Skoda Auto India said it has received bookings of more than 2,000 units of its newly launched Kushaq, the mid-size sports utility vehicle (SUV), and the company expects to sell about 18,000 units in the next six months.
The company has set a target to sell around 3,000 units a month and expects 70 per cent of the overall sales to come from Kushaq this year.
“We have a target sale of 30,000 cars this year with Kushaq contributing 70 per cent of the sales and we expect to double the sales next year to around 60,000 units with two more products — one more SUV and a notchback (sedan) planned for launch by next year,” Zac Hollis, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, told BusinessLine.
Two engine options
Available in two engine options — 1.0L and 1.5L TSI, delivering 115 PS and 150 PS respectively — the Kushaq is priced between ₹10.50 lakh and ₹17.60 lakh. While the delivery of the 1.0L will start from July 12, the 1.5L variant’s delivery will start from August 4.
Hollis said many of the customers are going for the automatic option. “The 1.5-litre demand might not go up, but the 1-litre is much more affordable so more in demand. That’s what is happening right now…the feedback regarding the 1-litre is good and expect to increase more going forward,” he said.
Based on the MQB AO platform, Kushaq is the first product of the Skoda India 2.0 project which was launched in 2018. Skoda Auto is responsible for leading Volkswagen Group’s planned model campaign on the Indian market and had announced ₹8,000 crore towards the implementation of the project, primarily between 2019 and 2021.
When asked about a seven-seater option in Kushaq, Hollis said the company currently doesn’t have any plans to bring out a seven-seater, but it continues looking at ‘market opportunity’ in India where volumes play an important role and that’s an ongoing business.
Important product
According to analysts, Kushaq would be an important product for Skoda’s journey in India and can be a game changer. It competes with the strongest brands like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.
“Skoda Kushaq is the lifeline for brand Skoda in India. The model is also expected to be exported globally and can be game changer for them and help them garner bigger market share in India. Kushaq competes in highest growing segment in India and provides customers with a unique experience who wants to differentiate themselves from others and needs a blend of features and richness,” Puneet Gupta, Associate Director at IHS Markit, said.
According to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), a total of 10,60,750 utility vehicles (SUVs, MUVs/ MPVs) were sold in India last year (April-March 2020-21), a growth of 12 per cent over the previous year.