Skoda Karoq To Be Relaunched As Locally Assembled Model In India

When Skoda launched the Karoq in India last year as a CBU, only a 1,000 units of the Skoda Karoq were allotted for the first batch. Even though it was quite expensive, Skoda managed to sell all 1,000 units of the Karoq within 5 months by October 2020. After that, the model was temporarily discontinued from the carmaker’s official website as you couldn’t buy one. But now it looks like the Karoq may be coming back with it being assembled in India this time, as per a recent RTO document.

To keep with demand and also to bring costs down, the Skoda Karoq will be assembled in India when it is relaunched. Skoda Director Zac Hollis had previously hinted of such a possibility given the positive response the Karoq received. The CBU units of the Karoq were launched for a price of Rs 25.99 lakh, ex-showroom, but if it is locally assembled then prices for the SUV will drop by a considerable amount. The Karoq’s sibling, the Volkswagen T-Roc was also sold out in 2020 and VW recently stated that it will be making a comeback as well.

The Skoda Karoq was sold in India in a single top variant, and it was fully equipped with features. On the inside, the Skoda Karoq packed features like panoramic sunroof, 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit, 8-inch Amundsen infotainment system with sat-nav, 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat including lumbar support with three memory function, 8-speaker sound system and configurable ambient lighting. The Karoq also comes with segment-leading safety features like 9 airbags, headlight washers, ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), EDS (Electronic Differential Lock), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) and iBuzz driver alert system.

Powering the Skoda Karoq is a 1.5-litre TSI turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that produces 150 PS/250 Nm of peak power and torque figures. It is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission, driving the front wheels. The Karoq can sprint from 0-100 kph in 9 seconds and it tops out at 202 kph. The Skoda Karoq competes with the likes of Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson in India. It is important to note though about the re-launch date of the Karoq in India and may take some time. Skoda has stated that their first made-in-India product, the Kushaq is currently their main focus. The Karoq will most probably arrive after the Kushaq’s mid-2021 launch.