[Aditya]

Mod Note: Our Skoda Kushaq Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Skoda Kushaq Preview

Introduction

Skoda has decided to enter the lucrative mid-size SUV market in India with the Kushaq. This car is the first product developed under the ‘India 2.0’ project. It is based on the Vision IN concept that was displayed at the 2020 Auto Expo. The Kushaq will compete with formidable opponents such as the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. While Skoda had the Karoq on sale in India, it was imported as a CBU, which made it too expensive. The Karoq was just a stopgap product to keep dealers happy.

Skoda's sales in India are very poor, despite the brand being present here for 2 decades! Skoda is now taking a shot at the volume segment with this modern crossover. The Kushaq has the responsibility to bump up the company's numbers and is an incredibly important car for Skoda. Price & positioning will be key.

When the Kushaq goes on sale later this year, it will be available in 3 trim levels - Active, Ambition and Style, with 2 turbo-petrol engine options - a 1.0 TSI with 6-speed MT and AT transmissions and a 1.5 TSI with a 6-speed MT and 7-speed DSG. The car will come in a front-wheel drive configuration only. Not offering a diesel will be a major handicap as the two best-sellers are available with diesel options, as are most competitors. Hyundai recently announced that 60% of the Creta's sales are from the diesel. It sucks that the VW-Skoda group didn't bother with making their excellent 1.5L diesel BS6 compliant. It already puts the Kushaq on the backfoot.

Orders will be taken from June with the first Kushaqs to be delivered in July. The name of the mid-size SUV is derived from Sanskrit, where the word ‘kushak’ denotes a king or an emperor. Skoda definitely loves the alphabet K = Kushaq, Kamiq & Kodiaq!

Skoda Kushaq Price & Brochure

The Kushaq will be built in India with 95 percent localisation, which (we hope) should allow Skoda to price it competitively.

The Kushaq's official brochure can be downloaded here.

Exterior

Design & Styling

The Kushaq's styling is unmistakably Skoda. It sports the familiar Skoda family face and the rear too has some resemblance to the Kodiaq. When it comes to size, it's on the compact side and because of this, we will have to wait and see how the market responds. The Kushaq gets LED daytime running lights, projector headlamps, plastic SUV-style cladding on the sides, 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails. The vehicle will be available in 5 single-tone body colours.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

The Kushaq has a monocoque construction and is built on the MQB A0 IN platform, which is a variant of the modular MQB platform adapted for the Indian market. The car is solidly built. The doors, bonnet & tail-gate have a good deal of weight to them and there’s not much flex in the body panels. The heavy doors shut with a satisfying thud, typical of European cars. Overall fit & finish are just as you'd expect from a European car.

Wheels & Tyres

The Style variant gets funky 17” Atlas two-tone alloy wheels with 205/55 Goodyear Triplemax 2 tyres, which look proportionate to the metal on top. They fill up the wheel arches well. The Active variant gets 16” alloy wheels with Lhotse wheel covers, while the Ambition variant comes with 16” Grus alloy wheels.

Ground Clearance

On paper, the Kushaq has a ground clearance rating of 188 mm, which is similar to the Creta / Seltos' 190 mm.

Safety

The Kushaq is loaded with safety features such as 3-point seatbelts for all five occupants, 6 airbags, ESC, ABS, multi-collision brake, hill-hold, TPMS, ISOFIX child seat mounts, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, auto headlamps and auto wipers. We hope that the Kushaq upholds the VW-Skoda Group's usual commitment to safety and there have been no compromises made. Just that, whenever we heard that a platform has been "modified for India", it makes us nervous. Fingers crossed, GNCAP rating awaited!

Skoda Kushaq Exterior Images

Front is unmistakably Skoda and very close in styling to the Vision IN concept:


The rear too is very "Skoda". Compared to the concept car, there are some subtle changes to the tail-lamp cluster, tail-gate and bumper:


Kushaq measures 4,225 mm, 1,760 mm and 1,612 mm in L x W x H respectively, with a healthy wheelbase of 2,651 mm and has ground clearance of 188 mm. It's not big or imposing at all. Quite the contrary, actually:


Headlamp clusters consist of L-shaped LED daytime running lights, LED projectors for the low beam and main beam. Halogen foglamps sit below the headlights, high on the bumper. Headlights have many crystalline touches:


