Skoda Karoq SUV lands in India; Jeep Compass & Hyundai Tucson rival

Skoda recently launched the premium Kodiaq in India and now, the company is focussing on their next vehicle. The Czech-automaker was evaluating the Karoq, a C-segment SUV that will take the place of the Skoda Yeti in the Skoda line-up.

It seems that Skoda has imported two units of the Karoq in India to evaluate the vehicles for the Indian market. The two white colour Skoda Karoq have been clicked at an airport parking lot and both of them have the Czech Republic license plates. The imported vehicles were parked alongside the Skoda’s latest launch in the market – the Kodiaq.

The Karoq will take on the recently launched Jeep Compass in the market and the Hyundai Tucson too. Karoq is expected to go in production in the international market later this year. However, in India, the vehicle has not been confirmed yet. Should Skoda give it a green light, the Karoq will be assembled at the Aurangabad factory and will reach India through the completely knocked down (CKD) route.

The Karoq is based on the Volkswagen’s MQB platform and looks much like the Kodiaq but only smaller. The Karoq measures 4.3 metres in length. The car is expected to get a lot of premium features like a 9.2-inch infotainment screen with gesture control. We are not sure if the high-end features will come to India but Skoda recently launched the Kodiaq with a lot of never-seen-before features and Karoq may just follow the path.

The Karoq also gets a fully digital instrument cluster, similar to the Audi cockpit. The long list of features include wireless charging, LED ambient lighting, WiFi hotspot enabled infotainment and more.

Engine wise, the Karoq is expected to get a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine. In the international markets, Skoda also offers a 1.5-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine. We can expect the vehicle in India by 2018 if Skoda approves the Indian launch.

Via: TBHP