Skoda Karoq Enters Production In Czech Republic

Touted as the successor to the Yeti, the car is expected to hit our shores in 2018

The upcoming Skoda Karoq is quite an important product for the the Czech carmaker. As far as we are concerned, the Karoq not only promises to be more than a worthy replacement for the now discontinued Yeti, it also has the potential to upset the compact SUV segment. At least on paper, that is! The good news is that Skoda has rolled off the first production unit of the Karoq from its Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic. It is one of the three manufacturing plants that the company has in its home country. For the record, the Skoda Karoq made its world debut in Stockholm, Sweden on May 18 this year.

Since Skoda has confirmed that the first set of SUVs will be delivered to customers by October, we can safely assume that its European launch will happen around the same time. In terms of powertrains, it will be available with five engine options with power figures ranging from 85PS to 190PS. Other highlights of the SUV include an expandable boot capacity up to 1630-litres, full-LED headlamps and a programmable digital instrument cluster, a first-ever on a Skoda.

When it makes its way to India, the Skoda Karoq is likely to get both petrol and diesel engine options. VW’s 1.4-litre TSI engine, that also does duty in the petrol-powered Audi A3 and the Q3, is likely to find a place under the Karoq’s bonnet as well. The diesel option is likely to be the same 2.0-litre TDI engine that powers its sister saloons, the Octavia and the Superb. Transmission duties, in all probability, will be given to VW’s 7-speed DSG.

Although there will be an off-road mode, don’t expect it to keep pace with rough-road masters like the Ford Endeavour or the Toyota Fortuner. Instead, the Karoq’s aura will hover around the soft-roader tag and will give the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and the upcoming Jeep Compass a run for their money.

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