The Skoda Kushaq is all set to go on sale in June this year, while its cousin and also its biggest rival Volkswagen Taigun is expected to be launched in July
The VW Group is all set to launch two new mid-size SUVs in the Indian market this year under both the Skoda and Volkswagen brands, i.e. Kushaq and Taigun respectively. Both the cars have now been officially revealed, and upon launch later this year, will directly be pitted against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster.
The Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun are like two peas in a pod, and they share a lot of similarities coming from the same wholly-owned Indian subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. However, there are also a few major differences that set the two apart from each other.
Here is a list of the similarities and the dissimilarities between the upcoming Skoda Kushaq and its cousin as well as its biggest rival, the Volkswagen Taigun, take a look –
Similarities –
1. Underpinnings
Both the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun will go on to become the first set of made-in-India cars from the house of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India. What’s more, the two SUVs will be based on the same heavily localised MQB A0 IN platform that has been developed exclusively for our country.
2. Powertrains
Powering both the Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun will be the same two powertrains – a 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI engine and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder TSI motor. The former will produce 115 PS of max power and 175 Nm of peak torque, while the latter will put out 150 PS and 250 Nm.
The 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine will be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as well as an optional 6-speed torque converter AT, while the transmission options on the bigger engine will include a 6-speed MT as well as the enthusiasts’ favorite 7-speed DSG. Both the cars will feature an FWD configuration only.
3. Pricing
While pricing for either of the two cars hasn’t been revealed yet, we expect both the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun to be priced more or less the same in order to give tough competition to each other as well as their other rivals.
Dissimilarities –
1. Styling
Both the cars are based on the design language of their own respective brand. That said, the Kushaq features Skoda’s signature butterfly grille up front, which is flanked by dual-piece headlamps. The car also gets a faux skid plate at the front.
The body cladding around the sides is a neat attempt to make the car look sportier, along with the roof rails and the 17-inch diamond-cut dual-tone alloy wheels on the top-end trims. At the back, the Kushaq sports a roof spoiler and a silver faux diffuser. The boomerang-shaped LED tail lamps add to the width of the SUV.
On the other hand, the Volkswagen Taigun gets a thick chrome-laden grille up front along with squarish headlamps. The massive chrome bit surrounding the fog lamps, the large air intake and the faux skid plate, all add to its overall appeal. The rear-end of the Taigun features a unique tail-light cluster that runs across the width of the tailgate.
2. Interior
The Kushaq’s interior consists of a freestanding touchscreen infotainment unit, as well as a layered dashboard with a thin chrome bar that separates the top from the bottom. It also gets a two-spoke steering wheel, just like other new and premium Skoda cars. The central AC vents are positioned below the touchscreen.
The Taigun gets a neat dashboard layout, with a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system integrated into the dashboard. The car gets a flat-bottom steering wheel, and there is also a color-coordinated panel on the dashboard that splits in it two. The cabin space on both the cars is very similar though.
3. Virtual Cockpit
While the Volkswagen Taigun offers the same set of features as the Skoda Kushaq, it does get a configurable Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster as opposed to the Kushaq’s traditional dials. This makes the VW car feel more premium as compared to its cousin.