Skoda has officially announced that it will expand its SUV lineup with yet another model: the Kushaq. Previewed by the 2020 Vision In Concept, its name is derived from the Sanskrit word of ‘kushak’, which means ‘king’ or ‘emperor’. The Kushaq is aimed strictly at the Indian market and will sport a profile similar to both the show car presented last year and the Kamiq subcompact SUV, albeit with a less sloping roofline and thicker C pillars compared to the latter.
Based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0-IN
platform, which was adapted for the Indian market, the Kushaq will celebrate
its premiere in March this year before going on sale locally likely in the
summer. The same architecture will be used on a new sedan, which is probably
due in 2021 as well, and will be employed in two Volkswagen vehicles too.
Skoda has refrained from saying anything
else, but the Vision In Concept was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol
engine rated at 148 HP and 250 Nm of torque. The
mill drove the front wheels through a seven-speed DSG transmission, allowing it
to hit 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds and reach a 195 km/h top
speed, according to Skoda.
