Looks like they're touring a LHD model around a few UK dealers https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFFCbGFodQ/

^^^ As has been Road Tested by UK Motoring Magazine Journalists.

So Skoda delivered Karoq's to customer in October, just the customers were part of their own company. 

Vorsprung Durch Technik,  same thing almost every Skoda / VW Group Launch these days, let the Internet / Social Media promote the new models.

Correction:

 

Vorsprung Durch Technik is Audi

 

Shhkoda is Simply Clever - in Czech its Jednoduše chytré

 

I am getting into the whole brand thing now.

4 hours ago, cjrp said:

Looks like they're touring a LHD model around a few UK dealers https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFFCbGFodQ/

 

Skoda UK wont offer up any details on this....none of the dealers I called would comment on it

If you want a virtual look at the car there's the 'Live Tour' which I found to be a gimmick and didnt answer questions I had about the car

 

Just dont understand why you would build the buzz about a new car, following strong reviews in the summer and then have no examples at dealerships anywhere in the UK even as showroom only cars.

Live Tour no longer has a Karoq available. Their demo car has been moved elsewhere.

22 minutes ago, JACER said:

 

Just dont understand why you would build the buzz about a new car, following strong reviews in the summer and then have no examples at dealerships anywhere in the UK even as showroom only cars.

 

 

I forgotten the name for this, this negative advertising (stopping you making alternative big money purchase) has been around for years.

I remember discussing it with an Economics professor in 1985 at Warwick Uni when we were looking at how oligopolies and big brand companies eg car manufactuers spend considerably more on  advertising than other companies.  From memory it was the Peugeot 309 (which was being built few miles away at Ryton), and was in TV commercials, but still few months away from being in dealers.  We concluded it wasn't about encouraging you to buy one (you couldn't, it wasn't on sale), but to stop you buying elsewhere in meantime, this type of advertising only seemed to apply to very big ticket items.   I guess this is just the equivalent using the new medium of social media and is about buying into an aspiration before you realise its basically just another car.

 

 

Vorsprung durch technik might well have been an Audi Germany phrase in adverts, and Das Auto the VW until dropped,  but VW Group are Skodas puppet masters and learning to keep potential buyers informed seems to be beyond Skoda,VW or Audi.  

 

All car manufacturers have paper-launches and press samples available for review many months ahead of full-production. There are many reasons for this:-

*Drums up demand so that Production can start at close to full capacity (most economical/profitable)

*Judge press and public reaction. If there is any major critism, faults or quality issues the manufaturer has some time for rectification. Think of the A-Class Elk Test fail.

*As said above, it can delay/prevent the purchase of competitors models.

*Lots and lots of free advertising.

 

Just got a surprise and saw a Karoq in right hand drive, 1.6d version, supposedly for sale here in Ireland....

 

Karoq with Right Hand Drive for Sale at Irish Dealer

 

 

41 minutes ago, TheRobinK said:

Just got a surprise and saw a Karoq in right hand drive, 1.6d version, supposedly for sale here in Ireland....

 

Karoq with Right Hand Drive for Sale at Irish Dealer

 

 

That's a Kodiaq in the advert, not a Karoq.

14 minutes ago, DaveLees said:

That's a Kodiaq in the advert, not a Karoq.

Why would it have a Karoq badge on the back then?

2 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Why would it have a Karoq badge on the back then?

Good point!!

I hadn't looked at the photos, I just looked at the description, oops.

23 hours ago, TheRobinK said:

Just got a surprise and saw a Karoq in right hand drive, 1.6d version, supposedly for sale here in Ireland....

 

Karoq with Right Hand Drive for Sale at Irish Dealer

 

 

Yes, looks like dealers are getting their demo models in, my dealer has his in.  They all seem to be the same spec , 1.6 diesel style with the comfort package.

 

I'll hopefully get down for a test drive in the next week or so.

On 01/12/2017 at 13:27, DaveLees said:

That's a Kodiaq in the advert, not a Karoq.

 

The pictures are a Karoq, one picture is the rear view and Karoq badge is clearly visible. The other clue is the rear side window, on a Kodiaq the bottom is flat, this slopes up.

 

One London dealer I talked to says he has enquiries of 15 petrols for every diesel, and vast majority sold in London are autos, not manual.  Unfortunately HQ seems to think most of the early demonstrators should be manual diesels and providing test drives with the engine / gearbox spec the customers want is virtually impossible.  Couldn't say when a 1.5 tsi DSG would be available for test drives which is really frustrating.

 

first time seen RHD, sounds like diesel

Our dealer said that their Showroom/Demonstrator Karoq's are at the port in Emden. Ship left there this week but no Karoqs on board. Seems Skoda are holding them back from the UK although it does seem they are available in Ireland.  We ordered ours on 9th October. It was built last week and is now on its way to Emden but presumably it will be held there until all the dealers have theirs.

