2026 Skoda Kushaq Facelift: Old Vs New Compared

Interested in buying the Skoda Kushaq facelift? Here’s our Ultimate Buying Guide!

The Skoda Kushaq has received its first mid-life facelift, aimed at freshening up its appeal in the highly competitive compact SUV segment. While the pre-facelift Kushaq was known for its clean European design and solid driving dynamics, the facelift builds on that foundation with subtle but noticeable visual updates and interior tweaks.

If you’re wondering what’s actually different between the old and new Kushaq, here’s a detailed old vs new comparison. We take you through the design changes, feature additions, powertrain tweaks, and more: 

Design

Front

Up front, the changes on the facelifted Kushaq are evolutionary rather than radical. The signature butterfly grille remains, but it now appears more upright and visually wider, lending the SUV a slightly stronger look up front. The grille also comes with lighting elements that helps the new car to have a posh look.  

The LED headlamp setup continues, but the internals have been reworked. The DRLs now look crisper, and the headlamp units feature a more modern lighting signature. The bumper has also been subtly redesigned with revised air intakes, making the facelifted Kushaq look a bit more aggressive than before. Even the front skid plates have been tweaked and now looks more prominent. 

Side

In profile, the overall silhouette of the Kushaq remains unchanged, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The strong shoulder line, round arches, and compact proportions are carried over from the outgoing model. Even the dimensions of the Kushaq are the same, and it continues to be one of the most compact SUVs in its segment. 

The facelift retains the same alloy wheel sizes, though they now get a new design. Unlike the pre-facelift model, you get alloy wheels here right from the base variant. Roof rails, black cladding around the wheel arches, and body-coloured ORVMs continue as before, ensuring the Kushaq still looks familiar. You get the Skoda badging on the front fender and chrome elements around the windows for some extra bling. 

Rear

This is where the most noticeable change lies. The new Kushaq facelift gets connected LED tail-lamps, replacing the separated tail-lamp layout of the older model. It gives the SUV a wider and more contemporary look, especially at night.

You continue to get a roof-mounted spoiler and a shark fin antenna to round off the overall design. 

Colour Options

Skoda has introduced new exterior paint shades with the facelift, while continuing to offer popular colours from the earlier model. You now get new Red, Grey and Green shades in addition to the existing colours. Want to check out all the colour options of the Kushaq facelift? Head over to this story.

You also get a Monte Carlo version of the Kushaq right from its launch. This edition adds bespoke sporty elements on the outside and a black theme inside. It is essentially the top-spec Kushaq, and you can take a closer look at it in this report.

Interior

Step inside, and things are familiar. The layered dashboard has been carried forward and the main refresh here comes in the form of new upholstery and a new black / beige colour combination.  

The 10.1-inch infotainment system continues to be centrally mounted, but now benefits from improved software. The driver display is now a larger 10.25-inch unit, making it now look like a proper cockpit for the driver. 

Skoda has also updated the ambient lighting, giving it two colours instead of the single white colour option.

You get the same 2-spoke steering wheel on the Kushaq. The wheel looks really premium, and we rate it as one of the best-looking steering wheels in the segment. The facelifted Kushaq still misses out on soft-touch materials on the dashboard and physical controls for the infotainment and AC. 

What’s good is that you continue to get ample storage spaces all across the cabin, and adjustable headrests for both front and rear passengers.  

Features

The Kushaq’s feature list had started to feel a bit under-equipped, especially when compared to newer SUVs like the Tata Sierra and Kia Seltos. In this facelifted version, Skoda has given the Kushaq some new features over the outgoing version to enhance the comfort and convenience factor. 

For starters, it now gets a new 10.25-inch digital driver display, which also provides turn-by-turn navigation on the display. The infotainment, while being of the same size, has been updated and is now paired with an AI-assistant from Google. The Kushaq also finally gets a panoramic sunroof and front parking sensors. Moreover, you now get a segment-first massage function for the reats, a feature that is found in top luxury cars. 

The features it borrows from the outgoing model include an automatic climate control, cooled glovebox, a wireless phone charger, 6 speakers, cruise control, auto-dimming IRVM, and automatic headlamps. 

Safety features carried over from the pre-facelift model include six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), hill-hold assist, ABS with EBD, reverse parking camera, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Powertrain

The Kushaq facelift comes with a new 8-speed automatic transmission over the pre-facelift model. Apart from this, there are no updates to the powertrain of the SUV. It continues to get the same 1-litre and 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engines. Here’s a closer look at the specifications: 

Price And Rivals

Prices for the facelifted Skoda Kushaq are expected to see a marginal increase over the outgoing model, expected to start from around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom). It continues to rival the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and Victoris, Tata Sierra, Toyota Hyryder, Honda Elevate, and Volkswagen Taigun.

For more details about the Kushaq facelift, head over to this story. Also, you can check out how the Skoda Kushaq facelift fares against its rivals by tapping on the links below:

• Skoda Kushaq vs Kia Seltos
• Skoda Kushaq vs Tata Sierra
• Skoda Kushaq vs Maruti Victoris
• Skoda Kushaq vs Honda Elevate
• Skoda Kushaq vs Tata Curvv
• Skoda Kushaq vs Renault Duster
• Skoda Kushaq vs Maruti Grand Vitara
• Skoda Kushaq vs Toyota Hyryder
• Skoda Kushaq vs Hyundai Creta
• Skoda Kushaq vs Volkswagen Taigun 
• Skoda Kushaq vs MG Astor