Skoda Auto India took the wraps off the much-awaited Kushaq and made its global debut after showcasing its concept version, Vision IN at the 2020 Auto Expo. After a series of teasers, we finally got to see, touch and sit inside the production version of this all-new SUV. The Kushaq has many firsts going for itself like it is Volkswagen Group’s first locally manufactured SUV in India and it is also the first vehicle to be rolled out under Volkswagen Group’s India 2.0 Project. There’s further good news for SUV fans as Skoda will start accepting booking orders for the Kushaq from June with the first batch to be delivered in July.

The German manufacturer also squashed rumours of it planning to exit the Indian market by emphasising that the group is investing one billion euros to strengthen its presence in the Indian subcontinent and aim to achieve a combined market share of five percent by 2025. Thomas Schäfer, Skoda Auto CEO, further confirmed this by saying, “With the world premiere of the Skoda Kushaq, we are launching our model campaign on the Indian market and are fulfilling the mandate Volkswagen Group tasked us with roughly two and a half years ago when we were asked to assume responsibility for the Indian market. I would like to thank Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited and his team for what they have achieved so far. We are now focusing on a smooth market launch and the successful start of our new model while setting the course for the next steps on the Indian subcontinent. I am convinced of the country’s great growth potential. And we will make the most of it for Skoda and Volkswagen.”

Volkswagen Group’s India Project 2.0 focus is on manufacturing vehicles tailor-made for India, but more importantly, giving utmost importance to high-level localisation of parts and sharing key components with other vehicles in the group. The testimony to this is the Kushaq that’s managed to achieve 95 percent localisation level. The other thing the VW Group paid a lot of attention to was creating a platform for India and which fulfils the diverse demands of our market as well as meet the latest, stricter safety and emission requirements.

While targeting high-volume segments, the VW Group has built a new India-spec modular MQB platform, the MQB-A0-IN, based on which two SUVs including the Kushaq and two notchbacks will be launched under both the Skoda and Volkswagen brand. Again, in order to achieve a high level of localisation in India, Skoda has set up a new MQB production line at its Chakan plant near Pune.

One might ask, what’s in a name, but in Skoda’s case, it means quite a lot as it continues to follow its K & Q nomenclature. The name of the new SUV is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kushak’, which means king or emperor.

Exterior design: The production version of the Kushaq has managed to retain quite a few of its design elements from its concept model. It showcases the typically solid and muscular design language of the Volkswagen family. The big butterfly shaped front grille with vertical slats in chrome finish and split L-shaped LED headlights with crystalline structures make the Kushaq stand out in the crowd. It sports quite a robust road presence thanks to the large air vents below the headlamps, the front bumper with a mesh finish and, of course, the skid plates in the front and rear. If that wasn’t enough to make a statement, the clean prominent lines on the bonnet and running across the shoulder line in the side and multiple creases in the rear give the Kushaq a no-nonsense image. The SUV will be available in three variants – Active, Ambition and Style – with the entry-level sporting 16-inch steel wheels while the mid-range gets 16-inch alloy wheels and top-of-the-range Style will boast two-tone 17-inch ones.

In terms of specifications, the Kushaq is 4,221 mm long, 1,760 mm wide and has a height of 1,612 mm with a ground clearance of 188 mm. Its wheelbase, on the other hand, is 2,651 mm in length, making it longer than mid-size SUV segment leader Hyundai Creta and the popular Kia Seltos. This ensures a spacious cabin for five passengers along with 385 litres of boot space.

Interiors: The Kushaq gets a multi-layered dashboard with black plastic on top then a metal band and finally a brown and a black layer. The centre of attraction is the 10-inch touchscreen and the mid and top variant comes with a touch control panel for climate control. The infotainment system gets internal memory storage, wireless Smartlink, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and My Skoda in-car connectivity app.

The Style trim is also equipped with some clever yet practical features like ventilated leather front seats, keyless entry, an electric sliding glass roof and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

Skoda has given a lot of importance to practicality; as a result, the Kushaq comes with numerous storage compartments in the cabin like a glove box, centre console, additional cubby holes to store bottles and other knick-knacks.

