First drive: 2021 Skoda Kushaq prototype review

We're in sunny Goa driving an early prototype to get our first taste of the Kushaq, but we can’t tell you if it looks the part, because it's heavily camouflaged ahead of its unveiling in March. While Skoda doesn’t want us to spoil the surprise, we know it will be very close to the Vison IN concept that was unveiled at last year’s Auto Expo in New Delhi. 

What we can talk about for certain is what’s under the orange-and-black clothing. The starting point for the Kushaq is the MQB-A0 platform, which underpins a huge number of models across the various Volkswagen Group brands.

The good thing is that this platform is ‘package-protected’ for a growing wave of future technology that’s quickly finding its way into mass-market cars. Things like 5G connectivity, digital cockpits, ADAS and even electrification can be plugged into the MQB-A0 cars as and when customers or regulations demand them.

The bad thing is that the MQB-A0, originally conceived for European markets, is inherently a high-cost platform, and that was the sticking point for the viability of the India 2.0 project. However, Skoda achieved a breakthrough on costs with heavy localisation and some frugal engineering, and this has spawned an Indian derivative of the MQB-AO, suitably suffixed with IN. 

The first Kushaq on the MQB-AO (IN) platform, then, will roll off the Chakan assembly line with parts and components that are more than 90% locally made. That’s impressive when you consider that, over the previous decade, the Volkswagen Group couldn’t manage a local content level exceeding 76%.

Skoda has also carefully specced the Kushaq to Indian requirements to eke out further cost savings. There’s no point designing components for -40deg C in a country where the ambient temperatures usually hit 40deg C or above.

The brutal degree of value engineering hints at a price that will be very competitive. “We will continue to have a positioning of value luxury, said Skoda India managing director Gurpratap Boparai. "Clearly we do want to do volumes, so the car will be competitively priced, but we’ll continue to be slightly premium and hold our position of ‘value luxury'.”

The Kushaq’s exact dimensions are unknown, but it’s roughly Skoda Kamiq-sized, and that puts it in the thick of India’s SUV market. The only dimension Skoda has officially released is the wheelbase, which at 2651mm is the longest in the class and bodes well for interior space, especially at the rear. 

So let’s begin by slipping into the back. There’s enough space for six-footers to stretch out, a deep squab that nicely supports your thighs and an optimally angled backrest that can be flipped down to enhance the versatility of the spacious boot.

The cabin isn’t particularly wide, though, and the contoured seats make the bench best for two. Also, the high-set front seat and high window line limit visibility a bit.

Skoda has flattened the transmission tunnel slightly to make it comfier for the middle passenger, and this bit of re-engineering of the floor pan effectively rules out a 4x4 option.

Up front, a pair of heavily contoured seats does a great job in delivering a supremely comfortable seating position. The ergonomics are spot on and overall visibility is superb.

The Kushaq will come with two turbo petrol engines: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder, both with manual and automatic gearbox options. There’s no diesel planned.

Suprisingly, the 1.0 TSI impressed us even more than the significantly more powerful 1.5 TSI. It feels like a different animal under the bonnet of the Kushaq, compared with in the Volkswagen T-Roc.

Firstly, it's remarkably smooth at idle and rocks less – the upshot of finely tuned engine mounts. The six-speed gearbox is a carryover too, yet it feels smoother in the Kushaq, which benefits from redesigned linkages for a better shift. The only fly in the ointment is the clutch, which can be a touch snappy and could do with a more progressive bite. 

The 1.0 TSI doesn’t cease to astound, making a mockery of the old ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’ claim. Except for some sluggishness at low revs, it doesn't disappoint. Its hallmark is its broad spread of torque, which builds up smoothly from as low as 2000rpm and surges strongly until you hit the 6200rpm limiter.

It feels best when you're riding the meaty mid-range, letting it operate in the 2500-4000rpm zone; you don’t feel the need to keep shifting down every time the revs drop.

Where Skoda has absolutely aced it is with the dynamics, and although our car is a prototype, I will stick my neck out and say that the Kushaq will set a new benchmark for ride and handling in its class.

Apart from a fair bit of slack around the straight-ahead position, the steering is perfectly weighted. It's light enough to make low-speed driving and parking easy and has enough heft to give you the confidence to drive fast.

Indeed, confidence is something that the Kushaq gives you in abundance. It has a remarkably flat ride, even on bumpy roads, and its poise at high speeds will make it a great highway car. The best bit is that this taut body control hasn’t come at the expense of ride: ruts, speed bumps and sharp edges are nicely muffled, helped in no small measure by the fairly tall profile of the 205/55 R17 tyres.

Switching to the 1.5 TSI DSG didn’t heighten the driving experience as much I thought it would. Sure, you can feel the extra slug of power and torque the moment you tap the throttle, but the dual-clutch gearbox, with its characteristic momentary hesitation after you put your foot down, doesn’t give you the same direct link with the engine as a manual.