At this rate yours will be the only one in the country; I see a market for offering £20 test drives 

13 hours ago, Bowdie said:

Our dealer said that their Showroom/Demonstrator Karoq's are at the port in Emden. Ship left there this week but no Karoqs on board. Seems Skoda are holding them back from the UK although it does seem they are available in Ireland.  We ordered ours on 9th October. It was built last week and is now on its way to Emden but presumably it will be held there until all the dealers have theirs.

 

I wonder if Skoda are having second thoughts about the spec of the demonstrators following the budget tax changes for diesels, and Novembers SMMT sales figures which show petrol car sales 50% above diesels.   

 

Maybe they are waiting until they have enough petrol demonstrators, which were not initially ordered.   If diesels are now only 40% of sales (and likely to fall further due to budget change), any dealer with just a diesel for test drives will look stupid, especially with market heading to a 2:1 petrol/diesel ratio   (logically for January 2018 launch, a dealer with 3 demos should have a 1.0tsi, a 1.5tsi and a diesel, but I suspect weren't originally ordered in this ratio).

 

 

 

 

So much for Skoda / VW UK to think of.

First Registered on 6th April 2018 or after will be a VED class higher in the first year.  £500 instead of £200 on some of them.

On 13/12/2017 at 10:05, SurreyJohn said:

 

I wonder if Skoda are having second thoughts about the spec of the demonstrators following the budget tax changes for diesels, and Novembers SMMT sales figures which show petrol car sales 50% above diesels.   

 

Maybe they are waiting until they have enough petrol demonstrators, which were not initially ordered.   If diesels are now only 40% of sales (and likely to fall further due to budget change), any dealer with just a diesel for test drives will look stupid, especially with market heading to a 2:1 petrol/diesel ratio   (logically for January 2018 launch, a dealer with 3 demos should have a 1.0tsi, a 1.5tsi and a diesel, but I suspect weren't originally ordered in this ratio).

 

 

 

 

 

Spoke to a dealer and he suggested nothing to test until mid Jan at earliest, but couldn’t (or didn’t want to) offer an exact date.   I’m thinking more there is probably truth in the initial lack of petrol demos as a contributing factor in the delay.  

 

Possibly the just in time engine production is struggling to respond to the seismic shift to petrol engines in UK, production capacity having been planned months ago when majority diesel was expected.  Clearly UK tax has altered things.   Even Honest John website is saying buy petrol unless you do more than 20,000 miles per year.

 

I also would expect the quarterly price list from January will have 2 columns for the VED, one for deliveries until March and other for after VED rate for diesels goes up in April.

 

 

This time last year and even earlier Skoda / VW Group and Dealers / Brokers knew of the VED changes taking place ion April 2017 and then still never informed 

customers ordering that vehicles First Registered afterwards would be a different OTR price or Lease.

 

'Simply Clever' not,  'Must try harder' or just even make an effort seems to apply.

On 12/13/2017 at 10:13, AwaoffSki said:

So much for Skoda / VW UK to think of.

First Registered on 6th April 2018 or after will be a VED class higher in the first year.  £500 instead of £200 on some of them.

 

Slightly glass half empty

 

Most new diesels have a pretty low CO2 these days so any diesel cars affected by this ie  “don’t meet the latest standard” which are bumped up one group   - shouldn't be too badly affected 

 

First tax payment when you register the vehicle
CO2 emissions (g/km)    Petrol (TC48) and diesel cars (TC49)    Alternative fuel cars (TC59)
0    £0    £0
1 - 50    £10    £0
51 - 75    £25    £15
76 - 90    £100    £90
91 - 100    £120    £110
101 - 110    £140    £130
111 - 130    £160    £150
131 - 150    £200    £190

 

So the 190 ps /138 g /Co2, 2.0 TDI's are going from £200 to £500 in the First Year from April 6th, as other Makers Diesels between 131-150 are.

the 118 g /Co2 2.0 tdi just from £160 to £200.

Edited 17 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

4 hours ago, AwaoffSki said:

So the 190 ps /138 g /Co2, 2.0 TDI's are going from £200 to £500 in the First Year from April 6th, as other Makers Diesels between 131-150 are.

the 118 g /Co2 2.0 tdi just from £160 to £200.

 

VED rates change 1st April not 6th April

(6th April is historic and applies to personal taxes like income tax), not VED

 

so logically the (on the road) price of 1.6 diesel will go up £40 and 2 litre diesel £300, even though basic price unchanged 

 

 

 

 

Edited 17 December, 20178 yr by SurreyJohn