Skoda Auto India has revealed that it will now offer six airbags as standard across all trims of the Slavia and Kushaq models. The Czech brand locally constructs both models at its facility in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Previously, only the top-spec Style trims of the sedan and SUV used to feature six airbags, whereas other lower variants came with only dual front airbags. Now, even the base variants of the Skoda Kushaq and Slavia will feature six airbags. The auto giant has made no other changes to the models.
Notably, the Slavia and Kushaq have already secured a five-star safety rating in the Global NCAP crash test. Both models are some of the safest cars made in India. After the new addition, the prices of the MY 2024 Slavia and Kushaq have also increased compared to the MY 2023 models. As of now, the Skoda Kushaq comes at a price of INR 11.99 lakh and goes up to INR 19.79 lakh (ex-showroom), while the Slavia is priced between INR 11.63 lakh and INR 18.83 lakh (ex-showroom).
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The entry-level Active trims have now become more expensive by INR 10,000, and the mid-spec Ambition models have become dearer by INR 35,000, while costs for the top-spec Style trims remain the same. In terms of features, both Slavia and Kushaq models come equipped with an 8-inch digital dashboard with powered front seats, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an illuminated foot wall, a 6-speaker sound system, electronic stability control (ESC), wireless phone charging, a rear-view camera, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Commenting on the recent announcement, the Brand Director of Skoda Auto India, Petr Janeba, said, “Safety has always been intrinsic to the Skoda DNA. We were the first brand to score a full 5 stars for adults and children under the Global NCAP tests. Our emphasis on safety embodies our Human Touch approach and underscores our focus on being a family brand. We always offered frontal airbags in our base variants and six in our higher variants, each as safe as the other. As part of our MY24 updates, we now offer six airbags across all variants of the Kushaq and Slavia. We are always listening to our customers and shall continue to provide relevant upgrades and significant product actions within our product portfolio and our variant line-up.”
Powering the Skoda Kushaq and Slavia are two turbo petrol engines: a 4-cylinder 1.5-litre TSI and a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre TSI. The 1.5-litre TSI engine generates power of 148 bhp and peak torque of 250 Nm. On the other hand, the 1.0 TSI engine churns out 113 bhp of power and 178 Nm of torque. Both units are paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. As an option, the 1.0 TSI receives the 6-speed automatic torque converter unit, whereas the .5-litre TSI comes with a 7-speed DSG automatic.