The signature butterfly front grille gets chrome lining all around. Ignore the blackened effect in this picture - it's because of the light conditions. The chrome is the usual silver fare:


Front bumper features a wide air dam with a black honeycomb mesh grille and a faux silver skid plate. Skid plate has aggressive detailing. Front parking sensors are available on the higher variants:


The bonnet has a prominent Skoda-style hump in the middle. The Skoda logo on the bonnet looks swell. We also think red was the perfect colour to showcase the car:


Rain-sensing wipers have their spindles & washers tucked under the bonnet:


Front fenders house unique piano black inserts with chrome ”SKODA” lettering:


ORVMs with integrated turn-indicators:


Chrome inserts have been provided on all door handles, with request sensors on both front doors:


Lovely cuts & creases, done in a classy manner accomplished only by the German brands:


Subtle crease runs low on the doors. Black plastic cladding for that "crossover" stance:


Smart looking 17” dual-tone rims shod with 205/55 section rubber do fill up the wheel wells. Lower variants get 16” rims:


Even the top-end Style variant does not get rear disc brakes:


Front & rear wheel wells get full plastic cladding:


That's not a quarter glass on the C-Pillar. It's merely a piano black insert giving a glass-like effect:


Silver roof rails enhance the Kushaq's crossover appearance:


No panoramic sunroof like the Creta. Just a regular unit:


Rear spoiler is a two-piece unit with a metal portion on the inside and a plastic portion on the outside. The two portions are separated by a crease. Contrast black sharkfin antenna sits at the end of the roof section:


Split tail-lamp clusters feature C-shaped LED pilot and brake lamps, with halogen units for the turn-indicators and reversing lights. We LOVE the font used for the KUSHAQ badge. Whoever picked it has taste:


Tail-gate has cuts and creases just like we have seen on the Kodiaq. Chrome strip runs lower down, a staple fitment for India. No variant or engine badges have been provided anywhere on the car:


Higher variant gets a reversing camera which is placed next to the electromagnetic boot release:


The rear bumper has a fake silver skid plate as well. 3 parking sensors have been provided, while a pair of slim reflectors sits higher on either side; these reflectors are dropped in line with the chrome strip of the tail-gate:


Twin exhaust pipes on the left:


Fuel tank is located just ahead of the rear axle, to the right:


Apart from the Tornado Red colour of the car pictured above, the Kushaq is available in four other shades - Candy White, Brilliant Silver, Carbon Steel and Honey Orange. Here it is in the nice Honey Orange shade, which along with the Tornado Red is exclusively offered in the Indian market:


The Carbon Steel shade:

[Aditya]

Interior

Cabin Design & Quality

The dual-tone black and light grey dashboard is stylish & looks upmarket with liberal use of piano black at various places. There are no soft-touch plastics anywhere, yet the interiors feel solidly put together without any poorly finished areas easily visible. BHPians looking closer will find that the feel of some plastics lower down in the cabin isn't as nice as what we've experienced in other Skoda cars.

While the driver’s seat doesn't get lumbar adjustment, it seems supportive enough. It can slide back far enough even for tall drivers to feel comfortable. The leather upholstery is of acceptable quality. The center console has a wide leather-wrapped armrest which can be slid forward for those needing the adjustment. It is placed at a comfortable height. The doorpads too host leather-wrapped armrests which are useable.

On first impression, the ergonomics seem spot on with everything exactly where you would expect it to be, and within easy reach of the driver.

Cabin Storage

The cabin has a total of 26.2 liters of storage space including a 6.1 liter glovebox and 2.2 liter storage bin under the front armrest. Doorpads get accommodating bottle holders and room for other items. Cupholders and cubby holes have been provided in the center console as well. Additionally, there is a spot on top of the dashboard to place a deity. The front seatbacks have deep pockets as well as smartphone holders for rear passengers to use. There is a ticket holder on the front windshield, while the Ambition variant gets a storage spot for sunglasses.

Air-Conditioning

The Ambition and Style variants get a "Climatronic" climate control unit with a touch control panel. Air vents have been provided at the rear as well. The Active variant gets a standard HVAC unit.

