Skoda Kushaq Gets A Makeover Inspired By The Dakar Rally In New Render Video

It’s barely recognisable as a compact SUV with the gigantic new tyres and overhead scoop 

To the ordinary family car buyer, the Skoda Kushaq is a sensible compact SUV with well-balanced ride quality and a practical cabin. But the artist behind ‘dart_concept’ on Instagram has digitally reimagined the Kushaq as a rally-ready ‘Dakar Spec’ off-roader. Watch it in action in the video below: 

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That tall, wide stance comes from a new chassis bolted under the bodywork. The long-travel off-roading suspension is soft and bouncy, and the BF Goodrich off-roading tyres seem much larger and wider than the stock SUV’s 205-section tyres and 17-inch alloy wheels. 

At the front, the Kushaq’s stock grille and headlamps are blacked-out in the rally SUV. A skid plate dominates the front fascia, and a large overhead scoop sits on the roof for relatively dust-free cabin ventilation. 

Apart from the modified roof, flared fenders, and bigger wheel arches, the bodywork seems stock at first glance. But on closer inspection, all the body panels seem to have been refabricated in carbon fibre – that’s why the rear doors lack door handles. The rear fascia features blacked-out ‘Skoda’ and ‘Kushaq’ badges, and a full-size spare wheel is mounted under the body frame. 

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We don’t know which powertrain the rally Kushaq has, but the exhaust pipes on each side suggest that modifications have been made under the bonnet. As standard, Skoda offers 115PS 1-litre and 150PS 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engines with the Kushaq, paired with a standard 6-speed manual and an optional 6-speed automatic (with the 1-litre engine) and a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic (1.5-litre mill).

The Dakar Rally is a gruelling 14-day desert race across punishing terrains in different countries. Interestingly, Skoda has a 125-year long history in motorsport, but it hadn’t participated in the famous Dakar rally until 2018 when a Kodiaq SUV (pictured above) completed the rally in South America as an assistance vehicle for one of the teams.

Later in 2021, a 1980s Skoda 130 LR sedan won first place in the sixth stage and third place in four more stages of the rally at the hands of veteran driver Ondřej Klymčiw. 

The Skoda Kushaq rally-spec concept isn’t likely to ever kick the dust in real life, but it looks interesting, even pretty, in the rendered video. Let us know in the comments how you like it and which compact SUV you’d like to see as an off-roader. 

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