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Car of the Year Awards 2021: Best family SUV for practicality

Cars in this class must obviously provide sufficient space for families. However, the best also offer a comfortable ride, tidy handling and blend performance with wallet-friendly costs...

Best family SUV for practicality

Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI 150 SE L

What Car? Car of the Year 2021 logo with sponsor

Even a family for whom travelling light is an alien concept would struggle to fill the boot of the Skoda Karoq. Not only can it accommodate one more carry-on suitcase than the rival Seat Ateca, but our favourite SE L trim comes with Skoda’s VarioFlex rear seats, which can split and fold individually, slide backwards and forwards to prioritise rear leg room or boot space, or even be removed altogether.

Add in rear doors that are wider than those of most rivals (making your life easier when you’re installing a child seat), plus acres of storage space for odds and ends, and it’s clear the Karoq is something special in the practicality stakes.

Skoda Karoq 2021 RHD dashboard

What makes it a firm favourite in this class, though, is that the Karoq is also good to drive, with a comfy ride and surefooted handling. Our preferred 1.5-litre petrol engine is good at dealing with faster roads, even when the Karoq is filled to the rafters, yet it also returned a respectable 44.2mpg in our real-world True MPG test, helping to beat the rival Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008 on running costs.

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Read about more Car of the Year 2021 winners >>