Ludhiana / Chandigarh, March 27, 2023 (News Team): After revolutionising customer ownership and satisfaction with an effective warranty of 8-years or 150,000 kms, ŠKODA AUTO India announces the launch of the KUSHAQ ONYX Edition. The ONYX edition has been introduced based on customer feedback, with an aim to provide even greater satisfaction and high value to customers.
Petr Šolc, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India, said,“The KUSHAQ was the first launch under the INDIA 2.0 project, and is instrumental in our growth ambitions in India. Keeping our product range fresh and contemporary, in line with evolving customer trends and preferences, plays a pivotal role in our path towards Accelerated Growth for 2023 and onwards. And the new KUSHAQ ONYX Edition is a step in that direction. We have introduced some features that were previously only available in the highest variant of India’s safest car, providing even higher value and a wider choice to our customers and fans.”
The ONYX Edition slots between the current Active and Ambition variants of ŠKODA’s best-selling SUV. In the exteriors, the KUSHAQ ONYX Edition gets ŠKODA crystalline LED headlamps with daytime running lights, which was earlier available only in the Ambition and above. Another feature much asked for was for a wiper and defogger for the rear, which the ONYX gets. Besides, this version of the KUSHAQ also gets front foglamps with static cornering function and ONYX Ultramodern side foils. The steel wheels also get all-new Tecton wheel covers, and the B-pillar of the SUV has an ‘ONYX’ badge on it.
The additions carry over to the interiors as well, as the ONYX Edition gets the ŠKODAtouch control Climatronic with auto A/C and Air Care function, a feature only available in the Ambition and above. Moreover, the scuff plate gets an ONYX Inscription, along with the new ONYX Design Perforated Leatherette seats with fabric inserts. Customers of the car will also get ONYX-inscribed textile mats and memory foam cushions as standard.
The ONYX Special Edition is exclusively available with ŠKODA AUTO India’s proven 1.0 TSI turbo-charged 3-cylinder petrol engine. It develops 85 kW of power and 178 Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The Global New Car Assessment Programme crash tested the KUSHAQ under its newer and stricter protocols in October 2022. The SUV scored 29.64 points out of 34 for adult occupant safety and 42 out of a possible 49 points for child safety. Five months on, the ŠKODA KUSHAQ still tops the charts for crash safety among made-in-India cars.
The KUSHAQ sits on the MQB-A0-IN platform that was specifically developed for India by teams in India and the Czech Republic. It was designed with a focus on high localisation – 95% -- and low cost of ownership – starting at Rs 0.46 per kilometre. The KUSHAQ was introduced in July 2021 and ŠKODA’s second product on this platform – the SLAVIA sedan – debuted in March 2022.
ŠKODA AUTO India registered 2022 as its Biggest Year in terms of sales with 53,721 units sold and an annual growth of 125%.