First Units Skoda Kushaq Start Rolling Off The Production Line – Launch Soon!

ŠKODA AUTO India announced the start of production of the KUSHAQ at the SKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) plant in Chakan, Pune. With customer deliveries planned to begin in July. . ŠKODA KUSHAQ comes with locally manufactured TSI engine options. The ŠKODA KUSHAQ is based on the MQB-A0-IN, a variant of the modular MQB -A0 platform, specially adapted by ŠKODA for the Indian and global markets.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd, said, “The production roll out of the first car under the India 2.0 project marks a historic milestone for ŠKODA AUTO and the Volkswagen Group in India. It stands testament to a great collaboration between our teams across the globe and here in India. We have managed to achieve localisation levels up to 95 per cent, which truly puts the engineering and manufacturing expertise of India on the global map. With ŠKODA KUSHAQ, we will be present in one of the fastest growing segments of the automotive industry. We look forward to offering customers an SUV that stands out for its emotive design, unmatched performance, superior build quality, outstanding safety, and numerous Simply Clever solutions, enabling an exemplary value proposition.”

The locally developed MQB-A0-IN platform provides the technical basis for the new ŠKODA KUSHAQ as well as for other volume models yet to come. The platform has been designed to meet the new, stricter safety and emission requirements for India. To achieve the desired localisation levels up to 95 per cent, ŠKODA has set up a new MQB- A0-IN production line at its Pune plant. A significant part of the development has been carried out at the new technology centre, which opened in Pune in January 2019.

Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director – ŠKODA AUTO India, said “With the start of production of the all new KUSHAQ, we are looking at a new chapter to mark the success story of ŠKODA AUTO in India. India’s preference for SUVs has continued to grow steadily over the years. The KUSHAQ will offer an unparalleled driving experience and brings together all the attributes that matter to an SUV buyer. The team is gearing up for the launch later this month. We have already increased our network reach substantially and have instituted several best practices towards ensuring customer delight. With KUSHAQ, we are looking forward to welcoming more customers into the ŠKODA family.”

The Skoda Kushaq will be competing with Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Volkswagen Tiguan for Market Share.