The Kushaq gets a brand new two-spoke steering wheel and the automatic versions come with paddle shifters. It also comes with chrome finish scroll controls and buttons for audio, phone and cruise control. What was a bit of a surprise was that it came with an analogue instrument cluster and not a digital one like its cousin, the Volkswagen Taigun.

All this sounds great, but how comfortable is the cabin? Well, with big supportive seats and decent under-thigh support, both the front and the rear passengers will feel pampered. A big bonus is that passengers over six feet in height will enjoy plenty of knee and legroom.

Engine: Unlike most of its competition in the mid-size SUV segment, the Kushaq will not offer a diesel engine option. It will be available in two engine options – 1-litre three-cylinder petrol with an output of 108 bhp mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox like the Skoda Rapid. The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol, on the other hand, churns out 145 bhp and will be available in either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Safety: The Kushaq comes fully loaded with safety features like electronic stability control, multi-collision brakes, six airbags including front side airbags, Hill-hold control, ISOFIX child seats and the list goes on. (MT)

Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its wholesales for April 2025 at 84,170 vehicles, a growth of 19 percent, including exports.

The auto major sold a total of 52,330 SUVs in the domestic market, which was 28 percent higher than 41,008 SUVs sold for the same period last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market came at 22,989 units, which was 4 percent YoY. 

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Building on the strong momentum of last year's performance, we began the year on a strong note in April by achieving SUV sales of 52,330 units, a growth of 28 percent and total vehicle sales of 84,170 units, a 19 percent growth over the same month last year. These numbers indicate the strength of our portfolio and customer offerings.”

JSW MG Motor India, a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for April 2025.

The company reported sales of 5,829 units, which was 23 percent higher over April 2024, when it sold 4,725 vehicles.

Interestingly, the automaker's popular offering, the Windsor EV, has continued to be the top-selling electric passenger vehicle for the seventh month in a row.

JSW MG Motor India's Windsor EV has now gone home to over 20,000 customers.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has reported its wholesales of 179,791 units in April 2025, marking a 7 percent increase compared to 168,089 units sold in April 2024. The growth was primarily propelled by strong performance in utility vehicles and a sharp rise in export volumes.

Domestic sales, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, remained flat with 142,053 units, as compared to 140,448 units in April 2024. Within this, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the Super Carry saw a significant jump of 34.2 percent, with sales rising to 3,349 units from 2,496 units last year.

In the passenger vehicle segment, SUVs such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara and others recorded a 4.4 percent increase, selling 59,022 units compared to 56,553 in the previous year. However, sales for Eeco declined by 5.2 percent, while the mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a sharp 45 percent drop, falling to 6,332 units from 11,519 units. The compact segment, which includes high-volume models like the Baleno and Swift, grew by 8.1 percent, reaching 61,591 units.

Sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor rose sharply by 79.2 percent, from 5,481 units to 9,827 units, indicating a growing demand for cross-badged products.

The standout performer was the export segment, which surged 26 percent to 27,911 units from 22,160 units in April 2024. This strong export growth helped bolster the company’s overall numbers despite weaknesses in domestic sub-segments.

While some product lines such as the mid-size sedan Ciaz (-63 percent) continue to struggle.

Tata Motors reported total wholesales of 72,753 units for April 2025, reflecting a 6 percent year-on-year decline from 77,521 units in April 2024.

The passenger vehicle (PV) segment, including electric vehicles, accounted for 45,532 units, down 5 percent from 47,983 units in the same month last year. Within this, domestic PV sales dropped 6 percent to 45,199 units, while international business (IB) sales rose significantly to 333 units, up from 100 units. Electric vehicle sales (domestic + IB) declined 16 percent year-on-year to 5,318 units.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales stood at 27,221 units, marking an 8 percent YoY drop from 29,538 units in April 2024. Domestic CV sales contracted 10 percent to 25,764 units, while CV exports (IB) grew 43 percent to 1,457 units. Key sub-segments like Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a steep 23 percent decline.

Despite growth in certain categories like ILMCV trucks and passenger carriers, overall sales momentum was tempered across both PV and CV segments.