The Kushaq which is the upcoming mid-size SUV from Skoda was christened recently. Skoda’s director of Sales, Service & Marketing, Zac Hollis has confirmed through a tweet that the Kushaq previously known as Vision IN will be unveiled at the end of March by him. Twitter user Pinangshuk Dey asked Zac Hollis that when the Kushaq was going to be unveiled, to which the Zac himself replied by stating the end of March unveiling. He also stated that the Kushaq will be in the showrooms by the middle of the year. So, we can expect the test drives and bookings to start around that time.
Hi Pinangshuk. I will unveil the car at the end of March and the Kushaq will be in showrooms around the middle of the year.
— Zac Hollis (@Zac_Hollis_) January 14, 2021
Skoda chose the “Kushaq” name because it starts with ‘K’ and ends with a ‘Q’ just like all other names of Skoda’s SUV. Skoda says that the name ‘Kushaq’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kushak’ which roughly translates to King or Emperor. The Kushaq will be the cheapest and the most affordable SUV from Skoda Auto India. Other SUVs that Skoda offers are currently the Karoq which is a CBU or Completely Built Unit import. The units are limited to 1,000 units to take the tax benefit and the Karoq is priced at Rs. 24.99 lakhs ex-showroom. Skoda will also be launching the flagship SUV known as Kodiaq which will be launching soon in its petrol avatar.
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Speaking of the Kushaq itself, it will be offered with two petrol engines only. The lower variants will get the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, TSI petrol unit that we have seen on the Polo, Rapid and the Vento. The engine is capable of producing 108 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 175 Nm. It will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Then there will be the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that will be offered on the higher variants. The engine is borrowed from the Volkswagen T-Roc and the Skoda Karoq. The engine produces 150 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 250 Nm. It will only be offered with a 7-speed Dual Clutch Automatic gearbox. This engine is the most affordable engine that offers active cylinder technology. Through this, the engine can run on only two cylinders under low load.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_MzZNUqyAs
The Kushaq will be based on the new MQB AO IN platform that is specifically made for India. It is a modified version of the global MQB AO platform that underpins many vehicles in the international market. The Vision IN Concept on which the Kushaq is based on was 4,256 mm long and 1,589 mm tall. The wheelbase was 2,671 mm long which means the Kushaq will offer the longest wheelbase in the segment. This should translate to a roomy cabin with ample legroom for the occupants.
The design of the SUV resembles a lot to its elder siblings. So, the sleek LED projector headlamp is placed in its usual position but the halogen fog lamp is placed just below the headlamp which mimics a split headlamp design. There are typical Skoda’s butterfly grille and a wide air dam below it. The side profile is expected to get 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails that might be functional. At the rear, there are split LED tail lamps. Skoda Kushaq’s price is expected to start from Rs. 10 lakhs ex-showroom. It will be competing against the Nissan Kicks, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster.
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