Skoda, the European automotive brand having 125 years long history, is set to launch the all-new Skoda Kushaq in Nepal in the second week of July. The new mid-size SUV will be powered by the most awarded Turbo-charged Stratified Injection (TSI) that produces the highest torque in the segment.
Skoda Kushaq will be the first made-in-India SUV that is underpinned by the VW group's much popular MQB-A0 platform. It will be powered by a 1.0L TSI engine that produces a power of 115 PS and torque of 175 Nm which is best in the segment. It will be available with a 6-speed manual and automatic transmission. Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are the core competitors of Skoda Kushaq.
150 bookings till date
“The advent of Skoda Kushaq in Nepal has excited the SUV-lovers,” says Raunak Agarwal, Executive Director of Skoda Nepal, “Till now, we have over 500 inquiries in our social media and showroom and 150 of them have already been booked. We are overwhelmed by the response from customers.”
According to Agrawal, Skoda Nepal has a target of selling 800 units of Kushaq in the coming fiscal year. “We believe that the highest torque in the segment, longest wheelbase and other first in class features might have attracted customers to Kushaq,” he adds, “We have been witnessing that mid-size SUV segment is constantly growing as we hope that this new product will win a major share as it is launched in Nepal.”
The most awarded TSI engine
The all-new Skoda Kushaq will have TSI petrol engine from the Volkswagen group that won the “Engine of the Year Award” for the eighth consecutive time. This makes TSI the most successful engine.
The jury for this award is made up of 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries. The jury said about Skoda Kushaq, “TSI Engine not only attained an overall victory, but also won the ‘Best Green Engine' award. This shows that driving fun and fuel efficiency can certainly be unified in one package.”
Compared to its predecessor, fuel consumption and CO2 emission values of the TSI engines were reduced to 9 per cent in part also by such measures as reducing internal friction, lowering weight and optimising thermal management.
“Their combination of reduced displacement, direct injection and intelligent engine boosting enables top dynamic performance while keeping emissions and fuel consumption low. TSI engines are genuine trendsetters,” Dr Rüdiger Szengel, Head of Volkswagen Petrol Engine Development, says.
Volkswagen Group is the global leader in charging strategies for engines with direct fuel injection, and to date it has produced over 3.8 million TSI engines at five production sites worldwide.
Best-in-segment loaded Kushaq
At a glance, the Kushaq gets a smart design with decent proportions for an SUV. Highlights include the familiar Skoda butterfly grille, Karoq-inspired LED headlamps and fog lamps, L-shaped LED tail lamps with crystalline effect, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Upto five body shades will be on offer: Candy White, Brilliant Silver, Carbon Steel, Honey Orange, and Tornado Red.
While the cabin is neat and minimalistic, make no mistake, it has got a vast number of features. They include a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 6-speaker sound system, ambient lighting, connected car tech, wireless phone charger, ventilated seats, and automatic climate control. Safety features will include six airbags, electronic stability control, parking sensors with a rear-view camera, ABS with EBD, and hill hold control.
