Skoda Kushaq has been fairly successful in the Indian market. Now, the manufacturer will be launching the Monte Carlo variant of the mid-size SUV. The new variant will get cosmetic upgrades and will be the new top-end variant. It is expected to get launched on the 9th of May and will be priced around Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80,000 more than the current top-end Style variant. Now, the Kushaq Monte Carlo has been spotted at a dealership yard.
Skoda has made cosmetic changes that will make the SUV look sportier and have more road presence. It gets blacked-out treatment on the exterior. So, the roof, wing mirrors, roof rails, badging and the front skid plate are blacked-out. Skoda has also black-out the headlamps of the car. In the pictures, we can see that it is finished in red colour, there would also be a white colour on offer.
The previous spy shots also revealed the new alloy wheel design that measures 17-inches. It seemed like Skoda have taken the alloy wheels of the previous generation Octavia RS245. They were wrapped in 205/55 R17 tyres. Moreover, on the front fenders, the Skoda badging has been replaced with Monte Carlo badging.
Also read: Skoda Kushaq Monte Carlo: New details surface
Skoda has also made changes to the interior of the Kushaq Monte Carlo. It now gets a black cabin with red inserts. This gives a hint of sportiness. The seats, dashboard, centre console and even the door pads get red accents. There is also a digital instrument cluster on offer that has been taken from the Slavia. People complained when the Kushaq was first revealed about not having a digital instrument cluster when the competitors are offering this feature. So, Skoda has now added it.
The rest of the feature list will stay the same as the Style variant. So, it will come with a large touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, auto-dimming IRVM, wireless charging, automatic wipers, LED tail lamps, LED headlamps with a projector setup and LED Daytime Running Lamps, a 6 speaker sound system with subwoofer, ventilated seats, electric sunroof, keyless entry, push-button to start/stop the engine and much more.
For safety, Skoda would be offering Roll Over Protection, 6 airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system, Hill Hold Control, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control System, Multi Collision Braking, Brake Disc Wiping and ABS with EBD.
The Kushaq is offered in two petrol engine options and with both the gearboxes. According to online reports, the Monte Carlo variant will be offered in both engines. So, there would be a 1.0 TSI and a 1.5 TSI.
The 1.0-litre TSI produces 115 PS of max power and 175 Nm of peak torque. It comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The 1.5-litre TSI is more powerful as it produces 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Skoda Kushaq currently competes against the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Volkswagen Taigun and Hyundai Creta. Because of its pricing, it also has to go against some big SUVs such as MG Hector, Tata Harrier and Mahindra XUV700.
Via Team-Bhp
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