Skoda Kushaq: What’s the Most Value for Money Variant?

The Skoda Kushaq, a subcompact crossover SUV, was launched in India in 2021. This stylish and modern SUV offers a range of impressive features. The name “Kushaq” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Kushak”, which means king or emperor. It is the first vehicle to be based on Skoda’s MQB-A0-IN platform, which has been specifically developed for the Indian market. We take a look at the Kushaq, and its variants, as well as identify which is the most value for money variant.

Skoda Kushaq: Top Competitors

The top competitors of the Skoda Kushaq include Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and MG Hector.

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Skoda Kushaq Variants

The Skoda Kushaq comes in 24 variants, which are listed below along with their prices (ex-showroom, Delhi):

Skoda Kushaq: Quick Review

Design and features: At the front, the Kushaq features Skoda’s signature butterfly grille, which is flanked by LED headlights and daytime running lights. There are sharp creases on the hood and bumpe, along with sculpted fenders. Moving to the side profile, the Kushaq has a strong shoulder line that extends from the front fender to the taillights. The roofline slopes gently towards the rear.

At the back, the Kushaq features distinctive LED taillights that stretch across the width of the SUV, along with a bold Skoda badge in the centre. The sculpted bumper and twin exhausts add to the SUV’s sporty appeal, while the large windows and sloping rear windshield provide good visibility.

In terms of features, the Skoda Kushaq comes with a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it is compatible with the Skoda Play app. The Kushaq also features Skoda’s Virtual Cockpit, which is a customizable digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, wireless charging, and a sunroof.

Engine and performance: The base engine in the Skoda Kushaq is a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 113.98 BHP and 178 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, with an optional 6-speed automatic transmission available. The engine is smooth and refined, and it delivers a good balance of power and efficiency.

The higher-spec engine is a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 147.51 BHP and 250 Nm of torque. This engine is also mated to a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, with an optional 7-speed DSG automatic transmission available. The engine is more powerful and responsive than the base engine.

Ride and handling: The Skoda Kushaq features a McPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear suspension, which is a fairly common setup in this segment. However, Skoda has fine-tuned the suspension to deliver a smooth and stable ride quality, even on rough roads.

The Kushaq’s ride quality is further enhanced by its well-insulated cabin, which does a good job of filtering out road and wind noise. The steering on the Kushaq is light and precise, and provides good feedback. The Kushaq has disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. The brake pedal is well calibrated and feels sharp. The brakes also offer good bite.

Comfort and space: The Skoda Kushaq offers a spacious and comfortable cabin. The seats are well-cushioned and offer good support. The Kushaq has a generous amount of legroom and headroom in both the front and rear seats. The rear seats are also well-contoured, which provides good support for passengers. In terms of storage space, the Kushaq offers ample space in the boot, with a capacity of 385 litres. The rear seats can also be folded down in a 60:40 split. The air conditioning system is powerful and effective.

Safety: The Kushaq comes with a range of safety features such as six airbags, electronic stability control, hill hold control, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat anchors, child locks, and a rearview camera.

Mileage: The overall mileage of the Skoda Kushaq ranges from 17.2 km/l to 19.2 km/l.

Concluding remarks: The Skoda Kushaq is a well-designed and practical SUV that offers a comfortable ride, spacious and well-equipped cabin, and a range of advanced features that make it a strong contender in the highly competitive SUV segment.

Skoda Kushaq: Most Value for Money Variant

The most VFM variant of the Skoda Kushaq is the Kushaq 1.0 TSI Ambition, which is priced at Rs 13.34 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Most VFM Variant in Comparison with Base Variant

The base variant of the Skoda Kushaq is the Kushaq 1.0 TSI Active, priced at Rs 11.59 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The most VFM variant has some additional features over the base variant, which include cruise control, day/night IRVM, fog lights, LED headlights (in place of halogen in base variant), cornering headlamps, hill hold assist, DRLs, climate control, glove box cooling, USB ports, 16-inch alloy wheels (instead of steel wheels in base variant), and an 8-inch LCD touchscreen system (instead of a 7-inch system in base variant).

Most VFM Variant in Comparison with Top-end Variant

The top-end variant of the Skoda Kushaq is the Kushaq 1.5 TSI Monte Carlo DSG, priced at Rs 19.69 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Besides having advanced automatic transmission, the top-end variant has extra features over the most VFM variant, such as 6 airbags (in place of 2 in the VFM variant), knee/curtain airbags, panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, rain sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels (instead of 16-inch alloy wheels in the VFM variant), synthetic leather upholstery (in place of cloth upholstery in the VFM variant), 10-inch LCD touchscreen system (in place of an 8-inch LCD touchscreen in the VFM variant), and wireless charging.

Key Take-outs from the Comparative Analysis of Base, VFM, and Top-end Variants

The base variant does not have as many features as the most value for money variant, but the VFM variant is priced about Rs 2 lakhs higher than the base. The top-end variant, on the other hand, has more advanced and bigger features, but is also priced accordingly.

In conclusion, the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI Ambition offers the most value for money in terms of features across the variants.

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