It looks like the India 2.0 strategy is paying well for Skoda. The first product out of this strategy, the Skoda Kushaq premium compact SUV, is proving its mettle in the tough battleground, despite heavy competition from the Korean duo of Hyundai and Kia. Launched in June 2021, the Skoda Kushaq has collected more than 20,000 bookings to date in a time of just six months.
It is a remarkable feat for Skoda, which had a rather silent year in 2020-21 due to the omission of diesel engines from its lineup post the BS4 deadline. The Kushaq has turned out to be a game-changer for Skoda in India, and the sales report of Skoda in November 2021 proves it very well.
Despite the discontinuation of its highest selling model to date last month, the Rapid sedan, Skoda managed to sell a total of 2,196 units. With this result, Skoda has recorded a massive jump of 108 per cent in sales over the same period last year. A majority of the share of this total sales figures is held by the Kushaq SUV, as the other two current offerings from Skoda, Octavia and Superb sedans, are low volume sellers with a limited audience.
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2021 Skoda Kushaq
The first-ever car from Skoda-Volkswagen group’s MQB A0 IN platform, the new Skoda Kushaq is engineered specifically for the Indian car market. The SUV is designed on the lines of bigger Skoda SUVs like Karoq and Kodiaq, with crisp character lines and sharper design all around. On the outside, the SUV comes with features like 17-inch machined alloy wheels, LED projector headlamps with daytime running LED, cornering fog lamps, roof rails and LED tail lamps.
On the inside, the Skoda Kushaq is a nicely designed and feature-packed SUV, with the list of equipment comprising of a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, ventilated front seats, electric sunroof, wireless charger, six airbags and more.
The Skoda Kushaq is available with two turbo-petrol engine options. The smaller 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine makes 115 PS of power and 175 PS of torque, while the bigger 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivation technology produces 150 PS of maximum power and 250 Nm of maximum torque. In addition to the standard 6-speed manual gearbox, there are optional automatic gearboxes too – a 6-speed torque converter for the 1.0-litre engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic for the 1.5-litre engine.
Skoda’s future launches
Along with introducing Kushaq, Skoda is also working aggressively to expand its footprint in India. In addition to this, the Czech brand is working on its two big launches for India. First is the flagship Kodiaq seven-seater SUV, which is making a comeback to India in the facelifted avatar with a standard 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. The next big launch will be the Skoda Slavia sedan, which will arrive as a direct replacement for the Rapid. The Slavia will be the second product from Skoda to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform and will share its powertrain options with the Kushaq SUV.
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