Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI Automatic: A thoughtful evolution
The Hindu
The updated Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI automatic refines its strengths with a smoother 8-speed gearbox, improved ride quality, and thoughtful feature upgrades, making it a well-rounded urban SUV.
Jaipur is a city of contrasts. Smooth arterial roads open into fast-moving stretches on the outskirts, only to funnel back into dense, chaotic inner streets where patience is as important as precision. It is in this constantly shifting environment that the updated Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI automatic begins to make real sense.
What Skoda has done here is not a headline-grabbing overhaul— it is something far more intelligent. They have taken a fundamentally strong product and quietly addressed the areas that mattered, the kind that reveal themselves only when you live with a car.
Visually, the Kushaq does not stray far from its original identity. That clean, European restraint remains intact, but there is a newfound sharpness to the detailing. The front end looks a touch wider and more resolved, with subtle tweaks that give it better road presence without tipping into excess. The changes at the rear are equally measured, lending the car a more contemporary feel without altering its core character. What also stands out now is how Skoda has democratised some of the visual appeal—alloy wheels are now standard across the range, with different designs depending on the trim. It is a small detail on paper, but in the metal, it ensures that even the lower variants do not feel visually compromised.
The new 8-speed automatic transmission enhances everyday drivability with seamless, refined gear shifts | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Step inside, and the Kushaq continues to play to its strengths. The cabin has always been one of its more convincing aspects, and that remains true. The layout is intuitive, the driving position spot on, and visibility is excellent all around. What has changed is the sense of finish. There is a subtle lift in material quality and consistency, the kind that you notice more over time than in a quick glance. The feature list has grown as well, but it is the nature of these additions that stands out. They feel considered rather than excessive.
Take, for instance, the addition of rear-seat massage functionality—a feature that, on the face of it, might seem indulgent in this segment, but in practice, adds a layer of comfort that frequent passengers will genuinely appreciate. It is this kind of thinking that defines the Kushaq’s update, not gimmicks, but features that enhance the ownership experience in tangible ways.
