Just yesterday, Skoda revealed that the production-spec Kushaq will make its global debut here in India on March 18, 2021. Now, the carmaker has released a couple of sketch images of the production-spec Kushaq, revealing more design details of the upcoming compact SUV. The Kushaq was first previewed as the Skoda Vision IN Concept at the 2020 Auto Expo, and the good news is that the production-spec model looks very similar to the concept in these sketch images.
As can be seen in the image above, the face of the Skoda Kushaq will be characterized by a prominent and wide Skoda butterfly grille, flanked by a split-headlamp setup on either side. The bumper down below seems to be slightly toned down from the concept, but is still very aggressive and sporty-looking. At the rear, a roof spoiler and a faux diffuser element add some sense of sportiness to the design. The wraparound LED tail lights and the reflector elements accentuate the width of the SUV. The production-spec Kushaq is expected to come with 17-inch alloy wheels, perhaps similar to the ones that were previewed with the prototype model.
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The Kushaq will come wearing heavy body cladding all around, and the rugged-looking skid plates on the front and rear bumper further add to its SUV-appeal. It looks quite butch and truly SUV-ish with its upright bonnet and flared wheel arches. Skoda has, however, not revealed the interior design of the Kushaq yet. What we do not is that it will come with a multi-tone dashboard and a free-standing 12.3-inch infotainment screen. It will also be the first Skoda in India to be offered with the brand's new connected car tech with over-the-air updates.
The Skoda Kushaq will be offered with two petrol engine options in India. VW Group's 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine will be the mainstay on the Kushaq. This engine will come mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Skoda will also be offering a larger 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol engine that will come mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual. This is the same engine that does duty on the Karoq and the VW T-Roc.
Earlier, the carmaker had revealed that the Kushaq will have a wheelbase of 2,651mm. Not only is that longer than the wheelbase of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos (2,610mm), but it is also longer than even the Karoq. That should really translate to generous space on the inside. It will, however, be smaller than the likes of the MG Hector and the Tata Harrier.
The Skoda Kushaq will be the first Skoda Auto Volkswagen India product that will be underpinned by the MQB-A0-IN platform. This is a heavily localized version (with up to 95% local content) of VW Group's smallest modular platform, the MQB-A0. Due to heavy localization and sharing of essential components with other models, Skoda should be able to position the Kushaq very aggressively in the market. We expect the prices to range between INR 10-16 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kushaq is expected to hit the market by May/June 2021.
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