THE Skoda Karoq arrived back in 2017 and replaced the popular Yeti in the manufacturer's SUV range.

It shares its looks with the Seat Ateca and VW Tiguan that come from the same stable and it was refreshed last autumn with some cosmetic changes, extra equipment and additional safety features.

Sitting between the smaller Kamiq and the larger Kodiaq it is an ideal family car that offers stylish looks, comfort, and practicality.It also comes with a choice of engines and trim grades and so the range caters for most budgets and tastes.

The Karoq is very practical with room for five inside the comfortable cabin as well as stacks of storage space.

The large boot has hooks and netting to keep cargo secure and a rubber mat that prevents the space from getting dirty.

Other practical touches include an umbrella under the front passenger seat, large door pockets, an ice scraper inside the filler flap and a clip on the windscreenfor notes and displaying parking passes and permits.

There are also handy fold down trays on the back of the front seats.

All the latest active and passive safety features are standard across the range and include a full set of airbags, driver alerts, cross traffic warning, automatic braking and a host of other features.

I sampled the 1.5 TSI model in SE L trim with the DSG seven-speed automatic gearbox and priced at £32,165. It came in nice metallic paint which added another £1,045 to the cost.

The SE L offers all the equipment you could possibly want and drives really well.

Power is delivered smoothly thanks to the excellent gearbox and this model has a top speed of 130 mph and takes 9.1 seconds to reach 62mph.

The steering is light and accurateand the car handles very well on all surfaces. There is also a choice of driving modes.

It is agile and good around town and cruises quietly at motorway speeds.

The claimed combined mpg is 45.9 but I easily achieved much more than that on longer runs and the car cleverly shuts down two cylinders when all the power is not required.

Smart, stylish and practical there is much to like about the Karoq and although there is a lot of strong opposition in this sector it is well worth a look.