The Skoda Karoq Is Sold Out For 2020, But Will It Make A Comeback?

• All 1,000 units of the Skoda Karoq have been spoken for.
• The Karoq could make a comeback as a locally assembled model in 2021.
• It was offered with a 150PS 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 7-speed DSG.
• The Karoq was priced at Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
• Local assembly could see prices drop.
• Skoda’s ‘made-for-India’ Hyundai Creta-rival SUV is slated to launch by mid 2021.

The Karoq, Skoda’s premium compact SUV, has been sold out in India for 2020. The Czech carmaker had allotted 1,000 units for the year and all of them have been spoken for. It was launched in May 2020 as a completely built unit (CBU) for Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Bookings are closed for now and the Karoq has been dropped from the official booking portal. Skoda is yet to announce updates regarding reopening bookings for the Karoq. 

This brings us to the main question: what next? The company’s director had mulled about it being locally assembled in 2021 in our video interview. This could result in a price drop, making the Karoq a more value-for-money SUV. Skoda could import more units to satisfy customers and enthusiasts in 2021, but that’s yet to be determined. 

The Skoda Karoq is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform. It comes with a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine that churns out 150PS of power and 250Nm of torque. A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is the only gearbox on offer. But where the Karoq trumps its rivals is in the features department.

It was offered in one single variant and came with all the bells and whistles such as an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital driver’s display, a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, full LED headlamps, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, powered front seats, and auto headlamps and wipers. Safety is covered by nine airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, a rear view camera, electronic stability control, and hill start assist. 

The Skoda Karoq ain’t a cheap SUV by any means but it had a decent reception considering all 1,000 units have been sold out in five months. Moreover, the Karoq came to India during the peak of the pandemic. 

Skoda is working on a ‘made-for-India’ compact SUV that will be based on the VW Group’s heavily localised MQB-A0-IN platform. It is expected to be affordable than the Karoq by over Rs 10 lakh. The concept version of this SUV, the Vision IN, was displayed at the Volkswagen Group Night and the production-spec model has also been spotted testing recently. This SUV will reach showrooms by mid-2021 with an expected price tag starting from Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom).