Skoda Kushaq Onyx Edition First Look

Skoda has introduced the third special edition for its Kushaq SUV, but, this time around, it has gone for the entry-level version rather than the fully-loaded model as it did with the Kushaq Monte Carlo and the Kushaq Anniversary Edition. Dubbed the Kushaq Onyx Edition, it finds a place between the entry-level Active model and the Ambition Classic variant with a premium of Rs 80,000 over the former.

There are five significant updates to the Kushaq Onyx in terms of making a special edition. Up front, Skoda has fitted the car with LED headlamps and fog lamps while on the side you get Onyx Edition graphics, Onyx badging on the B-pillar and a new design for the wheel caps.

The rear remains unchanged but with this new mid-level version you now get a rear wiper and defogger. More than the graphics, the LED headlamps and rear wiper are expected to be seen as significant value additions to the overall package in making one want to pay extra over the entry-level Active variant.

The cabin of this Onyx Edition is mostly similar to that of the Active Classic variant with a black and grey theme made possible by combining fabric seats with a leatherette centre section. As a part of the Onyx updates you now get the Onyx motif in the headrests and Onyx badged scuff plates. Other than this the cabin remains the same in terms of layout, elements and interior space.

While the visual updates do refresh the cabin we would have liked a few more optional bits like Onyx lettering on the dashboard (passenger side) and probably alternate colour options for the fabric. If you can’t go big on features due to budget then offering options in basic choices is a step that would go down well with buyers.

The feature list of the Onyx Edition sees only two major highlights within the cabin. The first is that you get climate control which is only available from the Ambition variant in the standard car. The other major highlight is the seven-inch touchscreen unit that Skoda introduced in its lower-spec models last year. The interface is absolutely basic both in terms of display quality and function.

In fact, it’s a system that encourages you to plug in your smart device and switch to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay for better usability. Unlike the higher-spec models, there are no USB-C ports and you only get one USB-A port and a 12V socket.

Skoda has not skimped on safety and all the way up to the Ambition variant you get dual front airbags, three-point seat belts, a stability programme, an electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping and rollover protection. Both the Skoda Kushaq and its sibling, the Volkswagen Taigun have scored five stars in adult and child occupant protection in GNCAP tests conducted in October of last year.

The Skoda Kushaq Onyx Edition is only offered with the 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. This engine produces 114bhp/178Nm and is now BS6 Phase 2-compliant and also meets the new RDE norms. It would have been nice to have a higher spec version of the Onyx Edition with the 1.5 TSI engine or even an automatic for the 1.0-litre but both would have significantly hiked the price of the car even with this special edition.

Skoda’s move to get a special edition in the entry-level part of the market is quite a departure from not just its usual plans but also among its rivals. Most of the special edition cars that have come out have been top-spec fully loaded models commanding well over a lakh in terms of price over the variant they are based on. Skoda’s move to capture the entry-level buyer should work to their advantage at least in the first mover phase.

The Skoda Kushaq Onyx Edition is priced at Rs 12.39 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s available as a new variant between the Active and Ambition Classic with a price difference of Rs 80,000 and Rs 38,000 respectively. It rivals the likes of entry-level models of the Kia Seltos, MG Astor and Honda City.

Photography: Kaustubh Gandhi