Skoda denies report of launching 1.5-litre TSI Kushaq SUV in mid-spec trim

Skoda is not planning to drive in a more affordable variant of the Kushaq SUV’s 1.5-litre TSI version in India for now. The Czech carmaker has denied reports which recently claimed that it may introduce the 1.5-litre TSI engine in the mid-spec Ambition trim, making it affordable by quite a margin.

Replying to one of the users on Twitter, Skoda Auto India's Brand Director Zac Hollis confirmed that the carmaker has no such plans yet. He wrote "There are currently no plans for this" to a user who enquired whether Skoda has changed its plans after it ‘categorically confirmed that 1.5 TSI is reserved for the top trim'.

The report had claimed Skoda's plans to introduce the mid-spec Kushaq with 1.5-litre TSI engine to possibly counter the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun SUV, slated to launch on September 23. On paper, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun share a lot of similarities, including the engine options on offer. According to the report, Skoda reportedly aims to counter Volkswagen's plans to aggressively price the more powerful variant of Taigun, which will rival Kushaq among others in the compact SUV segment.

Skoda Kushaq 1.5-litre TSI engine is currently offered as the top-spec trim and sits above the 1.0-litre TSI version. It is priced at ₹16.20 lakh (ex-showroom) for the variant with manual transmission and ₹17.60 lakh (ex-showroom) for the one with DSG transmission option.

Skoda Kushaq 1.5-litre TSI model is more powerful than the 1.0-litre version, capable of churning out maximum power of 150 hp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The top-spec variant of the Kushaq is offered with two transmission options - a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox. It is also offered with paddle shifters.

Skoda Kushaq 1.5-litre TSI is offered with Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) which automatically shuts down two cylinders when engine load is low. This feature helps boost the overall fuel efficiency of the SUV. The engine is claimed to deliver an ARAI certified mileage of 17.95 kmpl for manual transmission and 17.71 kmpl for the automatic variant.

The deliveries of the top-spec Kushaq SUV began earlier this month, more than a month after Skoda launched the SUV in the Indian markets. Skoda hopes Kushaq SUV to drive up its sales numbers significantly, especially after the carmaker sold 3,080 units in July, up from 734 units in June.