Five years. The Skoda Kushaq has been in the Indian market since 2021, and in a segment where a new model drops every four months, that is practically a lifetime. So when the facelift arrived on March 21, the real question was not whether it needed one. Obviously it did. The question was whether Skoda would actually listen to what buyers kept complaining about.
They did. Mostly.
Priced from ₹10.69 lakh to ₹18.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the 2026 Skoda Kushaq facelift went on sale with bookings open at ₹15,000 and a waiting period of roughly 4 to 8 weeks depending on your city and variant. Five trims: Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige, Monte Carlo. Two engines. Both petrol.
The Gearbox Is Perhaps the Most Important Update
Forget the new LED strip across the front for a moment. The real change here is under the bonnet or more accurately, behind it. Skoda has pulled the old 6-speed torque converter automatic off the 1.0L TSI and replaced it with a new 8-speed unit. The old one was genuinely mediocre. This one is smoother, especially at highway speeds where it holds gears better and does not hunt between ratios the way the previous unit did during overtakes.
There is a catch. In stop-start traffic, the 8-speed lunges forward from standstill more aggressively than you expect. It takes a few days to calibrate your foot to it. And since Skoda has held on to a manual handbrake on this car, there is no auto-hold. You will feel that absence on every slope, every signal, every parking ramp.
The 1.0 TSI makes 114 bhp and 178 Nm. Unchanged. The 1.5 TSI stays at 150 bhp and 250 Nm, DSG only, from ₹18.79 lakh. That one remains the driver's pick. ARAI mileage across the range: 18.72 to 19.66 kmpl. Expect 14 to 16 in the city.
Kushaq Facelift 2026 Features: Rear Seat Massager at This Price Is Not Normal
Inside is where buyers will spend most of their time noticing what changed. A 10.25-inch digital cockpit has replaced the old 8-inch display. The 10.1-inch infotainment now runs a built-in Google AI companion and supports wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. Front seats are ventilated and 6-way electrically adjustable. And the rear seat gets a massager.
Read that again. A rear seat massager. In a car priced under ₹13 lakh for most buyers.
Panoramic sunroof is now standard, not something you have to step up variants to access. Boot space is 385 litres to the parcel shelf, expanding to 491 litres to the roofline. The wheelbase is 2651 mm, which is longer than the Hyundai Creta's, and it shows in the back seat legroom in a way the spec sheet alone does not capture. Three new colour options: Shimla Green, Cherry Red, Steel Grey.
Skoda Kushaq Facelift Safety: 5-Star NCAP and a Warranty
The 5-star Global NCAP rating carries over. Six airbags come standard on every variant, not just mid or top trims. More than 25 active and passive safety features on base variants, over 40 on higher trims. Skoda has also bundled their Super Care package as standard, which includes a 4-year or 1 lakh km warranty, four years of roadside assistance, and four labour-free services. That last bit is a direct response to the ownership cost concerns that have followed Skoda in India for years.
Is it enough to buy? If a car that rides firm, steers with precision, feels planted past 100 kmph, and scores clean on a crash test is what you are looking for — yes. The Kushaq facelift does not try to be the most comfortable car in the segment. It never has been. But it remains one of the most confident to drive, and the 2026 update makes it harder to say no to at the right variant.