SKODA KUSHAQ

THE KUSHAQ GETS SOME UPDATES, SMALL AND BIG, BUT IS IT STILL A FUN MACHINE?

- WORDS TUHIN GUHA PHOTOGRAPHY NEEL PARADKAR

The Skoda Kushaq was the car that set off the Skoda VW group's big revival in the country with its India 2.0 plan. This plan has led to a much larger presence for the Skoda and VW brands but the competition has grown massively in these six years. So this midlife update to the Kushaq couldn't come any sooner. It packs the usual design and feature updates but also makes some deeper changes. Is this enough in a cutthroat segment?

Styling, boot space

The facelifted Kushaq gets the usual crop of cosmetic changes that freshen and update its look to bring it in line with Skoda’s newer design philosophies. So you have some cues from the new Kodiaq like the wider grille with the subtle full-width lighting. The LED light signature has become a touch flashier. These changes do add some much needed width to the Kushaq’s look, helped by the slimmer split foglamp clusters and the sharper look for the bumpers.

You also have a newer colour palette and some new alloy designs but largely in profile, the compact look of the Kushaq hasn't changed much. These are more flash at the rear, with the full-width lighting and backlit Skoda logo giving the Kushaq a fairly distinct signature at night. A sharper bumper design rounds off the changes.

The Monte Carlo trim is available from launch, which gives you more gloss black on the outside, sportier trims and colours, Monte Carlo badges, contrast callipers and sharper alloy wheels.

The new Kushaq's boot space has grown on paper by 109L to 491L but this just seems to come from it now being measured to the roof, rather than the parcel shelf. So you still have a practically designed usable boot space that is quite deep, although it could have been a bit longer lengthwise.

Interiors