Skoda Kushaq/VW Taigun To Spice Things Up In Petrol SUV Segment

Skoda Kushaq Vs Volkswagen Taigun 2

Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun will be powered by two turbocharged petrol engines with manual and automatic transmission options upon arrival

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India are gearing up to their biggest launches in a long time as the Kushaq and Taigun are coming in hot. The Kushaq is the first in line to arrive and its price announcement will happen in the coming weeks and the deliveries will begin next month. The Volkswagen Taigun is expected to launch in the coming months as well.

Both are based on the heavily localised MQB A0 IN architecture with 95 per cent localisation and they could be priced competitively against rivals such as Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Nissan Kicks and the likes. In addition, they are the first models coming out under the India 2.0 project which has seen an investment of more than one billion euro.

Across different price brackets, the popularity of the diesel engines has deteriorated big time due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the more stringent BSVI emission standards made the upgrade largely unviable for the manufacturers due to the relatively high costs involved in diesels compared to petrol powertrains.

Skoda Kushaq Vs Volkswagen Taigun 1

This led to very few carmakers opting to sell diesel variants in the sub-10 lakh price bracket. Even in the compact and mid-size SUV segments, the trend towards buyers preferring petrol engines over diesel units can be clearly seen. Understanding the importance, brands like Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and Renault offer naturally-aspirated and turbo petrol units in their models to have an expansive range.

Following the dieselgate, Skoda and Volkswagen have largely been streamlining their small capacity turbo engine lineup and no diesel powertrains will be offered in India. The Kushaq and Taigun are expected to make a strong impact in the petrol-powered mid-size SUV space courtesy of their traditional good driveability standards and refinement.

Skoda Kushaq Vs Volkswagen Taigun 3

The five-seaters will be powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder TSI unit developing 115 PS maximum power and 175 Nm while a 1.5-litre four-pot turbo motor delivers 150 PS and 250 Nm. Both are already available in existing Skoda and VW models and will be offered with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. A six-speed AT in the 1.0L petrol and a seven-speed DSG in the 1.5L petrol will be optional.