Skoda Karoq First Look [Video]

The Karoq is the first Skoda car to get a virtual cockpit. Here is a first look of the SUV.

The Skoda Karoq will be launched in India in 2019 and will be slotted below the Kodiaq. The Yeti replacement has been showcased at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show.

Globally unveiled earlier this year, the Karoq is a proper-looking SUV, unlike the Yeti which was more of a crossover. An SUV had been long missing from Skoda’s stable after the discontinuation of the Yeti, but that will soon be history as the Kodiaq will be launched next month in India. Probably a year later we could get to see the Karoq on Indian roads.

The Skoda Karoq is based on the MQB platform and looks more like a scaled-down Kodiaq in terms of design. The signature Skoda grille gets a nice chrome finishing. The headlamps with LED DRLs and the C-shaped LED tail-lights will remind you of its bigger sibling. The fog lamps have been set high. The squared-off wheel arches and the 19-inch alloy wheels add character to the side profile. The 3-dimensional LED tail-lights and the cleanly-designed tail-gate lend the SUV a premium touch while the blacked out bumper adds some muscle.

The interior layout is similar to the Kodiaq again. The Karoq features a dual-tone beige and black dashboard. There is a 9.2-inch Columbus touchscreen infotainment system and the Karoq is the first Skoda car to feature a virtual cockpit (fully digital instrument panel). Other features inside the cabin are climate control, leather seats and Skoda Phonebox.

Powering the Skoda Karoq is a choice of petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engines are 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre TSI units that produce 113 HP and 148 HP respectively. Both these engines are available with either a manual or an automatic gearbox. The diesel engine options are a 1.6-litre unit which produces 113 HP and a 2.0-litre unit which comes in 2 states of tune – a 148 HP version and a 188 HP version. The diesel engines too are available with manual and automation options, along with 4WD.

Expect Skoda to plonk the 2.0-litre diesel engine in the India-spec Karoq. The Karoq will rival the likes of the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson in India.

Skoda Karoq Video

– The Skoda Karoq will sit below the Kodiaq
– The Karoq is the Yeti’s successor
– The SUV gets a fully digital instrument cluster (a first for a Skoda car)