Skoda Kushaq; What Makes it so exciting?
One of the most excited launch of the automotive industry after the launch of the great the Thar is the arrival of the King. The Czech Automaker Skoda has launched their India specific model the Kushaq or the Emperor. All automobile journalists and enthusiasts like me and you were really excited for the launch of the emperor. Recently Skoda is having a weak graph in the Indian automobile market. The Czech Republican was really trusted by the enthusiasts and those who are capable of baring the huge service and maintenance cost of owning a German car. Skoda India is trying to make a fresh start in a fresh segment the Mid size SUV segment, even though Yeti a forgotten model was the initial tryout. W ill this try be successful? Can Skoda beat the rivals like Hyundai and KIA in sales? Could Kushaq be the Emperor of the segment? Lets check it out..........
The all new Kushaq has announced the big arrival with the royal name and the name perfectly describes the attire and looks from the outside. The first impression as you see a Kushaq moving by you is just awe so royal. Yeah it is so royal and magnificently finished German beauty this is pretty muscular too. Now as usual the starting from the front end there the new Kushaq is really standing out with a fresh fascia and newly found serious look. The signature butterfly grille looks sharp and is finished with chrome lining all around. Smart headlamp clusters consist of L-shaped LED daytime running lights, LED projectors for the low beam and main beam and halogen turn-indicators. Halogen fog-lamps sit below the headlights, high on the bumper and come with a cornering function. Headlights have many crystalline touches. With the new LED headlamps looking you dead in the eye it is so hard not to look on the lights again. And as per the new design philosophy the front headlamps is split and thus making it more sleek and attractive. On the bottom line front bumper features a wide air dam with a black honeycomb mesh grille and a faux silver skid plate. Skid plate has aggressive detailing The hood with a muscular bulgy design makes it more SUVish and muscular the front-end is totally packed with the chrome and black cladding's and as said the new fascia makes it bold and beautiful.
The side profile of the emperor is nicely designed with sharp lines and muscular arches. The two body lines, classic VAG lines going through the shoulder line which are sharp makes the side profile aggressive, notice the crease that emerges from the front Skoda badging and merges with the tail lamps and the bold wheel arches with the bottom body line makes it more muscular. There are lovely cuts & creases, done in a classy manner accomplished only by the German brand. The 17 inch diamond cut dual spoke, dual tone alloy wheels are designed in a way that it gives the car a rugged feel. Now the window line and the door handles are given chrome strips which makes the side profile a bit shiny, remaining window region is covered with a black cladding. On the top or the roof two roof rails placed which is making the car look more rugged and gives the feel of a bold SUV. The quarter panel, even though it is not a quarter glass but a glossy black finish is incorporated nicely to give the SUV character. And the main SUV character symbol is the black cladding covering the bottom panel and the wheel arches. The dual tone color scheme also make it project out. The side profile over all will give you a feel of a serious emperor with a stand out crossover SUV stance.
The roof-line slopes down towards the rear, while the window line rises. It starts rising sharply just
before the C-pillar to form a nice kink and the rear spoiler engraves a sporty character to the car. The
rear end is too given a new look as said in the case of the front end. The freshen up rear end is really new and thus it is really attractive. The body-lines starting from the side comes to the rear and merges to the tail lamp. The new Split tail-lamp clusters feature C-shaped LED pilot and brake lamps, with halogen units for the turn-indicators and reversing lights. The new C shaped design of the tail lap is making the rear end attractive and rugged. The new tail lamp cluster is just elegantly designed and amazingly put together the sleek tail lamp is very updated and glamorous. The two tail lamps are connected by the character line from the side profile. Tail-gate has cuts and creases just like we have seen on the Kodiaq. Chrome strip runs lower down – a staple fitment for India, and merges with the reflectors.:On the tailgate there is a Skoda writing and a Kushaq badge no variant or engine badges have been provided anywhere on the car. On the bottom end there is the cladding which as said earlier is covering the whole bottom panel. The rear bumper has a fake silver skid plate as well. 3 parking sensors have been provided, while a pair of slim reflectors sits higher on either side. Overall the first impression when you see a Kushaq rolling by the street is bit sharp muscular and bold. The new and fresh design can be a crowd puller.
Hopping inside the new Kushaq the interior is build with a minimalist approach. Good to feel some nostalgia now, the two spoke steering wheel will remind you of the old but gold Maruthi 800 Alto and many other models. Comment your favorite old school car!. But this two spoke is not the old one, this is equipped with the common in segment features like the Multimedia controls and the cruise control
(Behind the wheel). Coming back, the classic two spoke steering wheel is also finished with piano black and chrome inserts and the Skoda branding is given on the center. PS that is not a feature but a way of reminding you about the responsibility of owning a German car. Maybe some find this awkward remembering about the service and maintenance cost but the thing is that with the pure German build quality you should never be reminded that it is a Skoda with any branding badges. The dashboard and the meter console feels so premium with the carbon fiber like finishes and the piano black inserts on small small pockets like the AC vents. The steering wheel is both tiltable and telescopic thus you can adjust it to give the perfect drive for you. The black finished meter console feels so classy and amazing in the black background it is so easy to catch up and feels premium. The odo and speedo meters are really easy to access and elegant. And the Middle Information Display shows the vehicle status, driving data, telephone and audio info, along with the oil and temperature information. The dual tone dashboard is perfectly put together and feels premium and is nicely finished out. The piano black and chrome combination makes the interior feel so premium.
