Skoda India has commenced bookings on the Skoda Karoq SUV at a refundable booking fee of INR 50,000 across all Skoda dealerships in India. The brand will commence deliveries to the reserved buyer who pre-book the Skoda Karoq from 06th May 2020.
The Skoda Karoq was revealed at the Auto Expo 2020 in India and is based on the MQB “Modularer Querbaukasten” (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform. In terms of its styling, the Skoda Karoq features a vertically slated grille with chrome accents, LED daytime running lights, all-LED headlamps, fog lights that sit high on the bumper, a wide air dam with black mesh grille, LED taillights on the rear, panoramic sunroof, chrome window sills, roof rails, squared-off wheel arches, dual-tone alloy wheels, blacked-out B-pillar, a raised muscular bonnet with crease lines, etc.
On the inside, the Skoda Karoq features dual-tone interiors, electrically adjustable seats, ‘Virtual Cockpit’ fully digital driver’s instrument console, ambient lighting, beige leather upholstery, a large touchscreen infotainment system, a chunky gear selector on the central tunnel, control mounted steering wheel, rotary switches for the climate control etc.
The engine powering the Karoq is a BS6 emissions compliant 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine that produces 150 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque matched to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Turbocharged Stratified Injection (TSI) engine on the Skoda Karoq can make the SUV achieve a top speed of 202 kmph and can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 9.0 seconds.
For safety, the Karoq comes with active and passive safety features such as 9-airbags, ABS+EBD, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), multi-collision braking, traffic jam assist, crew protection assistant, pedestrian protection reverse parking assist, over-speed alert, seatbelt reminder for both driver and passenger.
The Skoda Karoq is expected to come to India via the CBU (completely built-up unit) route and is expected to be priced around the INR 20 lakh mark. The Skoda Karoq in the Indian market competes with the likes of the Jeep Compass.