The Skoda Karoq comes to India as a CBU with only 1,000 units allotted for India. Priced a little expensive at Rs 24.99 lakh, Skoda has still managed to almost sell out the Karoq in just 9 months since its launch.
Skoda launched the Karoq SUV in India earlier this year in May. A spiritual successor to the Skoda Yeti, the Karoq is relatively expensive at Rs 24.99 lakh, ex-showroom. Skoda India has however managed to sell out almost all units of the Karoq that were allotted for India. The Skoda Karoq’s sibling, the VW T-Roc, was sold out much earlier owing to its much affordable positioning at Rs 19.99 lakh. Although the Karoq took a little more time than the T-Roc, the fact that its almost sold out in just about 9 months only speaks about the good times at Skoda currently.
Replying to a query on twitter about the Karoq being expensive, Zac Hollis Director – Sales, Service & Marketing, Skoda Auto India, said, “I only had 1,000 cars as FBU’s and I sold them all. The car was well positioned as a luxury, large and safe SUV and nearly all cars sold in 9 months. A great job done by the whole team.” The reason why was the Karoq is relatively expensive is because it comes to the country as a completely built unit. The Karoq is essentially a five-seater mid-size SUV that sits below the Kodiaq in Skoda’s lineup and is a follow up of the Skoda Yeti.
The Skoda Karoq is a handsome looking car. In essence, it looks like a smaller version of the Kodiaq SUV. And that’s a great thing because we have always liked the design of the Kodiaq. You get the typical Skoda styling elements like the butterfly grille and sleek LED headlamps which also look like a smaller version of the ones on the Kodiaq. The design is otherwise pretty neat and understated but it still looks very stylish and contemporary. Just like the exterior, the interiors of the Karoq look pretty similar to the ones on the Kodiaq.
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In fact, the steering wheel, the infotainment system and the climate control knobs seem to be directly lifted from its elder sibling. Additionally however, the Karoq gets a fully-digital instrument cluster which is a very neat touch. Overall, the interiors have a very premium feel, something customers would really appreciate in this segment. As its available in just a single trim, Skoda has kitted the car to the brim. Some of the highlights include panoramic electric sunroof, configurable ambient lighting, 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat, dual-zone climate control, full LED headlamps, etc.
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Under the hood, the Skoda Karoq gets a sole 1.5L TSI four-cylinder petrol engine option. The engine has been tuned to produce 150bhp and 250Nm of peak torque. The engine comes solely mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox with power being sent to the front wheels only. The engine even features cylinder deactivation technology which shuts off two cylinders when you don’t require it to aid fuel economy. This is also the same powertrain that’s offered on the Volkswagen T-Roc in the exact same spec of tune. The SUV can go from 0-100 kmph in 9 seconds, before reaching the top speed of 202 kmph. Given the popularity of the Karoq in India, it remains to be seen if Skoda plans to assemble the car in India.
