Skoda Kushaq

FIRST DRIVE SKODA KUSHAQ

SIMPLY SIMPLY CLEVER! CLEVER!

The new Skoda Kushaq SUV was launched recently in the country as part of the company’s India 2.0 Project. Prices of this vehicle start at Rs 10.49 lakh (ex showroom, pan India) and is available in three trim levels – Active, Ambition and Style. We got our hands on the Style top variant and it comes with a 1 litre TSI petrol engine.

EXTERIORS

Overall, the vehicle looks impressive and has a very robust design. The front has an impressive Skoda signature grille with 13 vertical slats. The grille has a chrome surround. There are also chrome highlights on the front bumper air intake for the top trim level. Not to be missed are the silver armoured front and rear diffuser. The Kushaq gets automatic front wiper system with rain sensor.

As for the lights in front, the top variant Kushaq gets crystalline LED auto headlamps with day time running lights but its halogen when it comes to front fog lamps with static cornering function. The top variant also gets automatic ‘coming or leaving home’ lights.

The side profile of the vehicle exudes a muscular character. You cannot miss the Skoda badge with chrome surround on front fender. Then you have door handles in body colour with chrome accents, functional roof rails in silver, electrically foldable body coloured ORVMs which are also anti-glare, glossy black plastic cover on B-pillar and C-pillar, window chrome garnish, black side armoured cladding, shark fin antenna and the smartly designed 17 inches alloy wheels. The spare wheel is however only 16 inches.

Another feature in this SUV is KESSY or Keyless Entry, Start and exit SYstem control unit that recognises the key up to 1.5 metres away from the car. The vehicle unlocks automatically when the door handles and tailgate are operated. The front doors also have a tiny button which is usually there only on the driver side. But here the button is on both the front door handles. As long as the key fob is with you near the vehicle you can lock or unlock the vehicle by pressing on the tiny button.

Now for the rear, the vehicle comes with crystalline split LED tail lamp, though this tail lamp has elements of halogen when it comes to indicators, brake light and reverse light, and it also has rear LED number plate illumination, trunk chrome garnish, besides rear wiper and defogger.

INTERIORS

The interiors of the Kushaq are pretty refined and innovative, besides being very practical. Before you enter the cabin you notice the front scuff plates with Kushaq inscription.

There are bits of chrome everywhere. You get to see a chrome dashboard line, chrome décor for interior door handles, chrome ring on the gear-shift knob, chrome insert under the gear-shift knob and handbrake handle button , chrome trim surround on side air conditioning vents and insert on steering wheel and even chrome trim on air conditioning duct sliders.

The front seats are ventilated black leather with perforated grey design and you get height adjustable head restraints at front and rear. It is the driver seat only that gets height adjustment.

The Kushaq comes with power windows in front and rear, while the driver side gets controls for all four of them separately. The one touch automatic operation and bounce-back system for the window is only available for the driver side. Other interesting, yet useful features include LED reading lamps for both front and rear, ambient interior lighting in areas around dashboard and door handles, besides an auto dimming interior rear view mirror.

Three-point seatbelts on all seats, dual-tone warning horn, front centre armrest with storage, glovebox compartment with cooling, sunglass holder in roofliner, all new 2-spoke steering wheel with chrome scrollers, a steering wheel adjustable for rake and reach, paddleshifter, etc make up some more of the features of the Kushaq.

The Kushaq also gets a climatronic-auto AC with control touch panel and AirCare function. There is also a decent sized electric sunroof. For ease of driving and travelling, the Kushaq AT comes with dead pedal for foot rest, cruise control, rear view camera - with static guidelines, parktronic sensor at rear, 12V power socket in front centre console, two USB-C sockets in front for data and charging, wireless charging. The front sun visors have vanity mirror on co-driver side and not to be missed are the four foldable roof handles.

There are a lot of tidy storage spaces and innovative features. On the floor in front you have a smartgrip bottle holder that is designed to hold your bottles firmly in place, even allowing you to open them with one hand. Then there is this SmartClip ticket holder at the side of your windshield that is ideally meant to tuck away your ticket for easy access. The vehicle door features an elastic string to hold your documents. There are reflective safety tape on all four doors that come handy when you open the door in low light. These features are not only innovative, but have an element of convenience and safety. There is a decent storage compartment in the doors with bottle holders,

The rear seats are 60:40 split. The foldable centre armrest has cup holders. The front seat back pockets that also have a smartphone pocket. The rear occupants get adjustable dual rear AC vents, two USB-C sockets for charging, coat hook on rear roof handles and a parcel shelf. The rear seats are very comfortable for two people but one more could be a squeeze. Since the Kushaq has the largest wheelbase in its segment, it means there is plenty of leg room for the rear occupants. Headroom too is decent. There are Isofix mounts on the two rear seats.

