From mid-2017, the Skoda Karoq replaces the Yeti as the brand’s small crossover, but what does its name mean and where does it come from?
Like the Kodiaq, the Karoq name has its roots in the language of the Alutiiq people of Alaska, despite the fact that this car will never be sold there.
While the Kodiaq just borrows its final “q” from the Alutiiq language, the Karoq is a portmanteau of two words: kaa’raq meaning car, and ruq for arrow.
The Karoq is undeniably a car, so that part of the name is clear, while Skoda says that the arrow portion refers to the arrowhead that forms part of the brand’s logo and “represents the brand’s dynamism”.
Hopefully Skoda also unleashes a vRS/RS version to justify the arrow portion of its name.
The Karoq will be based on the MQB platform used by the Volkswagen Tiguan, and it replaces the Yeti. The Karoq will be unveiled in Sweden on May 18, 2017 before going on sale in the second half of the year.
