By Skoda officially revealed the much-awaited production version of Kushaq earlier this year as the concept made its debut at the 2020 Auto Expo. The SUV was expected to be launched this month but it was delayed due to the ongoing pandemic situation across the country. Zac Hollis, Brand Director – Sales, Service and Marketing, Skoda Auto India confirmed that the launch will take place in June and the model will reach the dealership by July 2021.
The Kushaq is the first model to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform, which is developed especially for the Indian market as it is derived from the MQB A0 platform used by most of the entry-level models from the VW group. The design theme of Kushaq is in line with other Skoda models as the front get new LED headlamps with fog lamps placed below it. Skoda has added faux skid-plates at the front for an SUV look with wider air-intakes.
The side gets 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and the rear gets LED tail lamps along with a new bumper. The interior design is completely modern as the steering wheel is a new two-spoke unit with controls for the infotainment system. The instrument cluster is analogue and an infotainment system is a 10-inch unit with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Skoda has packed lots of features like ambient lighting, climate control, sunroof, ventilated seats and more.
Skoda is focusing a lot on safety as the Kushaq comes with 6-airbags, ESC (standard on all variants), multi-collision braking system, ABS with EBD and more. The Kushaq is powered by a 1.0 L TSI and 1.5 L TSI unit. The 1.0 L engine produces 115 hp and 150 hp for the 1.5 L TSI unit. The transmission options include manual, 6-speed automatic and 7-speed DSG. Volkswagen is also going to launch Taigun soon and they will compete against Hyundai Creta and Skoda Kushaq.
