The arrival of the Skoda Kylaq at a very attractive starting price of Rs. 7.89 lakh seems to have prompted Skoda dealers to offer big discounts on the Kushaq mid-sized SUV. In fact, the 1 liter TSI turbo petrol manual transmission variants are now selling at Rs. 2 lakh off.
This means that the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 MT trim is only a lakh costlier than the Kylaq, and this is incredible value for the SUV is significantly larger than the Kylaq, inside-out. Moreover, it offers better street presence thanks to its larger size on the outside. So, if you’re a deal hunter looking to snag a great deal on a solidly built mid-size SUV with great dynamics, the discounted Skoda Kushaq is a wonderful choice. But you’ll have to hurry as Skoda dealers across India have limited stock of the Kushaq 1.0 MT trim.
Stock clearance in the works?
Quite likely! Skoda is expected to move the Kushaq up the price ladder to create enough space for the Kylaq, especially considering the fact that no less than 3 variants of the newly introduced sub-4 meter compact SUV would sit under Rs. 10 lakh. This will bring the Kylaq too close to the Kushaq in price terms, confusing buyers.
To prevent this and create enough differentiation between both cars, Skoda is likely to cull the manual transmission equipped 1.0 TSI trim of the Kushaq, instead opting to offer only the 6 speed automatic gearbox with the 1 liter TSI turbo petrol engine.
In fact, we’ve already seen something like this happen with the higher trims of the Kushaq and Slavia, which now get the bigger 1.5 liter TSI turbo petrol engine only with the 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox. Those wanting a 6 speed manual gearbox with the 1.5 turbo engine will have to opt for Volkswagen cars such as the Taigun and Virtus, which are virtually the badge engineered versions of the Kushaq and Slavia respectively.
Then there’s the matter of dimensions. Talking of the Kushaq, the car has a significantly longer wheelbase (2,651 mm compared to 2,566 mm) than the Kylaq, with whom it shares the MQB AO platform with. The longer wheelbase means that the Kushaq has better space on the inside, especially for those on the rear seat.
The wheelbase and length (4.2 meters compared to under 4 meters of the Kylaq) are pretty much the differentiating factors between the two most affordable Skoda SUVs. In terms of height and width, the Kylaq is actually larger than the Kushaq by a few millimeters. Clearly, Skoda has its task cut out to differentiate the two cars, and the big discount on the entry-level Kushaq seems a precursor to this variant’s discontinuation from the line up.
Kushaq equals high performance
As a key differentiating factor, Skoda offers the 1.5 liter TSI turbo petrol engine, which makes 150 PS-250 Nm only on the Kushaq. This engine gets a 7 speed DSG twin clutch automatic gearbox as standard. In comparison, the Kylaq’s 1.0 liter-3 cylinder TSI turbo petrol motor makes just 114 Bhp-178 Nm. This is intentional, for Skoda wants buyers seeking performance to opt for the Kushaq over the Kylaq.
Also, Skoda has indicated that the bigger engine will not be offered on the Kylaq even in future. However, lower variants of the Kushaq will still get the 1 liter TSI turbo petrol engine but it’s likely that the manual transmission option will be culled from the variant line-up in the months to come.
