Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, which are currently dominating the mid-size SUV space, will have more rivals in coming months. Carmakers including Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, MG Motor (ZS), Tata Motors (Blackbird), Mahindra & Mahindra (XUV400), Skoda Auto (Kushaq) and Volkswagen (Taigun) have planned new products to tap the growing mid-size SUV segment. Recently, the upcoming Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun were caught testing together in Pune.
While Skoda’s new SUV will hit showrooms in March 2021, the new Volkswagen SUV is reported to arrive before this year’s festive season. Both models will be the brands’ first production cars to produce under India 2.0 Project and underpin the new, localised MQB A0 IN platform. While design and features of Kushaq and Taigun will be slightly different, both SUVs will be made available with the 1.0L, 3-cylinder TSI petrol and 1.5L, 4-cylinder TSI petrol engines.
While the smaller capacity gasoline motor pushes out a peak power of 120PS, the bigger one offers power worth 150PS. A 6-speed manual gearbox will be standard across the model lineup. The 1.0L petrol will be exclusively offered with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, while a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission will be reserved for the 1.5L TSI motor.
The upcoming Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun will be packed with features such as a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system that might get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The list will also include 4-speakers audio system, a 7.0-inch HUD (head unit display), dual zone climate control, connected car technology, and more.
Both SUVs have a wheelbase of 2651mm, which is 41mm longer than the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos (2610mm). That means, the upcoming Skoda and Volkswagen SUVs will have more cabin space to offer. In fact, the ground clearance of Kushaq and Taigun (205mm) is longer than its arch rivals. The Creta and Seltos have a ground clearance of 190mm.
Spy Pictures’ Source