As for the boot, you get 385 litres of boot space with two fixed hooks and two tether points. The trunk space can be expanded by folding the rear 60:40 split seats as per your wish. The rear seats can also be folded using a remote release button located in the luggage compartment. The two hooks in the trunk incidentally can carry 2kg bags each.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE 1.0 TSI Petrol, in-line, 4 Stroke Positive Ignition Direct Injection Engine TRANSMISSION Front wheel drive six-speed Automatic | CLUTCH : Hydro Dynamic Torque Converter

POWER 114hp / 5000 - 5500rpm

TORQUE 178Nm /1750 - 4500 rpm

PRICE Style 1.0 (AT) variant - `15.79lakh. (ex-showroom Delhi)

CLUSTER , SCREEN & APPS

The 10 inches infotainment system with its touch screen provides a slew of functions with Skoda Play apps, wireless SmartLink connectivity that lets you connected through Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Sound output comes through an audio system with six high performance speakers and subwoofer. In fact, the 10 inches infotainment system is equipped with touch and gesture control with which you can navigate, make calls, browse the menu and drive without a worry. The four downloadable apps include Audiobooks, Booking.com, Gaana and Sygic , the latter being an offline navigation app powered by MapMyIndia. You get both a 2D and 3D view here. You also get a Valet Mode, a feature that starts recording the movements and behaviour when the Kushaq is in the hands of a valet. It keeps a check on the car and alerts the owner at every step. When this feature is activated, the user can block all infotainment functions.

As for the inbuilt MySkodaConnect mobile online services can be accessed at any time via the MySkoda Connect app. MySkoda Connect displays a vehicle health report on the smartphone. The system automatically stores important data every time the ignition is switched off. Functions include ‘Track your Car’, real time speed tracking, geofence breach notification, roadside assistance, SOS, Route Tracking, Locating your car in crowded parking areas, device tampering alert, real-time information on driving behaviour eg: harsh braking, sharp turns, over speeding, rapid acceleration, etc. You also get a tow alert in case your car is being towed away.

As for the instrument cluster, it’s a basic one with a 4-dial set up that has both analogue as well as digital readings. You get a 3.5 inches TFT display that gives you a plethora of information some of which can be retrieved using the buttons on the steering wheel. The TFT screen displays information relating to gear-shift indicator, multifunctional segment display, basic travelling time, distance travelled, average speed, immediate consumption, average consumption, travel distance before refuelling, service interval, outside temperature and clock, among others.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

Testing any car in crowded streets of Delhi and surrounding areas is any driver’s nightmare. The speed cameras and congested roads always play spoilsport. But luckily for us we got the Noida-Agra Expressway to dash around and test the power of the one litre petrol engine.

The one litre petrol engine is quite a robust engine with great response. The high torque achieved at a relatively low rpm range of 1750 to 4500, ensures that you have adequate aggression at almost all speeds. The six speed automatic transmission is smooth and responsive. We did not really have to shift to paddle shifts or the Sport mode to get more juice out of the engine. It came in easy even in the normal D mode. But yes, for those who have more than their generous share of adrenaline rushing through their veins can enjoy the Sport mode or the use paddle shifts.

But what separates this engine from the rest in the competition is the active cylinder technology or ACT which shuts off two cylinders at cruising speed, resulting in better fuel efficiency. With petrol prices leaping beyond the Rs 100 mark for a litre, this technology can help us to conserve fuel without compromising on performance.

The Kushaq has a well tuned suspension, and offers quite a comfortable ride. NVH levels are well contained, while the steering is quite responsive even during high speeds. It’s not light at all and gives adequate feedback from the surface.

On the safety front too, the Skoda Kushaq has lots to offer. These include Electronic Stability Control as standard, along with Roll over Protection and Multi Collision Braking (MKB).Then there are features like Hill-Hold Control and two front airbags, besides brake assist features like ABS (Anti-Lock Braking), EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), along with varied segment first features like EDS with XDS & XDS + (Electronic differential lock – advanced differential lock), HBV (Hydraulic brake-boosting), BSW (Brake disc wiping). Unfortunately tyre pressure monitoring system and extra airbags like curtain airbags and front side airbags are offered only in the top variant with manual transmission.

VERDICT

The Skoda Kushaq SUV is a good looking vehicle with clever genes. The reason why I say it is clever is because it offers so many clever features, whether it is on the technology front or on the practicality front. It’s a perfect package in its segment that contains all the elements of good looks, sound technology, performance, convenience, safety and practicality.