Skoda has turned the heat further up in what is currently the hottest segment in India. The Skoda Kushaq has been refreshed with a brand new look and updates for the Indian market, in Skoda’s push to strengthen its India 2.0 portfolio. The new Skoda Kushaq comes with improvements all across. The car comes with a fresh design, connected LED headlamps and taillights, a new 8-speed automatic transmission, rear seat massagers, and much more.
Launch of the Skoda Kushaq has made things very exciting in the C-SUV segment. With this launch closely following the Tata Sierra and Kia Seltos, the Skoda Kushaq also enters the same segment, but targets a different kind of buyer. In this article, we will take a look at how exactly the new Skoda Kushaq compares against the newly launched Kia Seltos and Tata Sierra. Let’s go.
Skoda Kushaq vs Kia Seltos vs Tata Sierra: Pricing and Variants
Now, the prices of the new Skoda Kushaq have not been revealed yet, but the bookings have initiated. We are expecting a starting price of just under ₹11 lakh, given that the current model of the Skoda Kushaq starts at a price of ₹10.66 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The new Kia Seltos has been launched at a starting price of ₹10.99 lakh (ex-showroom) Delhi, going up to ₹19.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end variant. Here is the full price list – all prices are ex-showroom Delhi:
The Tata Sierra, on the other hand, is more expensive, starting at a price of ₹11.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), going up to ₹21.29 lakh (ex-showroom) Delhi for the top-spec variant of the Tata Sierra. Here is the full price list – all prices are ex-showroom Delhi:
Skoda Kushaq vs Kia Seltos vs Tata Sierra: Engine and Transmission
Coming to the engine and transmission option, all three cars come with multiple engine and transmission combinations. Out of these three, the Skoda Kushaq is the only car which doesn’t have a diesel engine. Both the Kia Seltos and Tata Sierra come with 1.5-litre diesel engines. Let’s take a look at what each of these SUVs offer:
The new Skoda Kushaq carries forward the same 1.0 litre TSI and 1.5 litre TSI engine options from the previous generation. The 1.0 TSI engine on the Kushaq produces 115 bhp of power and 178 Nm of torque, while the 1.5 TSI engine produces 15- BHP of power and 250 Nm of torque. The Skoda Kushaq is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, and a 7-speed DSG transmission, which is limited to the 1.5-litre TSI engine. For the 1.0L options, Skoda has launched a new 8-speed automatic gearbox with the Skoda Kushaq, making it one of the biggest upgrade and making Kushaq the only car in this segment to come with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Coming to the Kia Seltos, this car comes with either a 1.5-litre T-GDi 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine, a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder CRDi engine. The naturally aspirated petrol motor on the Kia Seltos produces 113 bhp of power and 114 Nm of torque, while the diesel engine on the Kia Seltos produces 114 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque. The turbo petrol motor is the most powerful option with the Kia Seltos and produces 158 bhp of power and 253 Nm of torque. The Kia Seltos petrol comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed IVT transmission, and a 7-speed DCT transmission. The diesel options, on the other hand, only come with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
The Tata Sierra, on the other hand, also comes with both petrol and diesel options. Here also, the setup is similar to what we get with the Kia Seltos – a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine, a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. Here, the 1.5-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol produces 108 bhp of power and 145 Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine produces 160 bhp of power and 255 Nm of torque, and the 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 118 PS of power and 260 Nm of torque. In terms of the transmission, the diesel gets the option of a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic, while the petrol variants also get a 7-speed DCT transmission option, but that is only limited to the turbo petrol engine.
Skoda Kushaq vs Kia Seltos vs Tata Sierra
Now coming to the features all these three cars are fully loaded with all the bells and whistles one can think of. While the Tata Sierra and Kia Seltos are more modern and tech-loaded cars, the Skoda Kushaq is also not too far this time around and is offering things that neither of the two feature-loaded SUVs offer. For example, the Skoda Kushaq is the only car in this segment which offers seat massaging for the rear seat passengers. It is also the only car among these three which comes with alloy wheels starting from the base variant. However, it is also the only car to miss out on some things. For example, the Skoda Kushaq is the only car without a 360-degree camera or ADAS features. Let us take a look at the full list of features of each of the three cars:
The Kia Seltos and Tata Sierra both also come with their own unique features. The Tata Sierra comes with three displays and the largest panoramic sunroof among the three. The Kia Seltos is the only car among the three which doesn’t have anything unique as such, but does come with a small display for the climate control.
Skoda Kushaq:
- 10.1-inch infotainment display
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- Panoramic sunroof
- Automatic climate control
- Ambient lighting
- Front seat ventilation
- Electric front seats
- Rear seat massager
- Wireless charging
- Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
- 6 airbags
- Auto dimming IRVM
- Rain sensing wipers
- LED headlamps
Tata Sierra
- Triple display cockpit (12.3-inch infotainment display, 12.3-inch digital cluster
- Panoramic sunroof
- Automatic climate control
- Ventilated seats
- Electronically adjustable front seats
- Wireless Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay
- Wireless charging
- 360-degree camera
- ADAS 2.0
- Dual zone climate control
- Powered tailgate
- 12-speaker JBL surround sound system
Kia Seltos
- Triple display cockpit (12.3-inch infotainment display, 12.3-inch digital cluster
- Panoramic sunroof
- Automatic climate control
- Ventilated seats
- Electronically adjustable front seats
- Wireless Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay
- Wireless charging
- 360-degree camera
- ADAS 2.0
- Dual zone climate control
- Climate control display
