The Kushaq looks to become lord of small SUVS

Ever since Skoda entered India sometime around 2001, it has built a reputation for itself with strong, high-quality cars that have stood out for their distinctly European design and competent, refined diesel engines.

One of its smaller launches, the Fabia hatchback lived up to all those qualities and found strong interest in the metros. However, after it was withdrawn from the country, Skoda has more or less sustained itself on sales derived largely from the Laura and Octavia, and to some extent the Superb.

With the Kushaq, which means “emperor” in Sanskrit, the company is making a bold return to stake a claim to the compact SUV category. Expect this car to go head to head with the likes of the Ford Ecosport, Mahindra XUV700, MG Hector, Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos.

For a compact petrol car, the Kushaq isn’t the most affordable one on the block. At a price-topping ~17.7 lakh, plus another couple of lakhs thrown in for taxes and extras, this baby SUV will cost nearly ~20 lakh on the road. That makes it a pretty steep acquisition by any standards. Of course, this is Skoda, which has always stood for quality, and with its premium positioning, one does not expect it to compete with mass manufacturers. Even so, it’s a high price. Yes, the low-end variants are cheaper but then don’t expect all the bells and whistles in those.

The car’s build quality has German-make written all over it. Slam the door shut and you hear a solid “thunk” — no aftershock, no vibration, no rattle. That this car is of European DNA becomes even more clear when you slip into it. It features strong, firm seats, high-quality plastics and dashboard. The top variant has a fully automatic drivetrain that operates smoothly, without any turbo lag. There’s a sun- roof, too. The back- seat is comfort- able, well designed and clearly a result of what is smart space management for a small SUV. Despite being a compact city SUV, not for a second does it feel tiny, cramped or claustrophobic.

How has the early reception to the car been? Skoda Auto India recently announced a 282 per cent increase in its August 2021 sales, compared to the same period last year. Skoda sold 3,829 cars in August 2021, compared to 1,003 in August 2020, with the Kushaq joining the ranks of Superb, Octavia and the Rapid in growing sales volumes.

Out on the highway, the 1.5-litre engine moves effortlessly and has sufficient getup and go. For those who want to get into sportier driving, the high-end variants come with paddle-shifters for quicker shifting of gears. At high revs and past a certain speed, the engine does get a little noisy and that may not bother most, but for a petrol-sipping German car, one may expect smoother acoustics.

Skoda has said that its cost of service and ownership has been rebooted down to optimum levels in line with the cost of its cars and customer expectations. And if that has been truly fixed, then the Kushaq may have a shot at being a top choice in the small but premium SUV range, with competition, if any, coming from its own stablemate — the Volkswagen Taigun, which shares its gears and engine. And if priced aggressively, it could prove to be a formidable competitor.

For those who want to get into sportier driving, the high-end variants come with paddleshifters for quicker shifting of gears