It seems that the Skoda Karoq has just landed in India as a test mule, donning Czech Republic license plates, was reportedly snapped at an airport parking lot somewhere in India. The SUV was snapped along with the newly launched Skoda Kodiaq. The Karoq, as you must’ve read in our previous reports, will replace the Czech carmaker’s popular compact SUV, the Yeti, worldwide.
Visually, the Karoq draws design cues from the Kodiaq. Based on Volkswagen’s MQB platform, the Karoq is a five seater SUV with a 521-litre boot space, expandable to 1,630 litre. With its VarioFlex system which allows the second row seats to be removed or individually adjusted, this space could be further boosted to 1,810 litres. The Karoq shares its platform and parts bin with the Volkswagen Tiguan.
Apart from a generous list of safety features, along with a fully digital instrument console, the Karoq will also get full-LED head, tail and ambient lights, LED fog lights, 19-inch alloy wheels and electrically adjustable heated seats. Inside, top variants come with a 9.2-inch Columbus infotainment system with 64 GB storage, DVD/CD drive and navigation and gesture control.
Internationally, Skoda Karoq is offered with a choice of five engine options. The Indian market is expected to receive two of those engines – a 1.5-litre TSI petrol and a 2.0-litre TDI. Paired to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG, the 2.0-litre TDI pumps out 189 hp in its highest tune and sends power to an AWD system. The 1.5-litre TSI motor is good for 150 hp and can push the Karoq from nought to 100 in a little over 8 seconds.
The Karoq will most likely be placed against the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson so expect the SUV to arrive with an aggressive price tag.
Image Source: TeamBHP
