Skoda Kushaq Facelift Sportline Variant Explained: Sporty But Affordable Version

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

Skoda’s new Kushaq facelift has made headlines with changes that refresh and rejuvenate the SUV. Part of this is also a revised variant lineup which now consists of 5 broad variants: Classic Plus, Signature, Sportline, Prestige and Monte Carlo. If you were looking to bring home a sporty variant though, the mid Sportline variant makes a lot of sense. So let’s take a look at what it gets and what it doesn’t:

Exterior

The exterior styling is where the Sportline differentiates itself from the other variants by adding many sporty touches. This variant builds on the Signature variant (Signature vs Sportline compared) and up front, it gets slim LED headlamps with distinctive DRLs and a gloss black grille with illumination. You also get LED fog lamps below and the skid plate is finished in gloss black as well. 

The side profile is where it looks more exclusive with gloss black elements like 17-inch alloy wheels, A-, B- and C-Pillars and a ‘Sportline’ badge on the front fender. You also have dark chrome accents over the body-coloured door handles. Other details like roof rails, a sharkfin antenna and body cladding are retained.

Changes to the rear-end have been kept subtle but are noticeable. You have gloss black trim on the bumper, black garnish on the tailgate and a body-coloured roof spoiler. There is also a ‘Sportline’ badge on the tailgate to identify itself.

Interior

Inside, the dashboard now gets a dark grey theme with black fabric seats. You also get a leatherette steering wheel and gear knob for a touch of premiumness. 

Besides this, it continues to get a digital instrument cluster and a free-standing touchscreen infotainment system. The front occupants also get a sliding centre armrest with storage, while there are also rear AC vents, a centre armrest with cupholders and USB Type-C charging ports for rear occupants.

Features

In terms of equipment, the Sportline variant is near-identical to the one-lower Signature trim that it is based on. This means it gets features like a single-pane sunroof, 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with AI assistant, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 8-inch digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, cruise control, height-adjustable driver seat, and a wireless phone charger. Checkout what it misses compared to the top-spec Prestige trim here.

Safety

Safety-wise, the Sportline is equipped with all the features available on the Kushaq. These include 6 airbags, rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, electronic stability control (ESC), hill hold control (HHC), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), auto-dimming IRVM, electronic differential lock (EDL) and a rear wiper with defogger.

Powertrain

The Sportline variant of the Kushaq can be had with only the 1-litre turbo-petrol engine option, which is paired to either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission. Here are the detailed specifications:

MT- Manual Transmission, AT- Automatic Transmission (torque converter)

Higher variants also get the option of a more powerful 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with a DCT as well. You can check out this story for more details. 

Price & Rivals

Skoda has priced the Sportline variant between Rs 14.74 lakh and Rs 15.74 lakh (ex-showroom) based on the powertrain combination. You can check its detailed price list here.

The Kushaq rivals compact SUVs such as the Renault Duster, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Tata Sierra, Honda Elevate, Maruti Grand Vitara, Maruti Victoris, Toyota Hyryder, and MG Astor. It also goes up against the Volkswagen Taigun, which is based on the same underpinnings and is set to receive a facelift this month.

You can also check out other variants of the Kushaq in detail in these stories:

• Classic Plus

• Signature

• Prestige

• Monte Carlo

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