A new Skoda Karoq SUV looks to be on the cards after the Czech firm’s marketing boss said that it “would certainly make sense” to give the SUV – the oldest car in the car maker’s line-up – a second generation.
Speaking to Autocar, Martin Jahn added that such a move would also maintain the brand’s commitment to offering a full range of combustion cars – “from Fabia to Kodiaq” – alongside its new EVs for as long as “legally possible”.
The current Karoq launched in 2017 and has racked up more than 100,000 UK sales since, making it the firm’s third best seller behind the Octavia and Fabia.
However, questions were raised over the car’s age after sales dropped substantially last year from 14,648 in 2024 (where it topped Skoda’s sales charts) to just over 10,000, placing it sixth.
Asked about the possibility of a new model, Jahn said:“We have a full range of ICE cars from Fabia to Kodiaq. We will keep them as long as customers want them, as long as it’s legally possible, and as long as it’s financially viable.”
Pushed further, he added that a new–generation of Karoq “would certainly make sense”, but explained that its viability would rest on whether the EU did implement a mooted weakening of its CO2 emissions regulations that from 2035 currently outlaw the sale of new ICE vehicles.
Jahn explained that the firm would “wait as long as possible” to make a decision, suggesting that the current car might be in line for another update to keep it going before work on a new model begins.
Any future Karoq would use an updated version of the current car’s MQB platform, which is used across the whole of the Volkswagen Group stable, including the larger Kodiaq.
As such, it will likely adopt VWG’s latest full-hybrid powertrain, which is set to make its debut in the new-generation Volkswagen T-Roc in the coming months.
Skoda’s technical boss Johannes Neft explained that the Octavia is set to gain both full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, while smaller models like the Fabia and Kamiq could also adopt hybrid powertrains, suggesting that the small-SUV Karoq will follow suit.
Jahn said: “The MQB platform is still fantastic and I don’t see any competitor bringing anything better to the ICE world.”
Speaking more generally, he added: “What happens by 2035 will determine what we will invest into combustion engine cars, but they are still very popular and we have them around for as long as the customers want them.”
