Alongside the Karoq, Skoda Auto India plans to launch the updated BS6 Superb facelift and Rapid 1.0 TSI
In under a day from its launch announcement, the new Skoda Karoq has been spied on public roads, undisguised and unregistered. Supposedly moving to a dealership, this is the first time the 5-seater crossover was spotted after its official debut at Auto Expo 2020. Prior to that, it was caught on camera a few times in test mule formats.
Considering the present state of affairs, Skoda Auto will be conducting a virtual launch on May 26. Alongside the Karoq, the Czech automaker under Volkswagen plans to launch its updated BS6-compliant Superb mid-size premium saloon and Rapid 1.0 TSI entry-level sedan. All three products were showcased at the biennial automotive show held in early February.
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has been busy with its new ‘India 2.0’ business strategy whilst COVID-19 hit the country. Under this initiative, either brand would introduce a range of India-focused products (mostly crossovers or ‘urban SUVs’) with shared platforms. Reports state that the next-gen Volkswagen Polo (which is already three years old in global markets) is in the pipeline while an all-new Skoda Fabia hatchback could join later.
The 2020MY Skoda Karoq is based on Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0 platform and sits between the Kamiq and Kodiaq. It will be sold as a CBU product and for the same reason, one can expect prices to be substantially higher for its segment. It shares its internals with the Volkswagen T-ROC, launched in March at an ‘introductory’ starting price of Rs 19.99 lakh ex-showroom.
Either compact crossover utilises the 2018 Central Motor Vehicles (11th Amendment) Rules which allows manufacturers to import 2,500 units of a foreign car annually without homologation. While this would shoot up prices, one can expect such a product to be better built than its made-in-India counterpart. Rumours suggest that Skoda Auto will price its new crossover from around Rs 21 lakh ex-showroom.
Notable features of the vehicle include 17-inch alloy wheels, full-LED headlamps and taillamps, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, panoramic sunroof, 12-way powered driver seat with memory function; two-zone climate control, ambient lighting, etc. In terms of safety, the Karoq packs nine airbags, MKB (Multi Collision Braking), ESC, TPMS and more.
Powered by a 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder turbo petrol motor, the upcoming Skoda Karoq makes 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. A 7-speed DSG transmission (Volkswagen’s form of DCT) sends the output to its front wheels. In European markets, the Karoq is also available in all-wheel-drive format. As you may have heard, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has chosen a petrol-only strategy for the BS6 era.
