Hyundai Creta-Rivalling Skoda Kushaq Unveiled; Likely To Retail From Rs 9 Lakh

The Skoda Kushaq will rival India’s best-selling SUV, the Hyundai Creta, that has sold more than 1.2 lakh units since its launch in February 2020

• Orders for the Kushaq will begin from June 2021 and the deliveries will commence in July. 

• It will be provided with two turbo-petrol engine options: a 115PS 1.0-litre and a 150PS 1.5-litre unit. 

• While a 6-speed manual gearbox will be standard, both the engines will get optional automatic transmissions. 

• Features will include a sunroof, a 10-inch infotainment, connected car technology, ventilated seats, ambient lighting, front and rear parking sensors, and up to six airbags. 

• Prices are expected to range between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 17 lakh. 

Skoda has globally unveiled the Kushaq, its first made-in-India SUV. The bookings will commence in June 2021 and the deliveries will begin in July. The Kushaq will rival the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the compact-SUV segment. 

Designed in typical Skoda fashion, the Kushaq seems identical to the Vision IN concept showcased at Auto Expo 2020. There’s the characteristic Skoda grille flanked by sleek LED headlamps, sharp lines on the bumpers, and all-around body cladding. While the base and mid-spec variants will get 16-inch alloy wheels, the top-spec will get exclusive 17-inch alloys. The cabin looks minimalistic, finished in dual-tone black and white, with glossy black highlights. 

Based on the new and localised MQB-A0-IN platform, the Kushaq is 4225mm long, 1612mm tall, and 1760mm wide. It gets a wheelbase of 2651mm and a ground clearance of 188mm. Its boot space ranges between 385 litres and 1405 litres (with 60:40 seating). 

The crossover SUV is feature-heavy, equipped with automatic headlamps, ventilated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control, rear Type-C USB ports, a sunroof, wireless charging, ambient lighting, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, connected car technology (for geofencing, car tracking, service reminders, insurance reminders, anti-theft notification, and more), and LED DRLs. 

Securing passenger safety are up to six airbags (only in the range-topping variants), electronic stability control (standard), hill hold control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, multi-collision braking, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear parking camera. 

Skoda has provided the Kushaq with two turbo-petrol engine options: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder (115PS/175Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder (150PS/250Nm) unit. The latter has been borrowed from the Skoda Karoq and will be assembled in India. 

Transmission duties will be handled by a standard 6-speed manual, along with an optional 6-speed automatic (for the 1.0-litre engine) and a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters (for the 1.5-litre engine). The bigger unit also gets idle auto start/stop and Active Cylinder Technology (ACT), with the latter sensing your driving behaviour and accordingly activating (or deactivating) two cylinders for improved fuel efficiency.

• Upcoming SUV Cars In India
• Upcoming Cars Under Rs 10 Lakh

The Kushaq will be available in three trims: Active, Ambition, and Style. Stated below are the engine/gearbox combinations: 

The Skoda Kushaq is expected to be priced from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 17 lakh. It will square off against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti S-Cross, Renault Duster, Nissan Kicks, and Mahindra Scorpio.