Features

Unique & Noteworthy Features

The Kushaq comes with most of the necessary features (including a sunroof and touchscreen head-unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay). It also gets paddle shifters, ambient lighting (white coloured), connected car technology, wireless phone charging, ventilated seats and a subwoofer for added bass. However, features such as a panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable driver's seat and 360-degree camera are missing. The Korean siblings provide these features.

Audio System & Sound Quality

The Active variant comes with a 7” touchscreen head-unit, while the Ambition and Style variants get a 10” touchscreen HU. There is a Skoda Connect smartphone app available as well through which navigation can be accessed. The system features a Wi-Fi hotspot too. Downloads from the online app store (ICE gets some local apps as well). In addition to MP3 and WMA, this system can play AAC and FLAC media files.

Sound is delivered through 6 speakers, an amplifier and a subwoofer. A friend told me that the sound quality is really good.

Rear Passengers

Rear Seat Comfort & Space

Ingress & egress are easy. The rear bench is placed at a decent height as well. However, the width is too less for three adults to feel comfortable. It's more suitable for two adults and a child. A center armrest has been provided.

The cushioning and padding of the rear seats seems alright with adequate under-thigh support. All 3 seats get comfy adjustable headrests. The legroom is adequate. We set the front seat for my 5'10" driving position, another individual (also 5'10") could sit behind without feeling cramped. Rear occupants get a/c vents and a couple of ports for charging their smartphones.

Boot Space

Luggage space is a rather small 385 liters. The rear seat is split in a 60:40 ratio. Folding the backrests down gives the Kushaq a luggage capacity of 1,405 liters. The boot gets a light and a parcel tray.

Skoda Kushaq Interior Images

Good-looking dashboard with a large piano black insert and carbon-fibre like detailing running from end to end. There are no soft-touch plastics used anywhere in the cabin, but it feels well built and nicely finished:


High quality two-spoke steering wheel with piano black and chrome inserts. 2-spokes make for a love it or hate it design (I like it, GTO doesn't). Ambition and Style variants get a leather-wrapped steering. Both ATs have paddle shifters:


Sturdy lever for adjusting the steering wheel:


LHS buttons are for audio & voice commands, while the ones on the RHS are for the MID. Scrollers have a knurled finish:


Plastic paddle shifters:


Just like all other Skoda cars, the engine start/stop button is placed on the right side of the steering column:


Dials and needles are backlit in white. Analogue fuel and temperature gauges have been provided too. We are so glad Skoda has chosen analogue instruments (we're not fans of the all-digital trend):


Left light / indicator stalk also houses the cruise control options. Very busy! On the right is the wiper stalk. The Kushaq is equipped with auto wipers:


Hexagonal a/c vents with a chrome border and silver insert:


Typical European headlamp and foglamp controls. The Kushaq gets automatic headlamps. All-black knob here looks too rudimentary & boring. For this and the paddle shifters, we would've liked some silver metal highlights or bordering:


Bonnet release is located on the right of the footwell:


Doorpads are mostly black with a small grey portion, and a piano black patch around the chrome door handle. This looks very boring & plainjane to our eyes (check out Kia's more interesting approach here & here). The recessed door handle housing has a carbon-fibre like finish. Armrest is wrapped in leather:


Wide door pockets can hold a lot more than a 1 liter bottle:


A string has been provided to keep standing items in place:


Did I tell you that I love the KUSHAQ font? Branded aluminium scuff plates provided:


Leather upholstered seats with soft headrests are wide and supportive. Center armrest is useful:


Even the top variant does not get electrical adjustment. Lumbar adjustment is not provided either:


A close look at the perforated leather seat upholstery. Perforated material is mandatory for the seat's cooling function. The quality of materials used is good:


Center armrest has a soft leather cladding with orange stitching. It is adjustable and placed at a comfortable height:


Seatbelts aren't adjustable for height:


The pedal area with a useable dead pedal:


One of the displayed cars had these sporty aluminium pedals with black rubber grips:


IRVM gets a slim frame and the auto-dimming function:


Center fascia hosts a 10” floating touchscreen at the top. Piano black has been applied liberally:


A closer look at the ICE:


Music is played through 6 speakers, including one on each door and tweeters on the A-Pillars. Additionally, a subwoofer has been provided. It rests in the spare wheel:


Driving statistics and vehicle status are displayed on this screen. Appears to have sharp resolution:


The system supports some apps:


Ambition and Style variants get a Climatronic climate control system with a touch control panel. Some people will like this, but we frankly prefer physical knobs & controls. Buttons for the auto start / stop system and ventilated seats are located above:


Two Type-C USB ports provided for charging smartphones:


At the base of the center fascia is a wireless smartphone charging pad:


12V power outlet located just ahead of the gear shifter:


Gear shifter looks upmarket with leather, chrome and shiny black inserts. The leather boot adds to that:


Non-slip base for the cupholder in the center console. Driver can open a bottle placed here with one hand:


Center armrest has a deep 2.2 liter storage compartment underneath:


At 6.1 liters, the glovebox is well-sized:


It gets cooling, but no illumination:


Sunvisors are economy-grade in design, yet they don’t feel flimsy. Driver-side unit merely gets a flap to hold tickets (no mirror or illumination), while passenger-side sunvisor gets a vanity mirror, but there's no cover or light provided:


Roof bezel holds two individual map lights, the sunroof controls and the Bluetooth mic:


A recessed area on top of the dashboard - could place a small idol of a deity here:


While dual front airbags are standard, the Kushaq can be fitted with optional front side airbags and curtain airbags, taking the total number to 6:


The size of the sunroof is a bit smaller than we'd have liked, especially when you consider the Hyundai Creta providing a panoramic unit:


This is the max the sunroof opens to:


Rear doorpads have an identical theme to the front units. The rear speakers are housed in them:


Wide door pockets can hold a 1 liter bottle and other knick-knacks with ease:


Door sills are not wide. Unlike the front, no aluminium scuff plate has been provided at the rear:


Rear seat has contours for support, while three 3-point seatbelts and 3 adjustable headrests have been provided. Rear seat is better for 2 adults and a kid (rather than 3 healthy adults). Cabin width is limited. Also, the middle area of the backrest protrudes (due to the armrest) and the seatbase is elevated in the center as well:


Legroom is adequate and two 5'10" adults can sit one behind the other in reasonable comfort:


The center armrest is positioned at a comfortable height. It is wide & soft, and comes with two cupholders:


Window line rises toward the rear. Shorter occupants will find this restricting their view outside:


Rear a/c vents with a pair of Type-C USB charging ports below:


Spring-loaded grab handles have been provided above each door. Rear units get coat hooks. Got to love how they are recessed inside the roof moulding:


Both front seats have deep seatback pockets and - uniquely - smartphone pockets for rear passengers to use. Very nifty!


Floor hump is not very tall, but still, this isn't a car in which the 5th occupant is welcome:


Rear cabin lamp is located right above the rear seats. It has two individual LED lights:


385L boot space is way short of rivals such as the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. Loading lip is high and mouth is narrow. A parcel tray has been provided:


Boot light and first-aid kit are located on the right. Bag hooks are provided on either side of the boot:


Tools are stored in a leather bag strapped on the left. Should've been hidden out of view, instead of being placed on the boot floor. The boot looks quite ugly with pouches for the tools, first-aid kit & warning triangle all visible:


Sturdy, upmarket looking lever for folding the rear seatbacks forward:


Rear seats are split in a 60:40 ratio:


Folding the seat down gives you 1,405 liters of cargo capacity. Floor is far from flat though:


Spare is a 16” rim with a 205/55 section Ceat tyre. The subwoofer is located inside the spare wheel:


Only the lower part of the tail-gate gets cladding on the inside. Notice the plastic piece provided to pull the tail-gate down. Different from the kind of handles we usually see:

[volkman10]

Skoda Kushaq:





- 1.0L TSI (6-speed MT & 6-speed Torque Convertor)
-1.5L TSI (6-speed MT & 7-speed Direct Shift)
- 385L boot space

Testing has been done for 15 Lakh kilometres

[Sanidhya mukund]

There we are! The wait is finally over! Had been waiting for this moment ever since we saw the the Vision IN concept. Wishing Skoda all the best. Seems like a genuinely good product, hope it sees the success it deserves:

[EightSix]

The Škoda Kushaq has been unveiled globally today.