The seats are finished with the black leather in dual tone black and Grey which is in contrast to the black and cream white interior and the seats are equipped with ventilation so it is comfortable and safe. But it can be annoying in the cold weather
Another big stand out on the interior is the center console. The center console is finished with piano black and is equipped with the 10 inch floating touch screen. The infotainment screen is well placed without being a distraction for your drive and without loosing the accessibility. The chrome strips bordering and thus shaping the gearbox column makes it more premium. The Kushaq is given a Climatronic climate control system (not available for the base variant) with an "Air Care" air purifier function and a touch-and-slide function for adjusting the temperature and fan blower speed. the sliders are easy to access as they are placed in a perfectly recessed area. Buttons for the idling start / stop system, central locking, hazard lamps and ventilated seats are located above. Ventilated seats sure are a boon in our hot climatic conditions The Kushaq is equipped with a wireless charging pad along with Type-C USB ports. But USB-C ports are not a good idea as most people still use regular USB cables today. At least, one of them should have been a regular USB. The gear nob is given a chrome outline and the piano black finish. Now there is a normal sunroof for the new Kushaq which is pretty common feature these days. Never complain they didn't give the panoramic sunroof for the Kushaq because it is pretty useless. The sunroof actually does compensate the claustrophobic feel but it can be a headache during the hot summer days. Jumping backwards to the rear seats the rear seats are perfectly finished and is really roomy enough for a comfortable ride. The rear seats are given the three point seat-belts and is given spaces for fixing child seats which is pretty nice and impressive and most important during
these days. The rear seat can be a bit caged for the shorter people as the shoulder line in the rear window raises towards the end. Both front seats have deep seat-back pockets and – uniquely – smartphone pockets for rear passengers to use. Very nifty! Hyundai and KIA need to learn from Skoda here. While all three car-makers offer front ventilated seats, Hyundai and KIA cars come with horrible hard plastic surfaces on the seat-back, while the Skoda gets soft seat-backs that don't hurt the rear passenger's knees. There is a rear AC vent along with 2 USB C type ports. The rear end is totally comfortable than the rivals and the fit and finish is announcing it as a real German car. The boot is well spacious with 385 liters which is competent to the the rivals that is the Sonet (392L) & WR-V (363L) rather than the Seltos (433) or Duster (475L). The boot is well shaped and there is enough depth too. Weekend holiday luggage for your family should fit in.
Now coming to the main point of excitement of the new Kushaq that is the engine. The Skoda is given
two kind of engines and these engines are mated with three different gearboxes. The only available fuel type is the petrol no diesel variants is available. The 1.0 L TSI is mated with 6 speed Torque converter automatic and 6 speed manual transmissions. And the 1.5L TSI is mated with the 7 speed DSG that is the famous Direct Shift Gear Box and the 6 speed manual gearbox. The 1.0L TSI is the improved version of the rapid’s 1.0l TSI. And similarly the 1.5L TSI is the improvised version of the 1.5TSI used in the Karoq.
So coming to a verdict this new Czech SUV – Cross Over is a well architected driving machine with
the TSI engine from the German legacy. And the point to be emphasized is the German build quality and the new design elements. Everything is put together with the interior having a high quality fit and finish along with the chrome and piano black elements making it premium and classy. The interior is spacious and many many storage elements make the interior practical and attractive. The negative point lies in the division of features that is the manual variant is given six airbags while the automatic version is not, that feels a bit weird. Many of you can say that features are less of the Kushaq but the 1.5 TSI compensates it all it is well priced too. Finally the game is getting excited with the launch of Kushaq and its going to be more exciting with the arrival of another German the VW Taigun.
Now that is all about today's preview. This is not a review but this is a preview and my opinion about the all new Skoda Kushaq. Hope you Like it !
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The side profile of the emperor is nicely designed with sharp lines and muscular arches. The two body lines, classic VAG lines going through the shoulder line which are sharp makes the side profile aggressive, notice the crease that emerges from the front Skoda badging and merges with the tail lamps and the bold wheel arches with the bottom body line makes it more muscular. There are lovely cuts & creases, done in a classy manner accomplished only by the German brand. The 17 inch diamond cut dual spoke, dual tone alloy wheels are designed in a way that it gives the car a rugged feel. Now the window line and the door handles are given chrome strips which makes the side profile a bit shiny, remaining window region is covered with a black cladding. On the top or the roof two roof rails placed which is making the car look more rugged and gives the feel of a bold SUV. The quarter panel, even though it is not a quarter glass but a glossy black finish is incorporated nicely to give the SUV character. And the main SUV character symbol is the black cladding covering the bottom panel and the wheel arches. The dual tone color scheme also make it project out. The side profile over all will give you a feel of a serious emperor with a stand out crossover SUV stance. 
