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Skoda Karoq Could Be Locally Assembled In India: Zac Hollis Confirms Plan Is Being Evaluated
Skoda India launched the Karoq SUV in the Indian market recently. The new Skoda Karoq is positioned as a premium five-seater SUV in the Indian market priced at Rs 24.99 lakh, ex-showroom (India).
The SUV is imported into the country via the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route. Skoda initially has plans of retailing 1000 units of the SUV in the Indian market. However, in an interview by Autocar India, Skoda India Director, Zac Hollis confirmed that they are looking at locally assembling the Karoq in the country.
Zac Hollis confirmed that Skoda is interested to locally-assemble the Karoq SUV in the country. He mentioned in the interview, "Long term, I would like to have that product CKD in India."
However, there are a lot of factors to be considered by the Czech car brand before the start of local assembly. Most important of them being the demand for the SUV. The company states that the plans to locally assemble the Karoq in India will depend on the demand for the SUV in the Indian market.
The investment required to import the model as a CKD and assemble it at its facility in India will need to be justified. Skoda is currently making use of the government's 2,500 units homologation-free import rule for the Karoq. However, if they do decide to locally assemble the SUV, Skoda will have to make another investment to homologate the model for the Indian market as well.
Hence, Skoda states that the demand for the first batch of the Karoq SUV will be crucial for its plans in the future. The sales of the initial batches will determine whether or not Skoda needs to scale up their facility to accommodate the assembly process of the SUV.
Talking about the Skoda Karoq itself, the SUV is an all-new model in the brand's India lineup. The Skoda Karoq comes in a single trim and is powered by the 1.5-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine from the Volkswagen Group. The 1.5-litre TSI unit produces 150bhp and 250Nm of torque and is mated to a standard seven-speed DSG automatic transmission unit.
The Skoda Karoq was launched in India alongside the 2020 Superb facelift and the new Rapid 1.0-litre model. All three models were introduced in the Indian market via Skoda's first online virtual conference, which could become a trend in the post-COVID-19 period.
Thoughts About The Skoda Karoq SUV In India
The Skoda Karoq is an extremely attractive SUV offering in the Indian market. Skoda has loaded the new Karoq with a host of features and comfort equipment, which is combined with the brand's strong performing turbo-petrol engine offering as well.
The Skoda Karoq rivals the likes of the Jeep Compass, Volkswagen T-Roc, Kia Seltos and the Hyundai Creta in the Indian mid-size SUV segment.