Skoda Karoq 4x4 DSG

THIRD REPORT Check-up gives us a chance to try out Skoda's dealer service

- Pete Gibson

MY job as senior staff photographer traveling all over the country to various locations, and as a result the long-term car that I drive is usually the one on our fleet with the highest mileage. And so it has proved with my current Skoda Karoq.

But piling on all those miles means regular attention is needed to keep the Karoq in perfect working order. Most recently, no sooner had I topped up the AdBlue tank than the car's trip display alerted me that the first service was due.

The panel flashes this information when you turn on the ignition, but handily it also warns what type of service is needed. In this case it was an oil change, which was due in either 2,900 miles or 401 days, whichever came first. I can easily cover 1,000 miles in a week, so a target of more than a year seemed pretty insane to me.

To ensure I wasn't off the road due to servicing, I booked the Karoq into Marshall of Harlow in Essex, as recommended by Skoda and only half an hour away from Gibson towers. As well as the service, I asked the staff at Marshall if they could locate and fix a rattle that seemed to be coming from the cowling round the dials. It's not a noise that's always obvious, but it has become a bit irritating on longer drives.

The Karoq's first service was only a minor one, so that meant a couple of hours waiting at the dealer. The Skoda was booked in by service advisor Emma Gamble and when we arrived, coffee and biscuits were provided - Marshall clearly knows exactly what its customers want.

The car was originally delivered to my home, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to see what the dealership experience is like, as well as check out some of the options available for the Karoq.