Skoda Kushaq, Slavia Facelifts to Get Level 2 ADAS in India; Check Details

Skoda India is gearing up to roll out several significant changes for its Slavia sedan and the Kushaq SUV. Both models in the firm's portfolio are essential to its India 2.0 strategy and have been a success in the market so far. Notably, under Global NCAP's new crash test program, the cars have also been awarded a five-star safety rating. However, a range of rival cars have obtained larger market shares over time as a result of the abundance of amenities. To keep up with the trend, the Czech manufacturer will integrate advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) into the facelifted models along with several other feature updates. Brand director for Skoda, Petr Janeba, agreed that the company needed to catch up in terms of features and reaffirmed that facelifts and interim updates would be used to close this difference. A 360-degree camera, which is currently missing from both models, is one of the expected enhancements.

Skoda Kushaq, Slavia Facelifts: ADAS and Other Feature Updates

Given that competitors like Honda, Hyundai, and Kia already have this technology, the lack of ADAS Level 2 in Skoda's midsize vehicles has been noteworthy. The ADAS tech is currently available on the Honda City and Elevate, the Hyundai Creta, the Verna, and the Venue, as well as the Kia Seltos and Sonet. The carmaker will thus be providing facelifts with this crucial active safety feature to aggressively compete with the rest of the popular models in the country that have been mentioned above. For those unaware, the company does not currently provide ADAS in any of its cars in India except for the Kodiaq SUV, which retails for Rs 39.9 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-of-the-line L&K variant.

Apart from the ADAS level 2 features, Janeba also alluded to further feature improvements for the Kushaq and Slavia. He mentioned that there will be more limited editions and features coming soon, including a 360-degree camera.
The maker will also introduce a brand-new sub-compact SUV to the Indian market soon. It is expected to go on sale in March 2025. The competitors for this upcoming model will include the Hyundai Venue, the Kia Sonet, the Tata Nexon, and the Maruti Suzuki Brezza.

Skoda Kushaq Explorer Edition Breaks Cover

A new Kushaq Explorer edition was recently revealed by Skoda. The features of the compact SUV's special edition (based on the Style trim) are included in an accessory package. However, the cost of this model has not yet been disclosed by the firm. Interested customers can opt to purchase any of the accessories from the dealer, or they can buy them all at once, if and when this version of the SUV goes on sale. The car has an orange tow hook mounted to the lower portion of the bumper and Ultra Mile 44 all-terrain Bull off-road tyres in the front and back.

The exterior of the model has been given rugged, outdoor-inspired styling components. A roof rack with auxiliary LED lights, an all-black front grille, and blacked-out ORVMs are a few of these. This version has a matte green paint job with contrast bronze accents such as side claddings, front bumper, and rear spoiler. Moreover, the all-black alloy wheels are fitted with off-road tyres. The interior layout is the same as the standard Kushaq, but it has a few more amenities like a 360-degree camera, rear sun shades, and a head-up display. The dashboard panel, centre console, and door pads all sport the same matte green paint scheme as the exterior.

The Explorer edition will come with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol mill and a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged unit, as it is built on the Style trim. While the former produces a peak torque of 250Nm and 148bhp of maximum power, the latter puts out 178Nm and 114bhp. Both engines come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. Further, a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission is available for the 1.0-litre engine, whereas a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission is an optional pairing for the 1.5-litre engine. 

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