into Volvo’s very attractive line-up of SUVs, and I dare say it will continue to look good for years to come.

The car’s interior only builds on this theme, with an attractive and well-proportioned dash design, premium-feeling materials throughout, and heavy digitisation via the portrait media screen and digital dash cluster.

The seat designs continue the comfortable and attractive motifs of Volvos past, while the newer design elements - like the carpet lining in the doors (constructed of recycled plastics, no less) and the ‘cutting edge’ pattern that makes up the highlight cutaways - set it apart from rivals.

The abundance of piano-black gloss highlight panelwork looks classy, but you should keep in mind how easy it is for materials like this to get covered in fingerprints. Dust and scratches always stand out, too.

Regardless, the interior has a sense of balance and flow that mirrors this car’s exterior, and the commitment to a cohesive feel for the interior and exterior is to be applauded.

The only thing I will note is how the portrait touchscreen has dated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an excellent design element, but at 9.0-inches it doesn’t feel as striking as it did just a few years ago, now that many vehicles are offering massive 10 or even 12-inch multimedia panels.

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 XC40 is in a bit of a Goldilocks-zone when it comes to the size of a ‘small-SUV’ (which, unlike the mid-size hatch segment, is not very well defined). This grants it a healthy amount of cabin space for four adult occupants, as I can fit myself with comfortable knee room and plenty of headroom behind my own driving position, despite a seemingly taller floor.

The seats are comfortable regardless of where you sit, and there are big bottle holders in the door and two stepped ones in the centre console. There’s a wireless phone-charging bay under the multimedia unit, with some extra space for objects, and a decently sized armrest console box, with an odd little removable box.

The cool carpet trim continues to line the bottom of the bottle holder in the door. Don’t spill anything there. It will be a nightmare to get out.

Adjustability and visibility is excellent for the front passengers, too, and although the climate functions and most of the multimedia system has moved to touch functions, I’ll hand it to the layout of this Volvo’s touchscreen for being one of the easiest on the market to use.

Boot space is down a little on combustion variants at 418-litres (VDA), and the Recharge makes up for it by swapping an otherwise busy engine bay out for a frunk, which not every combustion-platformed electric car manages. It measures in at 31L. There is even some underfloor space in the boot for your charging paraphernalia, although you only get a tyre-repair kit rather than a space-saver spare wheel for emergencies.

There’s no question Volvo is continuing to present as a premium brand with this first electric offering. Despite dabbling its toes in the mainstream market in the past, the Swedish brand is only offering a fully bells-and-whistles approach to the XC40 this time around.

Wearing an MSRP of $76,990, the XC40 Recharge looks to specifically cross swords with the Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 ($76,800), but in reality, its rivals also include the Tesla Model 3 (Long Range $73,400), and all-new and much larger Hyundai Ioniq 5 (AWD - $75,900), both of which have big appeal to early EV adopters who may or may not be so fussy about brand.

This is interesting, because Volvo’s all-electric sister brand Polestar, which just launched in Australia, is offering its first car, the Polestar 2, with a far leaner price. This is clearly designed to take sales from not only its existentially threatening Tesla rival, but also mainstream players, like Nissan, with Polestar's base pricing set at $59,900.

It shares the same platform and much of the same technology as our XC40 Recharge , so if you’re turned off by this bells-and-whistles top-spec-only approach from Volvo, waiting a little longer will give you an intriguing and more affordable alternative.

Returning to the standard spec of the XC40 Recharge; it only comes with a single, large 78kWh battery pack and a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, offering twice the power of its nearest combustion version, a range between charges of 418km, 20-inch alloy wheels, a 9.0-inch portrait multimedia screen, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic opening sunroof, power adjustable front seats with memory, leather-accented interior trim, heated front seats with a heated steering wheel, ‘R-Design’ interior and exterior design highlights, ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED headlights with cornering function, a Harmon Kardon audio system, 360-degree parking camera suite, tinted rear windows, and the full safety suite.

To clear things up, this means everything that can possibly be fitted in the XC40 range is standard on the Recharge electric version. You can even choose any of the eight exterior paint options at no extra cost.

Added to the standard equipment is a new version of the brand’s Android-based operating system, with an integrated SIM card and fully online Google services.

Not having any options helps this car regain some of the $10k price difference between it and the next model down (the PHEV version), but perhaps less on the $20k price difference between it and the conventionally powered T5 R-Design that sits below that.

Like the Mercedes-Benz EQA, it may also be a bit of a tall order for an EV which is naturally a bit compromised by sharing its platform with a combustion car. That might be enough for true EV enthusiasts to look right past this small SUV and onto the Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 5.

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.

The XC40 Recharge is ridiculously powerful for its size class. It’s nearly twice as powerful as the nearest combustion version of this car and packs a Tesla-rattling punch from its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.

It’s always nice to see something with more power than it needs, especially with all the added weight of its massive 78kWh battery pack.

On offer are two motors offering 150kW/330Nm each, combining for a total of 300kW/660Nm. The XC40 Recharge will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds and has a single-speed reduction gear transmission.

While having the full-fat performance and security of all-wheel drive helps justify the cost of this SUV, it has drawbacks when it comes to efficiency, which we’ll explore next.

