The Kushaq is Skoda’s latest addition in its Indian portfolio, with prices starting at ₹10.5 lakh and going up to ₹17.6 lakh (ex-showroom). When Skoda revealed the prices of the Kushaq, some potential customers weren’t that pleased with the pricing and some even took their grievances to Twitter, also suggesting a few remedies in the process. It didn’t take long for Zac Hollis, Director of Sales, Service, and Marketing of Skoda India to address the queries.
More details
In a series of tweets, Skoda India’s bossman tried to explain the reasons why the Kushaq is costlier than its rivals. Here’s how it all went down!
Kushaq’s pricing left a lot of customers dissatisfied. Some even questioned it out in the open (on Twitter). A customer asked why locally assembled Kushaq is priced above ₹10 lakh mark, adding to this he also mentioned the taxes which have to be paid for a car above the ₹10 lakh mark. With this, he also suggested lowering the price by ₹50 thousand and notice the increase in sales. To this, Zac Hollis replied that Kushaq cannot be priced below ₹10 lakh mark as the base variant of the Kushaq comes loaded with a lot more features as compared to the other cars in this segment.
Adding to this, the engine offered is also advanced as Kushaq’s powertrains utilize TSI technology where the competitors have MPI technology. Adding to his previous tweet, Hollis also mentioned a drawback for a car that is priced under ₹10 lakh which is long waiting periods and customer dissatisfaction. This stands true if we consider the current scenario because all the popular models under ₹10 lakh mark command a waiting period.
Pricing
Various potential customers asked about the pricing strategy, whether it will be changed or not. To this Hollis replied with a direct statement that the pricing will not be changed anytime soon as the car is just launched. And the response is according to the company’s analysis.
With pricing, people also had safety concerns. Usually, it is the top-end variant that is loaded with premium and safety equipment, but the top variant of Kushaq which is the Style, comes with only 2 airbags whereas it should have at least 6 airbags. To this Hollis replied that this feedback is taken into consideration and has been discussed with the board.
Kushaq’s base variant Active comes loaded with features such as a touchscreen infotainment system which Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a multi-function steering wheel, multi-information display. As far as safety is concerned, it comes with 2 airbags, rear parking sensors, Roll Over Protection, dual airbags, Stability Control and an Anti-lock braking system as standard.