Interior -

Powertrain options -

Color options -

Some more details -

◘ Comes with six airbags.
◘ Two spoke steering wheel
◘ Ambient lighting system
◘ Ventilated leather front seats
◘ Easy open mat
◘ Reflective door strips
◘ Škoda Sound = Subwoofer 2x50W, Tweeter 2x 20W, Bass 2x 50W, Full Range 2x50W
◘ Utility Recess on Dashboard
◘ Wireless Smartlink Tech
◘ Apple CarPlay + Android Auto
◘ Touchscreen Climatronic
◘ MySkoda Connect.
◘ Electric Sunroof, Silver Roof Rails
◘ R 17 Dual Tone Alloys
◘ Hill Hold Control
◘ Automatic Rain and Light Sensors
◘ Cooled Glove Box
◘ ESC Standard - Across Range
◘ Skoda AppStore
◘ 3 point seatbelts
◘ Wireless Charging
◘ Smartphone pocket
◘ 385-1405L bootspace

Dimensions

Length - 4225mm
Width - 1760mm
Height - 1612mm
Wheelbase - 2651mm
GC=188mm

Safety Features —

Trivia = Skoda conducted “Cumulative Prototype Testing” of the Kushaq for 1.5 Million KMs!

[sv97]

Its a great package and now everything totally depends on how well Skoda can price it.

Based on what has been discussed in this thread in previous posts if Skoda does manage to undercut the Korean twins by a margin and has reduced its after-sales costs due to higher localization then Skoda has a winner at hand.

Few misses though are:

• No panoramic sunroof
• Smaller MID
• Doesn't look big in pictures at least
• Smaller Boot

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Love the boxy straight-forward design, but there are a few compromises in the package.

- No diesel (known).
- No panoramic sunroof
- Only 385 litres of boot space.

Hope the pricing will be competitive, especially for the 1.0 TSi variants.

[Bhargav7]

Okay, now I get what a static premier is. Show the same information which everyone knows. And talk about the company's vision for India - which, again, everyone knows.

[rpm]

Here are some screen records of the Kushaq taken directly from the premiere:

Rendered: https://gofile.io/d/YXcXUL

In the flesh: https://gofile.io/d/Tdt6vT

I must say, the car looks gorgeous, especially in the sea of split DRL and weird designs today. I do think it would have looked even better without the awkwardly placed fog lamps though.

[ramki.grandhi]

couple of closer look videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFap...el=GreenFishTV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvwO...el=GreenFishTV

Looks smaller, somewhere between sub 4m SUVs and Creta\Seltos.

[volkman10]

Škoda Kushaq in official pics:

A pleasant shock then awaited inside. If you expect cheap plastics and sales from a car for the emerging market, you wouldn't believe your eyes. The purposefully and clearly designed interior of Kushaq can withstand comparisons even within the European offer. The plastics used are hard (unlike Kamiqu), but their quality corresponds, say, to the VW T-Cross.

This is due to the fact that Škoda plays the role of a rather premium brand in India. The Indian market is primarily divided into cars up to four meters and from four meters upwards, while car manufacturers offering cars in the second category (such as Škoda) have a touch of luxury in India. Even in the case of such a compact SUV, their owners often use the services of a driver.

That's why the latest features include state-of-the-art features, such as ambient lighting, a multimedia system screen with a diagonal of up to 10 inches or touch slides for air conditioning settings. In time, even Kushaq will also offer a digital instrument panel.

The ŠKODA KUSHAQ is spacious, elegant, and bristling with modern technologies. It features a 25.4 cm freestanding central display, two spoke steering wheel with scrollers, touchscreen Climatronic, ventilated leather front seats, ambient lighting system, and much more.

Link

[Latheesh]

What is width and length of the car? I could see height.

[pms]

Boot space a real disappointment. Not sure how the interiors would be, somehow get a feeling from the glimpses that the front seats are not so supportive, not enough side bolstering. Well couple of things are also clear now - No panoramic sunroof or virtual cockpit.
Overall didnt feel like an impressive unveil, maybe its just me.

[ashok_lat]

Huge disappointment in terms Boot Space, hope it is compensated with good legroom. Two Spoke steering looks ugly. Expected better color options.

[rahulcmoulee]

Looks to be a solid all round package. Interiors look really classy and it seems to be well equipped too. The only miss IMO is the lack of their virtual cockpit. All the leaks pointed to it being there but it wasn't to be seen. Boot space could have and should have been better.

Apart from this, if priced well, this will no doubt make a dent in the sale of the Korean twins. It has all the ingredients to take the fight to them.