The Skoda Kushaq, after much-anticipation has finally been revealed in its production-spec guise. The Kushaq will be the first model to arrive from the VW Group’s India 2.0 project.
- The Skoda Kushaq is the smallest offering in the segment
- It comes with two turbo-petrol engine options – a 1.0-litre and a 1.5-litre
- Price announcement expected to take place in the coming months
Skoda will position the Kushaq in the mid-size SUV segment competing with the likes of the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and MG Hector. Its Volkswagen sibling the Taigun will also join the segment later this year.
With the Kushaq slated to be launched in June, we have compiled the technical specifications of the new SUV and its rivals, to see how they stack up against each other, on paper.
Skoda Kushaq vs rivals: dimensions
| 2021 Skoda Kushaq vs rivals: dimensions | ||||||
| Skoda Kushaq | Kia Seltos | Hyundai Creta | Nissan Kicks | Renault Duster | MG Hector | |
| Length (mm) | 4225 | 4315 | 4300 | 4384 | 4360 | 4655 |
| Width (mm) | 1760 | 1800 | 1790 | 1813 | 1822 | 1835 |
| Height (mm) | 1612 | 1645 | 1635 | 1669 | 1695 | 1760 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2651 | 2610 | 2610 | 2673 | 2673 | 2750 |
| Wheel size | 17-inch | 17-inch | 17-inch | 17-inch | 17-inch | 17-inch |
| Ground Clearance (mm) | 188 | 190 | – | 210 | 205 | 183 |
| Boot space (litres) | 385 | 433 | 433 | 400 | 475 | 587 |
From the table above, it is quite clear that the Skoda Kushaq is the smallest offering in the segment, at least in terms of its length, width, height and even boot space. Though it is actually the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta that have the smallest wheelbase in this company.
On the flip side, the MG Hector is the largest SUV in this comparison, and by a significant margin. The Hector is a considerable 430mm longer, 75mm wider, 148mm taller and has a wheelbase that is 99mm longer than the Kushaq.
However, if we look at the ground clearance, it is the Hector that offers the least at 183mm, and the Nissan Kicks that offers the most (27mm more than the Hector).
Skoda Kushaq vs rivals: engine and powertrain comparison (petrol)
| 2021 Skoda Kushaq vs rivals: Petrol engines | ||||||
| Skoda Kushaq | Kia Seltos | Hyundai Creta | Nissan Kicks | Renault Duster | MG Hector | |
| Engine | 1.0-litre, 3cyl turbo-petrol/ 1.5-litre, 4cyl turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol/ 1.4-litre 4cyl turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre, 4cyl petrol/ 1.4-litre turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol/ 1.3-litre 4cyl turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol/ 1.3-litre 4cyl turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Power | 115hp/ 150hp | 115hp/ 140hp | 115hp/ 140hp | 106hp/ 156hp | 106hp/ 156hp | 143hp |
| Torque | 175Nm/NA | 144Nm/ 242Nm | 144Nm/ 242Nm | 142Nm/ 245Nm | 142Nm/ 245Nm | 250Nm |
| Manual Gearbox | 6-speed/ 6-speed | 6-speed/ 6-speed | 6-speed/ – | 6-speed/ 6-speed | 6-speed/ 6-speed | 6-speed |
| Automatic Gearbox | 6-speed torque converter/ 7-speed DCT | CVT/ 7-speed DCT | CVT/ 7-speed DCT | -/CVT | -/CVT | 6-speed DCT (non-Hybrid only) |
Among all the SUVs with naturally aspirated (NA) petrol engines, it is the Korean units in the Seltos and Creta that are the most powerful, producing 115hp. The 1.5-litre engine in the Kicks and Renault Duster don’t quite match up to the Korean rivals as they are 9hp and 2Nm down on power and torque, respectively.
The most powerful turbo-petrol engine is the unit in the Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster. The 1.3-litre, four-cylinder unit churns out 156hp, which is just marginally more than the 150hp output of the Kushaq’s 1.5-litre TSI. Though on the other hand the 1.0-litre TSI engine in the Kushaq also has the lowest output of the turbo-petrols in this comparison. However, this is down to the fact that it has the smallest displacement of the lot.
In terms of torque, the Hector produces the highest figure, which at 250Nm is only 5Nm more than the Kicks and Duster’s figures. As things stand, we do not have confirmation on the torque figure of the 1.5-litre TSI in the Kushaq.
You can read our review of the Skoda Kushaq prototype to get an idea of what the new mid-size SUV will be like to drive on our roads.
It is worth pointing out that the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and MG Hector, are all available with the option of a diesel powertrain.
Also see:
2021 Skoda Kushaq first look video
2021 Skoda Kushaq image gallery