Demand for the Skoda Karoq is so strong that the Volkswagen Group has decided to allocate the compact SUV to two new plants.

The Karoq entered production on December 12 at VW Group’s Nizhny Novgorod plant in Russia, where the model has just been launched alongside the facelifted 2020 Rapid. While the Karoq SUVs built at the Russian plant will supply the local market, Skoda will also assemble the popular model at its Bratislava plant in Slovakia from autumn 2020.

The Karoq will become the second Skoda model to be built in Bratislava after the Citigo e iV electric city car. This means the Karoq will be made in five plants worldwide: Kvasiny and Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) and Ningbo (China).

Related: Russia’s 2020 Skoda Rapid Facelift Is Proof You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

The Skoda Karoq at its Russian market launch in St Petersburg

The Russian plant assembles completely-knocked-down (CKD) kits for the Karoq, which is the third Skoda model made in Nizhny Novgorod after the Octavia and Kodiaq, while the Bratislava facility will assemble medium-knocked-down (MKD) vehicles. Both will source the painted Karoq bodies from the Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic.

The Karoq compact SUV is Skoda’s best-selling model at the moment, with global deliveries already exceeding 137,700 units in the first 11 months of this year. In 2018, the automaker delivered 115,700 units to customers worldwide, with the total number of units built since the model’s launch in October 2017 reaching the 250,000 mark in mid-September 2019.

The Skoda Karoq at its Russian market launch in St Petersburg

“Demand considerably exceeds supply. Thanks to the production network within Volkswagen Group and the collaboration with our contract manufacturer GAZ in Russia, we can now manufacture additional units of the Karoq and better meet the consistently high demand for this model,” said Michael Oeljeklaus, Skoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics.

The Skoda Karoq will go on sale in Russia from the first quarter of 2020 and will be available in three trim levels (Active, Ambition and Style) and with two gasoline engines. The standard choice is a 110 PS (109 HP) 1.6-liter MPI naturally aspirated four-cylinder unit, while a 150 PS (148 HP) 1.4-liter TSI turbo-four is available as an option. The base engine comes with a five-speed manual gearbox or six-speed auto and front-wheel drive, while the TSI is mated to either an eight-speed auto and FWD or a six-speed DSG dual-clutch and AWD.

Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020
Skoda Starts Karoq Production In Russia, Will Build It In Slovakia Too From 2020