Skoda has announced that the upcoming Kushaq will be priced competitively. However, it will still be a bit premium in comparison to the competitors, said Gurpratap Boparai, The Managing Director of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India. Skoda has always been a bit pricier than the rivals and it justifies this price by packing the products with more quality and better driving dynamics. Apparently, that will be true of the upcoming Creta-rival, Kushaq as well. Although competing in the mid-size SUV segment, Kushaq will come at a little premium over the Creta and Seltos. Also, both these SUVs are the only competition for the Kushaq at the moment. However, as the year goes on, there are bound to be more products from the other carmakers like Maruti Suzuki and Ford. Can the Skoda Kushaq enjoy the early-mover advantage with the Kushaq before the others join in? We will find out very soon.
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Skoda Kushaq – Exterior
Skoda has officially outed the heavily camouflaged production-spec Kushaq and given it to drive to various automobile journalists. They clearly want to make sure that they take into account, the feedback given to them by the experts and bring them in the final product. The exterior of the Kushaq gives an impression of the chrome butterfly grille in the front along with the typical creases that we have seen on Skoda products over the years. Based on the MQB platform, the Kushaq has a long wheelbase which means that the rear passengers will have a ton of legroom for enhanced comfort. However, the overhangs on both sides are short and this gives Kushaq a rather sporty and compact look. We have seen the concept version of the Kushaq in flesh in the Auto Expo 2020 and expect the production version to sport a lot of similarities.
Unfortunately, not much has been revealed with regards to the interior of the Kushaq, but we expect a high-quality cabin and materials on offer. It will also feature a ton of convenience and safety features. Honestly, that is a must to compete against the likes of Creta and Seltos, both of which are loaded with modern features to the brim.
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Skoda Kushaq – Engine and Transmission
What we know for sure, however, are the engines on offer with the Kushaq. There are two petrol engines on offer; the 1.0-litre TSI and the 1.5-litre TSI. The transmission of offer are 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic and 7-speed DSG (DCT). Knowing Skoda products, we can expect the driving dynamics to be confidence-inspiring and can challenge the segment leaders.
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Skoda Kushaq – Price, Launch and Competition
Being in the segment of mid-size SUVs, Kushaq is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 11 lakh and Rs 18 lakh, ex-showroom, which is just a bit higher than the Creta and Seltos. But with the quality and driving experience of Skoda, there may be value to those extra bucks that you would spend. Also, there will be safety features like ESC standard across all variants, 6 Airbags, Hill-Hold Function and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. The global unveil is slated for March and we might see the Kushaq on our roads by mid-2021. Like we mentioned earlier, right now the Kushaq has only two competitors, Creta and Seltos.
