Facelifted 2021 Skoda Karoq previewed in official teaser video

Skoda’s teaser campaign for the facelifted Karoq is still gathering strength. The firm has issued a shadowy video clip of the new family SUV, which gives a first look at the car in the metal ahead of its scheduled launch on the 30th November.

The facelifted Skoda Karoq will get a range of styling tweaks and equipment upgrades designed to keep the SUV competitive with the Ford Kuga and the much newer third- generation Nissan Qashqai.

Skoda’s teaser video shows the revised Karoq will get a Kodiaq-inspired redesign. Like its larger sibling, there’ll be a deeper front bumper with a wide lower intake, slimmer LED headlights and square fog lights to create the brand’s now trademark lighting signature.

There’s also influence from elsewhere in the company’s line-up in items like the radiator grille, which now mirrors the design of the new Octavia’s. The car in the teaser video also has aerodynamic alloy wheel covers, like you find on the pure-electric Enyaq.

Recent design sketches (which can be viewed in our gallery) also show how the Karoq will benefit from a new black diffuser at the rear, along with a larger tailgate spoiler and a new pair of tail-lights, which feature a slimmer C-shaped signature.

Skoda’s latest teaser doesn’t offer a look at the Karoq’s cabin, but we’re expecting a new steering wheel design, updated door cards and a choice of new upholstery finishes. The SE L variant should also be fitted with the same 10.25-inch digital dash as the revised SEAT Ateca, with which the Karoq shares its platform.

There’s also the potential for Skoda to introduce an iV-badged plug-in hybrid version of the Karoq with this update. It would likely use the same 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor combination from the new Skoda Octavia iV, which would provide an output of 201bhp and a maximum electric range of around 30 miles.

The rest of the Karoq’s line-up will be made up of the Volkswagen Group’s familiar blend of petrol and diesel engines, opening with a 113bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol and topping out with a 187bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol on the flagship Sportline model. In the middle of the range, there’ll be a choice of 2.0-litre diesels, along with a 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol.

Martin Jahn, Skoda’s board member for sales and marketing, said: “[The Karoq] was our most popular SUV model during the past year and the first half of 2021, which illustrates its importance within the model portfolio. I am convinced that we will build on this success story with the new edition of the Karoq and attract new customers to the brand.”

The Karoq is also Skoda’s second-best selling vehicle overall, just behind the Octavia – and the Czech brand is keen to maintain that momentum with this facelift. Since production started in 2017, more than 500,000 examples have been sold worldwide.

What do you make of the facelifted Skoda Karoq? Let us know in the comments section below…