BBC Top Gear India – July 2019

July I

Skoda Karoq

                        35  lakh        

(estimated  ex-showroom )

WE SAY: SKODA’S MID-SIZE

SUV IS QUITE A PACKAGE

    Agasti  Kaulgi

I

the line up. To deal with the issue, it plans

to bring the Karoq to India via the CBU

route and save on the colossal costs of

homologation by restricting it to 2,

units a year.

The Karoq is the Tiguan’s Czech

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space and utility as the German. It also

shares its underpinnings with the Tiguan

and hence has similar driving dynamics.

Well, that’s a good thing, because the

Tiguan drives really well to begin with.

The one that we drove in Prague

was a 1. 5 -litre four pot petrol one that

was good for 148 bhp and 250 Nm. The

engine is mated to a six speed manual

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piece of kit and does the job well in the

city and on the highway.

This, though, won’t be the spec that

comes to India. Like most premium

SUVs, there will only be an automatic

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The Karoq is meant for someone

who wants adequate space at the rear

seat and also enjoys driving by himself.

The cabin is a good place to be in and

has all the right toys to play with. It’s got

an all-digital instrument cluster that’s

capable of throwing all the possible

information at you and also double up

as a sat nav screen. It ticks the right

boxes when it comes to creature

comforts - auto AC, electric seats,

induction charging and also gets a large

screen for the infotainment.

When the Karoq comes to India, it

will compete with the Hyundai Tucson

and the VW Tiguan. Although, with

the duties pertaining to CBUs, it won’t

have an edge over its rivals, though it

should bring in a new perspective to

the segment. It’s got its ride quality and

handling in place and has things such as

a nice feel to the steering that will appeal

to the enthusiastic lot, and at the same

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cabin. It’s got the right things working for

it to make a decent case for itself.

PHOTOGRAPHY:    

MANUFACTURER

Large   touchscreen,    

all-digital instruments 

tick    all the right   boxes

ndia is a land of compact and

mid-size SUVs. We simply

can’t seem to get over the

idea of having a vehicle

that looks tall, intimidating and has

enough ground clearance to deal with the

worst kind of roads, yet have the other

dimensions in check. That doesn’t only

allow you to have the peace of mind in

crowded city spaces, but also makes the

SUV easy to drive around.

To cut to the climax, let me begin by

telling you that Skoda India is serious

about the Karoq and wants it to be on

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expect much traction on the product, it

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Cabin   has more    than    

enough  room;   also    good    

for driving enthusiasts

VERDICT: A nice

mid-size SUV that

offers decent space

in the cabin and is

nice to drive too.

1498cc, 4cyl,   petrol, 148bhp, 250Nm,  

6M, FWD

0-100kph:   8.9s,   top speed:  204kph

Kerb    weight: 1398kg

SPECIFICATION

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010 JULY 2019 → TOPGEAR.COM