Skoda India Director reveals Karoq (Compass rival) and Kamiq (Creta rival) launch timelines

Skoda is currently working on its India 2.0 Project which will see the launch of several new products along with new strategies and vision. Under the same project, Skoda will launch two new SUVs in India in the coming time, which go by the name of Karoq and Kamiq. That Skoda will bring both these SUVs to India has been known for a while but now, Skoda India Director Zac Hollis has revealed the launch timeline of both the SUVs. In a recent tweet reply, Zac revealed that the Karoq will be launched in the first half of 2020 while the Kamiq will be launched subsequently by mid-2021.

Hi Ravi. Karoq hoping for 1st half of next year and the mid size SUV from India 2.0 in mid 2021. There you go😊

— Zac Hollis (@Zac_Hollis_) August 16, 2019

To let you know, the Skoda Karoq will be a challenger to the Jeep Compass while the Kamiq, which has been referred to as ‘mid-size SUV’ in Zac’s tweet, will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos. Another thing to note here is that while the Karoq may retain the same name in India, the Kamiq may have a different name since Zac refrained from using the term ‘Kamiq’ while referring to its launch timeline in the tweet. In case you were wondering why all recent Skoda SUVs have their initials as K and sound somewhat similar (Kodiaq too), the names are derived from the language of Inuit people who live in northern Canada and Greenland.

Under the India 2.0 project, the Czech brand aims to reach one lakh vehicles per year of total sales in India from 2025. For the same, the company has planned to launch new models as well as facelifting the models on sale. Earlier, Zac Hollis said that under the India 2.0 project, the brand plans to heavily localise the production apart from expanding the portfolio. The Karoq and the Kamiq, therefore, are being launched to help the company to realise its goal of selling 25 lakh cars annually by 2025.

Talking about the SUVs, the Skoda Kamiq is a compact SUV that will take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and the Nissan Kicks among others. Skoda will target customers who want a feature-rich and premium alternative in the segment with this SUV. It will be based on the same platform that underpins several other Volkswagen family vehicles. This newly developed MQB-A0 platform will also underpin the next-generation Polo hatchback in India among other cars.

The Skoda Karoq, on the other hand, will be a premium SUV that could have a price tag starting just under Rs. 20 lakh. It will be positioned below the flagship Kodiaq SUV and it will also be based on Volkswagen’s MQB A0 platform. On the outside, the Karoq looks like a smaller version of the Skoda Kodiaq SUV which is actually a good thing. Engine options on the SUV include a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit and a 2.0-litre diesel unit. A BSVI compliant 1.6-litre diesel engine mated to a DSG gearbox could also be offered.