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Skoda Expands Karoq Production To Second Plant

Skoda Karoq 33 photos
Photo: Skoda
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Mlada Boleslav may be the stomping ground of Skoda, but the Karoq’s place of origin is Kvasiny. But as demand for the compact-sized crossover keeps on growing, the automaker sees fit to add the all-new Karoq to the Mlada Boleslav plant too, effective January 2018.
“We are proud to have established Mlada Boleslav - beside Kvasiny - as a further production site for the Karoq in the Czech Republic,” declared Michael Oeljeklaus, board member for production and logistics at Skoda Auto. “The high demand for our SUV models underlines the fact that we have launched the right vehicles at the right time."

When all is said and done, the Karoq is more appealing than the Yeti it replaces, whichever way you look at it. With pricing from less than €20,000 for the front-wheel-drive model with a manual transmission and the 115-horsepower 1.0 TSI, the newcomer bridges the gap between the best-selling Octavia and Kodiaq. A smaller crossover (subcompact in size), based on the SEAT Arona, will be added to the lineup in 2019.

To keep up with demand, Skoda poured lots of money into Mlada Boleslav to sustain production. On full song, the factory is capable of producing 320 examples of the Karoq on a daily basis. The fact of the matter is, no other Skoda except for the Karoq is made in two Czech plants, and that’s saying something about the model’s commercial success.

In addition to value for money and ample space, the Karoq is gifted with Kodiaq-infused styling and the dynamic capabilities of Volkswagen’s MQB platform. Customers who want the best Skoda can offer are offered optional extras that include LTE connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot, a fully customizable digital instrument cluster, and the seven-speed DSG gearbox.

At the present moment, the most powerful Karoq is the 1.5 TSI and 2.0 TDI, both rated at 110 kW. Research and development head Christian Strube is advocating for a hotter Karoq, though it remains to be seen if the higher-ups will give him the go-ahead for the RS.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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