The brand-new Skoda Kushaq SUV is here now to take the center stage. “Kushaq” is a Sanskrit word that means the king. The name goes very well with its tagline that says, “Make way for the one true king.” The new production of Skoda Kushaq is one step forward to India 2.0 project which promises to develop, design, engineer, and assemble the whole vehicle in India itself thereby reducing its cost significantly which will give Skoda a better competitive advantage in the Indian market.
The newly revealed Skoda Kushaq is based on the MQB-AO-IN platform developed by Volkswagen the parent company of Skoda. Well-known for its premium designs, innovation, and creative technology the MQB-AO is one of the most dynamic and versatile platforms across the globe. Engineering a car that fits the benchmark set by the car behemoth will certainly shoot up the price of the car which will be a major reason to worry especially in the Indian sub-continent where the market is too price sensitive. MBQ-AO-IN was created to meet the demands of the Indian market. Incorporating the Indian flavor in the newly created car models and solutions that Indian customers would ask was its main goal. Also, localizing the manufacturing process would reduce the cost substantially. The Czech carmakers have opened a plant in Pune that will be at the pinnacle to deliver the India 2.0 mission introduced by Skoda’s parent company Volkswagen in the year 2018.
The brand-new Skoda Kushaq SUV comes in three variants – Active, Ambition, and Style. It is available to the customer in five elegant hues namely Candy White, Brilliant Silver, Carbon Steel, Tornado Red, and Honey Orange. The orange and the red colour is exclusive to the Indian market. The design and the architecture of the new Kushaq are perfectly made to suit the taste of Indian customers. It is a contemporary blend of art, innovation, and minimalistic thinking. Simply clever.
The exterior and interior design of the new Skoda crossover SUV Kushaq is simply stunning and proudly fit to be Indian. It has dual headlamps or split headlamps that are LED with a crystalline finish also called the Skoda crystal lighting. The fog lights perfectly placed below them. A huge grill at the centre with a chrome finish and a skid plate placed nicely at the front. The front bumper is body-coloured, and the roof-rails are silver-finished. The straight tornado lines at the height of the door make the car look longer. The SUV surely lives up to the VISION IN concept. It is 4,221 mm long, 1760 mm wide, and has a height of 1612 mm. With a ground clearance of 188 mm, the SUV is quite stable and reliable. The interior is spacious and sophisticated, there are several storage options with a free-standing 10” infotainment display at the centre, climatronic touch control panels, ventilated leather front seats with powerful air-conditioning, keyless entry feature, electric sliding glass roof, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror function. The connectivity and applications integrated for infotainment are quite futuristic with C-type USB slots available for charging and a wireless charging section. Modern systems that enable smart mobile connectivity using smart link technology It has Apple car play, Android auto, and other local applications integrated and accessible via the Skoda Connect feature. It also has 6 speakers with subwoofers truly capable of turning on the party vibes.
The Skoda SUVs have always been proactive to welcome additional safety functionalities into their cars and the new Skoda Kushaq gives us nothing less when it comes to driver and passenger safety. With 6 airbags, powerful (ABS) braking system, hill hold control, tyre pressure monitoring systems, ISOfix child seat mounts in place, adjustable headrests both at the front and rear seats, auto-dimming mirror, and an ESC (Electronic Stability Control) feature in place your safety are made a priority.
The Skoda Kushaq SUV comes with efficient 1L and 1.5L TSI engines. The 1L engine is a three-cylinder turbo petrol 999cc engine that puts up 115hp producing 175 nm torque at 1750-4500 rpm. The 1,5L engine is a 4-cylinder, 1498 cc variant that gives 250 nm torque at 1600-3500 rpm. The transmission is 6 speed manual and auto for both the engines with 7-speed DSG in addition to the 1.5L unit.
The new Skoda Kushaq SUV is estimated to be priced at an ex-showroom price between ₹10 lakh – 17 lakh. The mid-size SUV model will be launched in the month of June and will be available to the customers for booking. It will be interesting to see how the Kushaq will shine within the exquisite lineup that features – Renault Duster, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Nissan Kicks, and the Hyundai Creta.
Good car