Confident of Kushaq sales bouncing back in 1-2 months: New Skoda boss. Facelift coming soon

By: Sameer Fayaz Contractor
| Updated on: 14 Jun 2025, 16:17 PM Share via: Skoda Auto India’s new boss, Ashish Gupta, says the sales volumes will come back to the Kushaq in the next one to two months, and the company is working on the same. …Read More The newly launched Skoda Kylaq has been cannibalising sales of the Kushaq within the brand’s stable. Nevertheless, the compact SUV is set to receive benefits, discounts, and a facelift soon View Personalised Offers on Check Offers The Skoda Kushaq has seen a dip in volumes in the last few months, with the newly launched Kylaq cannibalising sales of its elder sibling in the brand’s stable. With both models sharing the same underpinnings and even the feature list, the Kylaq has witnessed a phenomenal growth since sales began in March this year, albeit at the cost of the Kushaq. Nevertheless, Skoda Auto India’s new boss, Ashish Gupta, says the sales volumes will come back to the Kushaq in the next one to two months. Why Kushaq Sales Dropped This Year?Explaining why sales have taken a beating for the Kushaq, Ashish Gupta said, “It’s not like demand for the Kushaq has gone down. Instead, our dealerships were used to deal with a certain type of customer. Our dealers knew how to handle that customer base very well. With the introduction of the Kylaq, a completely different set of customers are coming to our dealerships. Our staff is now on the learning curve on how to handle customers for these two completely different cars. And that learning is fast because the sales pressure is always there. I am confident that in the next one or two months, the Kushaq will bounce back.” Also Read : Skoda Auto India aims for 2.5% market share in FY2026, outlines growth plan “Of course, easier said than done, we will also, as a brand, have to take certain actions. We know that the Kushaq is now in the fourth year of its lifecycle. We know that we will have to maybe go aggressive in the market to compete with the rivals that exist in the market. There is already pressure on stocks, discounts are at an all-time high, so we will have to play the game,” he added further. The Skoda Kushaq is built at SAVWIPL’s Chakan facility in Maharashtra, alongside the Slavia and Kylaq, as well as the VW Taigun and Virtus Skoda Kushaq Sales ReportBetween March and May 2025, Skoda sold an average of 775 units of the Kushaq, a stark drop when compared to average sales of 1,624 units between December 2024 and February 2025. Meanwhile, Kushaq sales averaged about 1,546 units between July and November 2024. Ashish hinted at rolling out special benefits for the Kushaq to get sales back on track, while also acknowledging that a comprehensive update is in need. The Skoda Kushaq arrived in the market in 2021 and expanded the automaker’s addressable market share to 21 per cent, up from just seven per cent in 2020. With the Kylaq, the brand’s addressable market has risen to 58 per cent in 2025. Also Read : Skoda Kylaq may get a new variant, petrol-CNG powertrain in the plan The Skoda Kushaq facelift will see new styling and more features to tackle the highly competitive compact SUV segment Skoda Kushaq Facelift In The WorksThankfully, Skoda India is working on the Kushaq facelift that is currently under development. We’ve seen the test mules on several occasions, with the camouflaged bits indicating cosmetic changes to the front and rear, in line with the new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, which debuted on the Kylaq in India. Skoda is also expected to increase the feature quotient on the SUV with Level 2 ADAS, a 360-degree camera, a higher quality rearview camera, and more, as part of the package. The Kushaq facelift will continue with the same 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine options. The former makes 114 bhp and 178 Nm paired with a 6-speed manual and a torque converter. The latter produces 148 bhp and 250 Nm, paired with the 7-speed DSG automatic. The updated offering is expected to arrive sometime next year. Prices for the Skoda Kushaq range currently start from ₹11 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards. Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India. First Published Date: 14 Jun 2025, 16:17 PM IST
Source: hindustantimes.com