Skoda Kushaq compact SUV launches today: What it'll look like from the front & rear

Skoda Kushaq is the first vehicle under the India 2.0 Plan of Volkswagen and Skoda. The SUV was first announced in 2018 and we saw the Vision IN Concept at the Auto Expo 2020, on which the Kushaq is based. The main focus of the manufacturer was to increase the amount of localization so that the Kushaq can be priced competitively while offering the good quality cabin and materials that Skoda is known for. The new mid-size SUV will be rivalling the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and the Kia Seltos. Until now the Kushaq has only been spotted wearing thick camouflage due to which the design of the Kushaq has not yet been revealed properly. However, here is a render of the Kushaq that gives us an idea that how the new mid-size SUV might look in real life.

The Kushaq gets most of its design elements from the Vision IN Concept which is a good thing as it will help in attracting a lot of attention of the general public that saw the Concept at the Auto Expo 2020. Skoda has tried to mimic the split headlamp design, but it is a bit different from how other manufacturers are doing it. The upper portion is a sleek LED projector headlamp setup while the lower small one is a halogen fog lamp. The centre stage is taken by the enormous Skoda’s Butterfly grille with vertical slats. The lower half is taken by an aggressive mesh grille that is also present in the usual place of the fog lamps. In the middle, there is a silver skid plate with three scoops and the bonnet is also heavily sculpted enhancing the SUV appeal of the Kushaq.

At the side, there are alloy wheels inspired by the Skoda Octavia RS and they do look great on the Kushaq. However, it is very unlikely that Skoda will use the same alloy wheel design. Because this is just a render, the artist has used the same alloys from the Octavia RS. Then there are the slim door handles and not so aggressive body lines. On the top, there are roof rails also placed and the wheel arches are flared.

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From the rear, we can see the sharp tail lamps that we earlier saw on the Vision IN Concept. The manufacturer has spelt out “Skoda” lettering across most of the width of the mid-size SUV. There are a faux silver skid plate and sleek reflectors too. There is also a rear-mounted spoiler placed above the tailgate. However, this is still just an imagination of an artist, the final production version of the Kushaq might look different. The rear end of the Kushaq was rendered by SRK Designs for IndianAuto.

Powering the Kushaq will be two petrol engine options. There will be a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine for the higher variants while the 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine will be offered on the lower variants. The 1.0-litre TSI will produce 110 PS of max power and 175 Nm of peak torque. It will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine puts out 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm. It will be offered with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Kushaq will enter the Indian market by mid of year.