Why I would buy it?

LooksFeature listDriving experience

Why I would avoid it?

Interior build quality, not upto earlier Skoda standards Rear seat space No diesel or hybrid option

What is it?

If you have a lengthy and impressive racing heritage then using it to promote your cars only seems logical and that’s what Skoda had done first with the Rapid Monte Carlo and now with the Kushaq Monte Carlo. Looking to build on the success of the Rapid Monte Carlo, the car was launched earlier this year and is a special edition of the Kushaq. It sports a host of cosmetic and feature updates both inside and outside and is now a new top-spec version of the SUV.

What’s different on the outside?

Up front, Skoda’s butterfly grille is painted in full black and this is something that Skoda usually only does for its very sporty models. In the profile, you can see black cladding and Monte Carlo badging sitting prominently above the front wheel arches.

One of the most crucial styling elements is wheel design which the Kushaq has picked up from RS245 Octavia and this combined with the coloured brake callipers really helps the car stand out. The biggest highlight of the exterior design is of course the paint scheme. The Kushaq has been treated to a red and black colour scheme specific to the Monte Carlo trim level.

What’s it like inside and what about features?

The cabin, in terms of elements and layout, remains unchanged from the standard vehicle but sports shades of red and black exclusive to this Monte Carlo trim level. The seats are dual-tone while the dashboard, centre console and door all get red inserts. Even the digital cluster and ambient lighting are all red affairs to match the Monte Carlo badge. Because it is unchanged from the standard car, you get the same in terms of headroom and legroom in the first row. The second row is reasonably spacious with enough room for two to sit in comfort. The seats are a little low on under-thigh support but otherwise offer decent levels of comfort.

Because the interior is unchanged in terms of touch and feel, the Kushaq’s cabin feels a segment down due to the plastic quality as well as the switches and buttons on the doors. On the feature list front, this Kushaq is based on the top-spec Style trim level. This means all the bells and whistles that Skoda offers with the car. The list is pretty extensive with features like climate control with rear AC vents, touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Connected car technology, ventilated front seats, steering mounted controls, and power mirrors, power windows, auto-dimming IRVM, connected car technology and 360-degree parking camera.

What’s it like to drive?

Skoda offers the Monte Carlo treatment with both the 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine and the 1.0-litre TSI engine. The former is the powerful one with an output of 148bhp/250Nm and mated to a seven-speed DSG. The smaller 1.0-litre TSI unit produces 114bhp/178Nm and can be had with a six-speed manual or a six-speed torque-converter automatic.

We had a chance to drive the 1.5-litre DSG version for our review and came away rather impressed with what it offered. The numbers are impressive and it certainly has the grunt. On the go, there’s lag below the 2000rpm mark but once past, the engine comes into its own with a linear delivery providing strong cruising ability. The DSG does its best work if you let it do its thing in the background and give the numbers that this engine offers; you are never short of grunt. If you need to up the pace, the engine does equally well and in the S model, the gearbox pushes all the way to the 6000rpm redline before shifting.

As is the case with most modern four-cylinder petrol powertrains, this engine and gearbox combination is right up there on the NVH scale with smooth and vibe-free idling. Even when you put the pedal to the metal to build up speed, it shifts seamlessly and makes all the right noises as you push closer to the red line. Skoda’s petrol cars have always been known as driver’s cars and this one certainly has kept that name going strongly.

In our tests, the Kushaq Monte Carlo did the 0-60kmkph sprint in 4.88 seconds while the 0-100kmph time was 9.68 seconds. Of this, the latter is indicative of the engine’s ability to rev quickly, smoothly and relentlessly. The steering weighs up nicely as go faster and is very direct in its response and this pretty much falls in line with Skoda’s fun-to-drive image. You get confidence-inspiring turn-ins and room to make course corrections if needed. The body roll is well controlled and the ride quality is on the firmer side but it’s pliant.

How does it compare and what’s the price?

As a product in the segment, the Skoda Kushaq is a rival for the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks, MG Astor and soon the Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. However, as a special edition vehicle, it is a direct rival for the Kia Seltos X Line and we have done a comparison story between both vehicles. At the time of writing this review, the Skoda Kushaq Monte Carlo range was priced from Rs 15.99 lakh to Rs 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom Navi Mumbai).

Photography: Kapil Angane