Skoda India has pulled the covers off the much-awaited Skoda Kushaq facelift, marking its first product launch of 2026. The updated Kushaq arrives on the back of a stellar 2025 that turned out to be a record-breaking year in terms of sales for the brand in India.
The Skoda Kushaq facelift brings with it a sharper exterior design, a more feature-rich cabin, a newly added panoramic sunroof, and an expanded colour range. While the core strengths of the Kushaq remain intact, these updates are aimed at making the SUV feel more contemporary and premium. With this facelift, Skoda is clearly looking to build further momentum in the competitive mid-size SUV segment and set the tone for its 2026 lineup.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift – Exterior Design
The Skoda Kushaq facelift brings a noticeable refresh to its exterior while staying true to its familiar proportions. Up front, the SUV gets a revised fascia featuring slimmer LED projector headlamps paired with an updated DRL signature, giving it a sharper and more modern look. The signature Skoda grille has also been reworked and now incorporates subtle lighting elements, visually linking it with the headlamps to create a more cohesive, connected front end. Completing the update is a redesigned bumper with a new fog lamp housing and a revised skid plate that adds a touch of ruggedness.
In profile, the Skoda Kushaq facelift remains largely unchanged, retaining its clean and well-balanced silhouette. The rear continues with the same overall shape but introduces subtle new cuts and creases for added visual interest. The highlight here is the new connected LED tail-lamp setup, which now integrates Skoda lettering within the light cluster itself, doubling up as a distinctive brand signature.
Rounding off the updates are three new exterior colour options – Shimla Green, Steel Grey, and Cherry Red, along with existing options of Candy White, Carbon Steel, Brilliant Silver, Lava Blue, and Deep Black. The Skoda Kushaq facelift also debuts a fresh set of alloy wheels, with designs varying by variant and sizes ranging from 16-inch to 17-inch, adding a bit more flair to the overall stance.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift – Interior Design and Features
Inside, the Skoda Kushaq facelift takes a clear step forward with a more modern and premium cabin layout. The Kushaq retains both the touchscreen infotainment system and the fully digital instrument cluster measuring 10.1 and 10.25 inches respectively. The instrument cluster gets a refreshed UI with a cleaner, more contemporary speedometer design, improving both readability and visual appeal.
The cabin ambience has also been upgraded with a new beige and black interior colour scheme, lending the Kushaq a lighter and more upmarket feel. Adding to the sense of space is the newly introduced panoramic sunroof, a much-anticipated feature in this segment. On the comfort front, Skoda has raised the bar by offering rear massage seats, a segment-first feature—while popular features such as front ventilated seats have been carried over from the pre-facelift model.
Audio duties of the Skoda Kodiaq facelift are handled by a Skoda-branded sound system comprising six speakers and a subwoofer. Boot capacity stands at 491 litres, expandable up to 1,405 litres if required. Features such as Climatronic automatic climate control, electric sunroof, auto-dimming IRVM, rain-sensing wipers, rear wiper, rear defogger, and a comprehensive suite of over 25 safety features now come as standard. Together, these updates make the Skoda Kushaq facelift’s interior feel more modern, and aligned with customer expectations in the mid-size SUV space.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift – Powertrain options
Under the hood, the new Skoda Kushaq facelift continues with Skoda India’s petrol only approach. Powertrain options are carried over from the pre-facelift, 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, which produces 110hp of power and 178 Nm of torque, on the facelift however the engine is now paired with a brand new 8 speed torque converter automatic, which replaces the older 6 speed unit. The same engine is also available with a six-speed manual transmission.
The enthusiast favorite 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine is still on offer. This four-cylinder turbocharged unit delivers 150hp and 250 Nm of torque and features Skoda’s Active Cylinder Technology. It is mated exclusively to the seven-speed DSG gearbox and, with the Skoda Kushaq facelift this variant also benefits from disc brakes on all four wheels.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift – Safety Features
Safety continues to be a priority for Skoda even in the Skoda Kushaq facelift, with the SUV maintaining its five-star Global NCAP credentials. As standard across all variants, the Kushaq comes equipped with over 25 active and passive safety features, including six airbags, while higher variants further raise the bar with more than 40 safety features on offer.
Skoda Auto India has also focused on enhancing all-weather visibility and day-to-day safety. Features such as a rear wiper, rear defogger, automatic rain-sensing wipers, and an auto-dimming IRVM are now standard across the range.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift – Monte Carlo Edition
Alongside the standard variants, Skoda Auto India has also introduced the Kushaq Monte Carlo, an aesthetically sportier iteration of the SUV aimed at enthusiasts who prefer a more dynamic look. The Monte Carlo variant stands out with its blacked-out front grille and distinctive sporty alloy wheels, giving the Kushaq a more aggressive road presence.
Inside, the theme continues with an all-black cabin finished with red accents, adding a sense of performance-inspired flair. With these visual upgrades, the Kushaq Monte Carlo offers sporty alternative while retaining the same mechanical and feature-rich strengths of the standard model.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift – Market Positioning and Rivals
With its refreshed design, feature-rich and tech-forward interior, strong safety credentials, and proven turbo-petrol powertrains, the updated Kushaq is well positioned to take on established rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, and its platform sibling, the Volkswagen Taigun. Pre-bookings for the new Kushaq are now open on Skoda Auto India’s official website at ₹15,000, with deliveries scheduled to begin by the end of March 2026.