Skoda Auto India took the wraps off the much-awaited Kushaq and made its global debut after showcasing its concept version, Vision IN at the 2020 Auto Expo. After a series of teasers, we finally got to see, touch and sit inside the production version of this all-new SUV. The Kushaq has many firsts going for itself like it is Volkswagen Group’s first locally manufactured SUV in India and it is also the first vehicle to be rolled out under Volkswagen Group’s India 2.0 Project. There’s further good news for SUV fans as Skoda will start accepting booking orders for the Kushaq from June with the first batch to be delivered in July.

The German manufacturer also squashed rumours of it planning to exit the Indian market by emphasising that the group is investing one billion euros to strengthen its presence in the Indian subcontinent and aim to achieve a combined market share of five percent by 2025. Thomas Schäfer, Skoda Auto CEO, further confirmed this by saying, “With the world premiere of the Skoda Kushaq, we are launching our model campaign on the Indian market and are fulfilling the mandate Volkswagen Group tasked us with roughly two and a half years ago when we were asked to assume responsibility for the Indian market. I would like to thank Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited and his team for what they have achieved so far. We are now focusing on a smooth market launch and the successful start of our new model while setting the course for the next steps on the Indian subcontinent. I am convinced of the country’s great growth potential. And we will make the most of it for Skoda and Volkswagen.”

Volkswagen Group’s India Project 2.0 focus is on manufacturing vehicles tailor-made for India, but more importantly, giving utmost importance to high-level localisation of parts and sharing key components with other vehicles in the group. The testimony to this is the Kushaq that’s managed to achieve 95 percent localisation level. The other thing the VW Group paid a lot of attention to was creating a platform for India and which fulfils the diverse demands of our market as well as meet the latest, stricter safety and emission requirements.

While targeting high-volume segments, the VW Group has built a new India-spec modular MQB platform, the MQB-A0-IN, based on which two SUVs including the Kushaq and two notchbacks will be launched under both the Skoda and Volkswagen brand. Again, in order to achieve a high level of localisation in India, Skoda has set up a new MQB production line at its Chakan plant near Pune.

One might ask, what’s in a name, but in Skoda’s case, it means quite a lot as it continues to follow its K & Q nomenclature. The name of the new SUV is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kushak’, which means king or emperor.

Exterior design: The production version of the Kushaq has managed to retain quite a few of its design elements from its concept model. It showcases the typically solid and muscular design language of the Volkswagen family. The big butterfly shaped front grille with vertical slats in chrome finish and split L-shaped LED headlights with crystalline structures make the Kushaq stand out in the crowd. It sports quite a robust road presence thanks to the large air vents below the headlamps, the front bumper with a mesh finish and, of course, the skid plates in the front and rear. If that wasn’t enough to make a statement, the clean prominent lines on the bonnet and running across the shoulder line in the side and multiple creases in the rear give the Kushaq a no-nonsense image. The SUV will be available in three variants – Active, Ambition and Style – with the entry-level sporting 16-inch steel wheels while the mid-range gets 16-inch alloy wheels and top-of-the-range Style will boast two-tone 17-inch ones.

In terms of specifications, the Kushaq is 4,221 mm long, 1,760 mm wide and has a height of 1,612 mm with a ground clearance of 188 mm. Its wheelbase, on the other hand, is 2,651 mm in length, making it longer than mid-size SUV segment leader Hyundai Creta and the popular Kia Seltos. This ensures a spacious cabin for five passengers along with 385 litres of boot space.

Interiors: The Kushaq gets a multi-layered dashboard with black plastic on top then a metal band and finally a brown and a black layer. The centre of attraction is the 10-inch touchscreen and the mid and top variant comes with a touch control panel for climate control. The infotainment system gets internal memory storage, wireless Smartlink, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and My Skoda in-car connectivity app.

The Style trim is also equipped with some clever yet practical features like ventilated leather front seats, keyless entry, an electric sliding glass roof and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

Skoda has given a lot of importance to practicality; as a result, the Kushaq comes with numerous storage compartments in the cabin like a glove box, centre console, additional cubby holes to store bottles and other knick-knacks.

The Kushaq gets a brand new two-spoke steering wheel and the automatic versions come with paddle shifters. It also comes with chrome finish scroll controls and buttons for audio, phone and cruise control. What was a bit of a surprise was that it came with an analogue instrument cluster and not a digital one like its cousin, the Volkswagen Taigun.