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.

Powering the XC40 is a 78kWh battery pack, which grants this all-wheel drive an officially rated 418km of driving range. This is more than enough for an EV, although this car’s sister product, the Polestar 2, uses the same motors in 2WD with significantly more range from the same battery.

The XC40’s consumption is higher than I would like, with an official/combined consumption figure of 25.5kWh/100km. For a bit of perspective, most EVs this size will get under 20, with the best I’ve ever seen being the FWD Kona electric, which scored just 11kWh/100km.

In my testing of the XC40, consisting of mainly urban driving (where EVs are at their best, courtesy of their use of regenerative braking) I scored 21.3kWh/100km. Better than the official claim by quite a bit.

The XC40 Recharge has a European-standard Type 2 CCS charging port, and can charge at a maximum rate of 150kW on DC, or 11kW on AC.

At maximum DC-charging speed, you can expect a 10-80 per cent charge in around 40 minutes, while at the more common 50kW DC charging locations, you can expect a charge in just over an hour. At maximum AC speed, 11kW at a home or car park AC location, you can expect a full charge in around eight hours, and a wall socket will charge the car from empty to 100 per cent in around 33 hours.

Charging specs are bang-on for a car in this class, as 22kW AC charging is extremely rare, while a DC-charging rate higher than 150kW generally requires more elaborate and expensive cooling systems.

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.

For a car that shares its underpinnings with a combustion vehicle, there are a lot of little things the XC40 does right which its rivals don’t. It starts as soon as you hop in. Like Teslas, Volvo has quite correctly removed the need for an ignition, you just hop in, put the car in drive, and you’re ready to go. This combines with four-door keyless entry for a great first impression.

The Google integrated services are all sleek too, not really requiring phone mirroring, again in a similar fashion to the Tesla model 3. Just chuck your phone in the charging bay, and you’re good to go with a Bluetooth connection.

The software suite has also improved out of sight, and while I’m never a fan of 90 per cent of a vehicle's functions being moved onto a screen, at least this Volvo does a great job of making all the climate settings easy to use with the portrait layout. As is inputting an address, should you need to use the navigation.

The driving position is immediately excellent, offering a superior view of the road from such a relatively small vehicle, with a high but not unsettling seating arrangement. Take off is nice and smooth with both axles providing power, and the XC40 Recharge has a single, aggressive regenerative-braking system, which can be entirely switched off if need be. The regen system is similar to the one in my Nissan Leaf long termer and is generally lovely to use.

The steering is generally nice and smooth and lending this little SUV some meaningful feedback, although it is a little overly electrically assisted for more spirited cornering, removing some of the feel from the front wheels at the extremes.

The ride is also firm, something the XC40 range is known for, especially compared to the softer ride of other Volvo models. This isn’t helped by this car’s weight. While things are generally very well controlled, road conditions like corrugations and sharp imperfections can really find their way into the cabin in the worst possible way. That having been said, undulations and bodyroll are kept remarkably under control, and traction from the all-wheel-drive system is also Tesla-like in its grip.

The cabin is very quiet around town, leading to a sense of security and comfort, but I was a little disappointed to find tyre roar really picks up at freeway speeds, perhaps courtesy of the large wheels and burdened dampers.

On a final note, for a car with such a quiet demeanour, the straight-line performance is ridiculous. Press the accelerator down and this car will seriously throw you into the back of your seat, reminding you of the huge potential of its electric motors. Suddenly the sub-five-second 0-100km/h sprint time becomes visceral.

Ultimately, this is a little SUV that has only been improved by electrification from behind the wheel, bringing some of that Tesla-like convenience and performance to a car which you might not expect to have such virtues. It could use a little sandpapering in a few areas, but it’s impressive for something that isn’t on a bespoke electric platform.

Like the rest of the XC40 range, the Recharge EV comes with the full suite of safety features. This also helps set it apart from its more affordable Polestar 2 cousin, which has some key items as options.

Standard active stuff includes freeway-speed auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, rear auto braking, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree parking suite.

A few small items that are oddly missing for a brand so associated with safety include any form of driver-fatigue monitoring, and other more cutting-edge items like safe exit warning offered on some rivals.

Regardless, the XC40 also packs a suite of seven airbags, and the expected dual ISOFIX child-seat mounting points on the outer rear seats. The XC40 range has carried a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating since 2018, and this rating was recently approved by ANCAP to extend to this Recharge electric version.

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.

Volvo models are covered by a five-year and unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, which is ahead of many rivals (like Audi and BMW) in the premium space. The high-voltage battery components are covered for the industry standard eight years and unlimited kilometres.

Volvo says the electric motors in the XC40 are ‘sealed for life’ and have no serviceable components, although other fluids, brakes, and minor serviceable items need to be attended to. The XC40 is covered by a service program that lasts for the first three years or 100,000km, normally at a cost of $1500, which is included in the purchase price for the Recharge.

A five-year service plan (which normally comes at a cost of $2500 for combustion variants) will also extend to the Recharge, although pricing has not yet been announced. With less to look after, the XC40 Recharge only needs to visit a service tech once every 30,000km or 24 months.