Skoda Auto India has made a huge announcement, offering 6 airbags as standard across all variants of the Kushaq and Slavia, two of it models that see outstanding sales each month. This safety update is a part of the company’s MY24 update for India 2.0 product portfolio.
6 Airbags are now offered on the Kushaq Active trim going all the way up to the Ambition, Style, Monte Carlo and Elegance. It is also offered across board on the Slavia from the Active trim to the Elegance Edition.
Having topped with a 5 Star Rating at Global NCAP, in both adult and child occupant tests, the Kushaq and Slavia now gets even safer with not only higher safety standards but follows up on some segment first features introduced at the end of 2023.
Earlier the company had offered dual frontal airbags on lower trims and 6 airbags only on the more exclusive variants of the Kushaq and Slavia. These added airbags, that are now presented from the base to top trims, emphasizes the company’s elevated safety standards and special focus on customer’s protection and wellbeing.
Apart from the additional airbags, all other features and even prices remain unchanged. Skoda Kushaq SUV is priced from Rs 11.99 lakh, while the Slavia carries a price tag starting from Rs 11.64 lakh, ex-showroom. Skoda Kushaq and Slavia also share the same engine lineup with a 1.0 liter TSI and 1.5 liter TSI mated to 6 speed manual, 6 speed automatic and 7 speed DSG options.
Kushaq was introduced in July 2021 while Slavia marked its entry in March 2022. Both these models are based on the Made-for-India, ready-for-the-world MQB-A0-IN platform and recently received several feature updates in its top of the line variants for the MY2024 range in Q4 2023. These included several first in segment features such as powered seats for both driver and co-passenger, illuminated footwell, a 25.4cm infotainment screen with Skoda Play Apps and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. These feature updates are now being offered from the Ambition trim upwards.
Reports also reveal that Skoda is working on Kushaq and Slavia facelifts, set for launch sometime in 2025. They will be offered with Level 2 ADAS specially considering its rivals, Honda City and Hyundai Verna in the mid-size sedan segment and Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Honda Elevate in the compact SUV segment sport this feature. With both the Kushaq and Slavia missing out on this, the addition of this safety feature could go a long way in enhancing sales.
The safety package could also include a 360 degree parking camera, electric parking brake and front parking sensors while a panoramic sunroof is also being contemplated. Set to hit markets by mid 2025, the Skoda Kushaq and Slavia will continue to draw power via the same engine lineup.