The highly-awaited Skoda Kushaq was unveiled recently, and its price list for the Indian market will be revealed in June 2021
Skoda Kushaq recently had its global debut, and it is scheduled to go on sale in India in July of this year. Upon launch, this upcoming SUV will mark the beginning of the second innings of the Volkswagen group in India, under the India 2.0 project. The new Kushaq has a lot on offer, however, it also misses out on a few things.
Here, we list the top 5 things we love about the upcoming Skoda Kushaq, along with the top 5 things it lacks or could’ve done better.
Good: Exterior styling
The Kushaq is undoubtedly a handsome vehicle, offering sleek headlights (with LED DRLs) and a massive grille at the front, along with sharp LED taillights at the rear. The side profile is rather clean, and the vehicle offers beautiful diamond-cut alloy wheels as well. It also gets plastic cladding all around, along with roof rails, which give it a rugged touch.
Bad: No panoramic sunroof
Sunroof has become the latest fashion trend in the Indian car market, and the Kushaq also offers one. However, unlike a few of its competitors, like the Hyundai Creta and MG Hector, it doesn’t get a panoramic sunroof. Instead, it gets a small, single-pane sunroof, which only covers the front seats.
Good: Powerful turbo-petrol engines
The Skoda Kushaq is available with two engine options in the Indian market – a 1.0L TSI petrol (115 PS/175 Nm) and a 1.5L TSI petrol (150 PS/250 Nm). These turbocharged petrol engines are not only powerful, but fuel-efficient as well.
Bad: No diesel engine option
Like a few other carmakers in India, Skoda has discontinued all its diesel engines in our market in the BS6 era. However, a lot of SUV buyers in India still prefer diesel engines over petrol ones, as evident by the strong sales of the diesel variants of the Creta and Seltos. The lack of one on the Kushaq might hurt its sales a little.
Good: Will be a driver’s delight
The Kushaq will be extremely fun to drive as well, just like all other Skoda offerings. On the 1.5L models, a 7-speed DSG will be optional, and a slick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox will be standard with both engine options (the 1.0L engine will get an optional 6-speed AT). For a thorough breakdown of the handling and performance of the Kushaq, you’ll have to wait for our drive review though!
Bad: No rear disc brakes
It’s a little disappointing that Skoda decided not to offer rear disc brakes on the Kushaq, not even on the higher trim levels. Despite being a premium offering, it only comes with disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. Rivals like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos offer disc brakes on all wheels on select variants.
Good: Brilliant cabin design and quality
The interior of the SUV is beautifully designed, with brilliant fit and finish on offer. The highlights of the cabin are the two-spoke steering wheel and the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The black and grey colour theme looks brilliant, lending the vehicle an air of premium-ness.
Bad: Rear seat space could’ve been better
While the interior is pretty, the rear seats could have offered a little more space. Despite having the best-in-class wheelbase length of 2,651mm, the width and length of the Kushaq are shorter than its rivals. The rear seats can easily manage to seat two people in comfort, but squeezing in one more would lead to an uncomfortable experience.
Good: Ventilated front seats
Keeping in mind the brutal summers of India, Skoda Kushaq comes with ventilated front seats. Combined with the automatic climate control system, this would make it easy to spend hours behind the wheel. The rear seats aren’t ventilated, but there are rear AC vents on offer.
Bad: Misses out on a few features
Bad: Misses out on a few featuresSome features we wish were available on the Kushaq are power-adjustable front seats, electronic parking brake, and driving modes. It would have been brilliant if it offered a fully-digital instrument console as well, which is available on the more premium Skoda models, like the Superb.