When Skoda was searching for a name for their new compact SUV, they turned to the residents of the Kodiak Island, in Alaska, to help them choose one.

Deciding on how to christen it was apparently a fun process, which gave birth to quite a few names, but the brand’s marketing department eventually chose the idea of a 12-year old kid.

The Karoq name was inspired by the Alutiiq’s word for car, which is KAA’ROQ, and by the word arrow, which is depicted in the Skoda logo, and is referred to as RUQ in the tribal language.

The fact that it sounds similar to its larger sibling, the Kodiaq, is intentional, as the automaker’s Head of Marketing and Products, Stefan Buscher, said: “The relationship between the family of names is strategically planned. This creates a uniform nomenclature for current and future SUV products.

Skoda will continue to expand their range with new vehicles in the coming years as part of their Strategy 2025, which will also include a range of five EVs, the first of which is expected to arrive in 2020, not long after the launch of the Superb PHEV.

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