All this sounds great, but how comfortable is the cabin? Well, with big supportive seats and decent under-thigh support, both the front and the rear passengers will feel pampered. A big bonus is that passengers over six feet in height will enjoy plenty of knee and legroom.

Engine: Unlike most of its competition in the mid-size SUV segment, the Kushaq will not offer a diesel engine option. It will be available in two engine options – 1-litre three-cylinder petrol with an output of 108 bhp mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox like the Skoda Rapid. The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol, on the other hand, churns out 145 bhp and will be available in either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Safety: The Kushaq comes fully loaded with safety features like electronic stability control, multi-collision brakes, six airbags including front side airbags, Hill-hold control, ISOFIX child seats and the list goes on. (MT)

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has attained a new milestone by crossing the 30-million-unit sales milestone in the domestic market.

The new benchmark was attained by the company over a course of 42 years, with the first 10 million unit sales taking 28 years and 2 months to achieve.

The 20 million unit sales took 7 years and 5 months, while the recent milestone took just 6 years and 4 months.

Interestingly, the entry-level hatchback Alto was the most preferred model in the country, with over 4.7 million units sold, followed by Wagon R with 3.4 million units and the sporty Swift with 3.2 million units.

The Brezza and Fronx SUVs also played an instrumental role in contributing to the sales milestone, being featured among the top 10 models sold in the country.

It was on 14^th December 1983, Maruti Suzuki India delivered its first model, the iconic Maruti 800, to its first customer.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “When I look at the length and breadth of India and think that 3 crore customers have placed their trust in Maruti Suzuki to realise their dream of mobility, it fills me with humility and gratitude. Yet, with car penetration at approximately 33 vehicles per 1,000 people, we know our journey is far from over. We will continue to make every possible effort to bring the joy of mobility to as many people as we can, while also be an asset to both the economy and the environment at the same time.”

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American electric vehicle maker Tesla has appointed Sharad Agarwal, former Chief Business Officer of Classic Legends, as its new business head, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The report further stated that Agarwal joined the EV maker a week ago and is tasked to drive sales for Tesla in India, which as per industry observers, has not performed as per the company’s expectations.

Agarwal, an automotive industry veteran, had begun his career with TVS Motor Co as Area Sales Manager in December 2002, before joining Mahindra First Choice Wheels as its Business Head for North and Eastern region in March 2007.

It was in January 2013, he moved to Audi India as the head of Sales, before taking over as the head of Lamborghini India in April 2016, where he spent almost 9 years, before joining Classic Legends.

During his tenure at Lamborghini, the Italian super luxury car maker saw its dealerships across India achieved a Return on Sales (RoS) of more than 10 percent, setting a new benchmark for the automotive business in the country. He also grew India’s ranking for the automaker as the third market globally in terms of PR visibility in 2021.

He also expanded Lamborghini India’s reach to over 60 cities, with sales volumes from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities contributing more than 25 percent of the total.

Tesla, which formally started deliveries in September 2025 with its first dealership in Mumbai and the second facility in Delhi, has till date delivered 114 vehicles, of the estimated 600-plus bookings.

File photo for representational purposes only.

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Mumbai-headquartered business conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its financial results for Q2 FY2026 with consolidated Revenue reaching INR 461 billion, marking a 22 percent YoY growth.

The consolidated Profit After Tax (PAT) stood at INR 36 billion, a 16 percent increase YoY. The company stated that, excluding specific one-time impacts, PAT growth was 28 percent YoY.

Mahindra’s Auto business reported sales of 262,000 vehicles, up 13 percent, which includes around 146,000 SUV sales. This translated to a revenue of INR 271 billion, up 25 percent YoY, while net profit came at INR 15 billion, up 8 percent YoY.

On the other hand, the farm sector reported its highest ever Q2 market share at 43 percent with sales of 123,000 units, up 32 percent YoY. The revenue came at INR 102 billion, up 25 percent, while consolidated net profit came at INR 11 billion, up 45 percent YoY.

Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “We are pleased with the strong execution and solid performance delivered across the group in Q2 FY2026. Auto and Farm sustained their leadership with consistent gains in market share and profitability. TechM is progressing well on its transformation journey. MMFSL achieved a 45 percent PAT growth and remains committed to quality growth and digital transformation. Our Growth Gems are steadily advancing towards their ambitious goals, reinforcing our long-term value creation potential.”

Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Strong performance of our Auto and Farm businesses continues in Q2 FY2026 reinforcing our leadership position, with a gain of 390 bps YoY in SUV revenue share, and 100 bps YoY in LCV (< 3.5T) market share. In Tractors, we gained 50 bps YoY to reach 43 percent market share. Our Auto Standalone PBIT margin (excl. e-SUV Contract Mfg.) improved by 80 bps to 10.3 percent and core Tractor PBIT margins improved by 190 bps to 20.6 percent.”

Amarjyoti Barua, Group Chief Financial Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra, “Our solid Q2 consolidated results reflects the strength of our diversified portfolio. We continue to deliver on our strategic priorities. We had strong cash generation in the first half, delivering over INR 100 billion of operating cash flow. We remain committed to sustainable growth and value creation.”

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Hyundai Motor India Limited has globally launched the all-new Hyundai Venue and Hyundai Venue N Line, revising its popular compact SUV with prices starting INR 789,900 (ex-showroom).

The new Venue SUV is built on Hyundai’s Global K1 enhanced Platform. It has dimensions of 3,995 mm (Length), 1,800 mm (Width), 1,665 mm (Height) and a 2,520 mm Wheelbase.

The vehicle introduces the Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) system, which NVIDIA accelerates. Technology includes Dual 62.5 cm (12.3-inch + 12.3-inch) curved panoramic displays and a 31.24 cm (12.3-inch) ccNC Navigation system. Up to 20 controllers are capable of Over-the-Air (OTA) vehicle updates.

Safety features include 6 airbags and Hyundai SmartSense ADAS Level 2 with 16 features. It is available with three powertrain options: Kappa 1.2-litre MPi petrol (5-speed manual transmission), Kappa 1.0-litre Turbo GDi petrol (6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT transmission) and U2 1.5-litre CRDi Diesel (6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission).

The N Line is available in two variants, N6 (MT/DCT) and N10 (DCT). It is powered by the Kappa 1.0-litre Turbo GDi petrol engine. This engine delivers 88.3 kW (120 PS) and 172 Nm of maximum torque. Transmission options are a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT. The vehicle includes paddle shifters, traction control modes and drive mode select. Technology features include the 31.24 cm (12.3-inch) ccNC Navigation system accelerated by NVIDIA, and up to 20 vehicle controllers capable of over-the-air (C-OTA) updates. For safety, the N Line is equipped with ADAS Level 2 with 21 features and over 70 advanced safety features. It features disc brakes on both the front and rear axles.

Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India Limited, discussed the company's deep commitment to the Indian market, confirming an investment of over INR 450 billion. He noted that the all-new Hyundai Venue is the first product from the new Pune manufacturing plant and the first of 26 products planned by 2030.

"At HMIL, our commitment to India runs deep. We have recently announced an investment of over INR 450 billion, reaffirming our long-term vision for this vibrant market. The all-new Hyundai Venue marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter and it is the first product to roll out from our state-of-the-art Pune manufacturing plant and the first among the 26 products we plan to introduce by 2030. The launch of the all-new Hyundai Venue and Hyundai Venue N Line represents a significant milestone in our journey of automotive excellence," said Kim.

Tarun Garg, Whole-Time Director & COO, Hyundai Motor India, highlighted the Venue's strong market presence, with over 700,000 units sold and a consistent top-three position among compact SUVs in India. He confirmed that the all-new Hyundai Venue will be manufactured exclusively in India for global markets, supporting the 'Make in India for the World' vision.

"Since its debut in 2019, the Hyundai Venue has been one of the most successful nameplates in our SUV lineup, with over 700,000 units sold and a consistent position among the top three compact SUVs in India. Venue has played a pivotal role in strengthening Hyundai's SUV leadership and shaping our identity as a progressive and customer-centric brand. Preferred by young, aspirational working professionals who seek performance, Hyundai Venue has become a symbol of dynamic urban mobility and spirited individuality. With the launch of the all-new Hyundai Venue and Venue N Line, we are taking this success story to the next level. The new Hyundai Venue embodies disruptive design, advanced technology, superior safety and exhilarating performance, setting new benchmarks in the compact SUV segment. It also marks a proud moment for Hyundai Motor India, as the all-new Hyundai Venue will now be exclusively manufactured in India for global markets a true testament to the 'Make in India for the World' vision and the growing role of HMIL in Hyundai Motor Company's global strategy," said Garg.

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