Skoda will officially launch Kushaq in India this June, following its global debut in March
Skoda recently unveiled some crucial details of its upcoming made in India Kushaq. The SUV was first showcased as the Vision IN Concept back at the last edition of Auto Expo held in February 2020. Earlier this month, the Czech automaker confirmed that Vision IN Concept will be named Kushaq in its final production-spec form.
The company revealed that the upcoming crossover would make its debut in March this year. The upcoming SUV has been spotted testing on multiple occasions in recent months. Now, it has been spied testing in its home country Czech Republic, conducting low-temperature climatic tests.
Kushaq Spotted In Europe
Spotted on Czech roads (Skoda’s home country), amidst the backdrop of snowy alpine vegetation, it is the first time that the SUV, which has been completely developed in India, has been spotted in Europe. Test prototype of Kushaq is seen under unusual vinyl camouflage wraps suggesting that the SUV also being tuned taking advantage of the low temperatures in European countries. This gives us an idea that Kushaq might also be launched in European markets – exported from India.
Kushaq is the first made-in-India product to come out of the Skoda Volkswagen India Group’s India 2.0 Project, therefore, is the first offering of the group to be based on the heavily localised version of MQB AO platform. This version of the platform has been developed at the carmaker’s Pune technical center. Skoda claims that it has achieved 93 percent of localisation with the Kushaq.
Design & Features
It is yet to be seen whether the Kushaq, if launched in Europe, will be exported from India or will be locally manufactured in Europe based on the international-spec MQB A0 architecture. Underpinned by the India-specific MQB A0 (IN) platform, which forms the backbone of India 2.0 Project, Kushaq carries over the proportions and muscular styling from the Vision IN Concept. Although more details could be discussed only when the SUV is officially revealed.
Interiors of the Kushaq are expected to be in line with its Korean rivals with Skoda scaling things up by modernising the cabin with loads of tech gizmos. Some of the features expected to be included are a fully-digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment unit, a sunroof and automatic climate control to name a few. A relatively long wheelbase of 2,651mm means the compact SUV will have a spacious cabin.
Powertrain, Tranmission Options
Coming to its powertrain department, it will be offered with two engine options- a 1.0-litre TSI 3-cylinder turbo petrol unit and a 1.5-litre TSI 4-cylinder turbo petrol mill. The former is likely to be good enough to produce 110 PS of power and 175 Nm of peak torque while the latter could kick out 150 PS and 250 Nm. Power will be sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard with the option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic for the 1.0-litre unit and a 7-speed DSG unit for the 1.5-litre unit.
Following its global debut in March 2021, the SUV is expected to officially launch in India by June this year and will primarily rival the Korean cousins Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. It is expected to be priced between Rs 10-15 lakh (ex-showroom).
