Skoda Kushaq 1.5 turbo petrol: Test drive & delivery details officially revealed

Skoda Kushaq finally launched the much-awaited mid-size SUV, Kushaq. It starts at Rs. 10.49 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 17.59 lakhs ex-showroom. The bookings and the test drives of the SUV have already started. However, you would not be able to test drive the 1.5-litre engine because it is not available at the showrooms. Zac Hollis has revealed that the test drives of the 1.5 TSI will be starting from the second week of August while the deliveries will start from the fourth week of August. This information was revealed on Twitter by Zac.

The 1.5 will arrive in showrooms from the 2nd week of August. Please have a look at the car when it arrives at your local dealer.

— Zac Hollis (@Zac_Hollis_) July 1, 2021

The Kushaq is available with two petrol engine options. There is a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI. The 1.0 TSI produces 115 PS of max power and 178 Nm of peak torque. Skoda retuned the engine to produce slightly more power than it does on other Skoda and Volkswagen products. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.

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The 1.5 TSI produces 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. You can have it with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The engine has been derived from Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen T-Roc. It also comes with active cylinder deactivation. So, it can shut off two of its four cylinders to save fuel.

Despatches of 1.5TSI to dealers will commence in the 4th week of August.

— Zac Hollis (@Zac_Hollis_) June 30, 2021

Well equipped base variant

Zac recently explained over Twitter why they cannot reduce the prices of the Kushaq. The reason was that Skoda does not have any base naked car as the other manufacturers offer. Even the base Active variant of the Kushaq comes pretty well equipped.

The base variant comes with a good list of safety equipment. It has an Anti-lock braking system with Electronic Brake Distribution, Brake Disc Wiping, Electronic Stability Control, dual airbags, Roll Over Protection, Anti-Slip Regulation, Electronic Differential Lock System and Multi Collision Braking.

The feature list includes a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 6 speakers, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, multi-function steering wheel, front armrest, central locking, manual air conditioning, front and rear armrest with cushioned upholstery and all four power windows. Moreover, you also get a basic multi-information display, rear parking sensors, LED Daytime Running Lights, LED tail lamps, anti-glare ORVMs and much more.

It also has a turbocharged engine, good ride quality and handling. Then there is the build quality which Skoda always excels at. The competitors on the other hand offer a naturally aspirated engine. Also, they have a naked car which misses out on many features. Because of this, the competitors can price their vehicles at a lower cost. Skoda also says that they have decreased service costs to reduce maintenance costs.

Variants

Kushaq is offered in three variants. As we know there is an Active variant, the mid-spec variant is called Ambition while the top-spec variant is called Style. The base variant is only offered with a 1.0 TSI mated to a manual gearbox. You can get an automatic transmission with the Ambition and Style variant. The 1.5 TSI is only offered with the top-end Style variant and you can get it with manual or automatic transmission.

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