Skoda Rolls Out The First Kushaq At Its Pune Plant, Launch Later This Month

The Kushaq will mark Skoda’s debut in the growing compact SUV segment as a rival to the Hyundai Creta

• Skoda’s compact SUV will go on sale in June.

• It will be a petrol-only offering and will get 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engines.

• The Kushaq will get a sunroof, a 10-inch touchscreen unit, and ventilated front seats.

• It is expected to be priced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom).

Skoda has started series production of its upcoming compact SUV, the Kushaq, at its Chakan, Pune plant. The SUV is slated for a June launch with customer deliveries to commence from July.

While Skoda will offer the Kushaq in three variants -- Active, Ambition, and Style -- at the time of launch, the SUV will get a sportier-looking Monte Carlo Edition later on. The Kushaq is the carmaker’s first locally manufactured product to be underpinned by the new modular MQB-A0-IN platform.

The Kushaq will be a well-equipped offering and will get a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ventilated front seats, connected car tech, a sunroof, and cruise control. Safety features will include up to six airbags, electronic stability control, and rear parking sensors.

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Skoda’s compact SUV will be a petrol-only model. It will come with a 1.0-litre unit from other Skoda-VW cars such as the Polo, Vento and Rapid, in a slightly higher state of tune, making 115PS (+5PS) and 175Nm and a 1.5-litre (150PS/250Nm). While both engines will get a 6-speed manual as standard, automatic transmissions will be a 6-speed torque converter and a 7-speed DSG (dual-clutch automatic) for the larger engine.

We expect the Kushaq to be priced between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom). It will lock horns with the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Nissan Kicks, Mahindra Scorpio and its upcoming cousin, the Volkswagen Taigun.