[COMMUTER]

I honestly don't see this as a barrier for the prospective buyer who had already earmarked 30L to buy this car. It would be the bloated up price of spares that will leave all the buyers misty-eyed. But I am sure that this will be getting a fat discount like the S-cross did in a couple of months.

Since someone had pointed out that the middle class is missing out on being able to afford good cars, I would like to add to that. Had the crash tests for cars been made mandatory as anticipated by many, we all could have started driving the likes of these fantastic cars already.

[Silver Knight]

Makes logic from Skoda's point of view.
1. No point bringing a CKD, bring a CBU ready from abroad and sell. No point investing on a product which is already dead on arrival.
2. They have a very niche customer base who may not bother much about the price. Milk them and make more margin per car X sell very low numbers. Also, don't miss to slap them with high service and spare costs (Again more margin per car)
3. Even if they price it 2 or 3 lakh cheaper (which will erode their margin) it is never going to fly off the shelves. Instead get More Margin Per Car and pull the plug in India after a few years. And this will make it a very exclusive and rare piece (there are people who enjoy that exclusivity

[hemlock]

I had plonked down the cash to pre-book a Karoq. With this pricing I'm pretty sure I'm going to be disappointed if I buy it. Skoda will discontinue this model in a year and then fleece me for spares.
Suddenly, the New Nissan Kicks looks very attractive with 156 PS. Not too sure about the CVT though

[Timothy]

It seems that Karoq received a healthy number of bookings as most people expected a price of not more than 22 L, but this also made the Skoda team rather bullish on the price, seeing how quickly the Octavia RS245 got sold out and also the limited quantities of T-Rocs.

When they see the cancellations poring in, it will knock some sense and hopefully they will start to offer 1.5-2L discounts soon at the dealer level. It is otherwise a fantastic vehicle, based on my owning experience of Octavia 1.8 TSI L&K and a great buy for up to 22-23L. The company does want to make it a success in the Indian market and hopefully there-by move to local assembly (CKD)

Also there have been some concerns with regards to the Gearbox unit. The DQ200, which comes fitted to the vehicle is a dry clutch gearbox & is the one which has been plagued by DSG failures in the past. However, The unit has undergone a major change which includes changing the software and capping the torque to 250NM to protect the clutch plates. Also earlier the gearbox used synthetic oil. So what exactly happened there

Synthetic oil contains Sulphur. Now, when the car is driven in stop-go traffic, and if you add hot and humid conditions to that (India, for example), electrolysis happens, and the Sulphur gets deposited in the form of conductive particles along the oil. The computer now detects this as a short circuit, and cuts off the clutch, which is why you din’t get the “Drive” mode when your DSG failed. These problems have largely vanished once VW switched the oil to mineral oil.

It is, otherwise, a fantastic gearbox and can be used without fear as long as you bring it to N mode at traffic lights and during stoppages of more than 15-20 secs.

[dg2332]

All of a sudden, looking at this price, it reminds me about the Harrier that me and my friend test drove in March. The top end automatic on road price when enquired comes around 24 lacs. At this price, Harrier seems to be a very good product over Karoq. More powerful diesel engine and superb on road presence. The build is also top notch and the huge panoramic sunroof brings in a lot of light.

[androdev]

I personally find VW designs more appealing than the Skoda ones and it is a pity that VW is happy to take a back seat in Indian market. Passat vs Superb is a good example: people are likely to choose Superb because it has a proven track record of solid backing by Superb while VW never showed any seriousness with Passat.

So maybe this is good news for VW-hopefuls like me as this may help T-Roc sell better and push VW to become more serious about Indian market. I hate the lethargy of VW for not being proactive in Indian market - they could have easily been the Hyundai of India.

[Astitva]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

. Its only for hard core VW/Skoda fans and more of a halo product for those who would like an "almost Audi Q3".

Truly said. However, the Q3 in itself is a product that hardly anyone aspires for . Skoda has most likely made a big mistake.

[petroguzzler]

I feel that the Karoq is priced at a slight premium and is certainly not overpriced. It offers ~65% of the Kodiaq at around 70% of its price. The USP of the Karoq seems to be its well trimmed interior, lovely seats and top notch safety specs in a small footprint. In fact its USP seems rather similar to the Kodiaq's that competes in a price band where competitors like the Fortuner and the Endeavour would blitz it on all parameters (in terms of size, space, powerful engines, dedicated off road hardware and most importantly reliability and robustness that obliterates questions about DSG overheating and clutch wear). Despite these limitations, the Kodiaq has its set of customers who appreciate its practicality, comfort and its precise build over relatively unrefined competition. It seems like Skoda wants the Karoq to pull off the same trick.

[RavenAvi]

Walkaround video.

https://youtu.be/OXSyPeCpSMM

Credits - DJ Bro @ Auto Trend.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by hemlock

I had plonked down the cash to pre-book a Karoq. With this pricing I'm pretty sure I'm going to be disappointed if I buy it. Skoda will discontinue this model in a year and then fleece me for spares.
Suddenly, the New Nissan Kicks looks very attractive with 156 PS. Not too sure about the CVT though

The CVT is one of the best of breed. Nissan have a lot of experience with it and are able to make these transmissions for high power and torque applications. They make CVTs even for 3.5 Litre engines. These transmissions have been used over the last two decades in various applications by Nissan and are just as reliable as conventional Torque Converters. Of course, CVTs will not give the same driving pleasure as a manual box or a DSG, however they are better than many of the old world torque converters.

[Mad Max]

I don't know how many will see it as profiteering since there isn't anything to compare it by other than the Compass. And given "one hit wonder" Fiat's penchant for leaving the country every now and then, people will be happy to throw the money into Skoda.

Purely from a money making perspective, brilliant strategy. As someone said before, this could be the pull effect to increase price of others cars lower in the value chain.

[Venkatesh]

Walkaround by ZigWheels

https://youtu.be/NaNuIdGdK78

[tristis2008]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Walkaround by ZigWheels

Per video, there is only single zone climate control. And that only Karoq gets cylinder deactivation and not T-Roc!
Also interiors were praised.

[Timothy]

After doing a thorough study of both the VW T-Roc & the Karoq, I can safely say the latter is far more premium as compared to the T Roc. Everything in the Karoq looks plush and has a nice feel to it.

As far as the luxury quotient & features are compared it is exactly on par with the Octavia L&K variant (except for the powered passenger seat), plus it is a good 150mm bigger than the T Roc. So when I compare it to the latter, you get:

• More space,
• A premium feel
• Additional features
• More safety
• A lot of attention to detailing
• Contemporary styling &
• The simply clever Skoda features.

& most importantly as far as I am concerned, it has an electric parking brake, a very convenient feature when putting the gear at N mode on Traffic signals. Sadly, the Octavia still has a mechanical one ! & believe me it is important to bring the car to N mode for stoppages of more than 15 secs. if you want to increase the life of your DQ200 Gearbox
I think it is worth it to pay the premium and Karoq is truly the one to go for !

[GeeTee TSI]

While the Karoq is a popular model globally with many reviews, what we get in in India (or in other words what is knocked off) is something I keenly look forward to in an official Team-BHP review.

For example, whether the smart Velcro boot separators are offered as standard, also the flip over or height adjustable boot floor and such 'simply clever' features. Disappointed to note there is no retractable load cover

I mean, if it's a 'CBU' like an iPhone, shouldn't it be The iPhone