Chandigarh, April 13, 2023: – Right after becoming India's only car manufacturer with an entire fleet of 5-star safe crash tested cars, Škoda Auto India continues with its product offensive strategy through 2023. The Škoda Slavia sedan has completed one successful year since introduction to India and later to other parts of the world. To mark the occasion, the company has introduced an all-new Anniversary Edition of the Slavia sedan – the car that scored the highest points in the latest Global NCAP crash tests. Sitting with the Slavia at the top of the safety charts is the Kushaq SUV, a car that first achieved the feat of scoring 5-stars for both adult and child occupants in India. The SUV now gets a newer version called the Kushaq Edition. With the new additions, the Škoda range now caters to a wider set of customers with more offerings at multiple price points.
Petr Šolc, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India, said, "We continue with our product offensive strategy with all new editions of the Kushaq and Slavia, which are instrumental in our growth ambitions in India. Since their introduction, both of our INDIA 2.0 cars have set new benchmarks in safety, and we are leading the class when it comes to safety in India. Together with our no - compromise safety strategy, the cars stand out for their driving dynamics and design. Keeping our product range fresh and contemporary, in line with customer preferences, plays a pivotal role in our path towards growing the Škoda brand in 2023 and onwards. And these new product actions on the Kushaq and Slavia are a step in that direction, providing further value and choice to our customers and fans. We will be bringing new special editions and product refreshments to the market on a regular basis and continue with our growth momentum."
The Lava Blue shade is Škoda's extremely popular option long available with the Octavia and Superb sedans and the Kodiaq 4x4. This will be the first time that Škoda's India 2.0 cars get this signature shade. The Slavia Anniversary Edition sits above the top-of-the-line Style variant and is equipped with all of the Style's comfort and safety features with added embellishments. The Kushaq Edition sits between the Kushaq Style and Monte Carlo variants. Both the cars get mudflaps in the front and rear and the front grille ribs get a chrome finish. There is a chrome garnish along the lower part of the doors, and on the trunk. The C-pillar in the Slavia gets a foil with 'Anniversary Edition' branding, while the Kushaq carries an 'Edition' plaquette at the B-pillar.
The trend continues inside where the Slavia gets an 'Anniversary Edition' scuff plate as customers open the doors to the interiors along with an Anniversary Edition badge on the steering wheel. The Anniversary edition is adorned with Alu pedals in the driver's footwell area. The dashboard is dominated by a 25.4 cm ŠKODA Infotainment system with ŠKODA Play Apps and Wireless SmartLink. The system is also bundled with a subwoofer and 380-watt audio system.
In case of the Kushaq, the scuff plate gets the 'KUSHAQ' inscription. Customers further get a themed, premium textile mats and cushion pillows in the cabin in both the SUV and the sedan. The Slavia gets an 'Anniversary Edition' inscription in the pillows, and the Kushaq's pillows adorn an 'Edition' inscription in them. The Kushaq Edition also features a puddle lamp in each of its doors that project a Škoda logo while illuminating the ground below. These editions of both cars are also compatible with the E20 ethanol fuel mix and complies with the upcoming RDE emission norms that further improve fuel efficiency by upto 5% in the Slavia and upto 7% in the Kushaq.
To further enhance exclusivity, this limited production run of the Kushaq and the Slavia will be exclusively powered by the 1.5-litre EVO-generation, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 110 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque. Customers will have a choice between a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DSG automatic to do transmission duties in their exclusive Škodas. The advanced 1.5 TSI turbo-charged petrol features segment-exclusive features like cylinder deactivation and plasma-coated cylinder liners. When not under full load, the 1.5 TSI EVO engine shuts down 2 of its 4 cylinders optimising running efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. The cylinder heads are plasma-coated that allow better dissipation and management of heat letting the engine operate at optimal temperature. All these further enhance the engine's efficiency and its capability to be frugal when it comes to fuel consumption.
The Kushaq was launched in July 2021, and the Slavia in March 2022. Both cars are powered by a 1.0 TSI and a more advanced 1.5 TSI engine catering to a set of niche, performance-oriented customers. Since the launch of the Kushaq and the Slavia, Škoda Auto India has been climbing peak after peak in India. The company registered record-breaking sales months, sales quarter and H1 culminating in 2022 being the manufacturer's Biggest Year for sales in India. In this time, the company increased its customer touchpoints to over 240 and fully digitalised all its showrooms. It also introduced a revolutionary Anytime Warranty package of 1-year/20,000kms that can be added to older Škodas and enables new owners to have an effective warranty of 8 years or 150,000kms, whichever earlier.
This duo of India's safest cars sit 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 and Slavia are now at the top of the safety charts in India and Škoda Auto has now become India's only manufacturer with a fleet full of cars that are crash-tested and rated 5-star safe for both adults and children.
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