2024 Skoda Kushaq Monte Carlo Review | Motorsport-inspired Czech Crossover

The built-in-India crossover comes with an attractive resume and a name that pays homage to the Czech automaker’s racing heritage

With traditional brands like Honda and Toyota pricing themselves out of the affordable segments, and the new wave of Chinese vehicles yet to prove their reliability and residual quotients, it seems like outlier European brands like Peugeot, Renault and Skoda could be good options for the price-conscious car buyer in the Middle East. With that in mind, we’re here with a review of the Czech automaker’s latest offering, the 2024 Skoda Kushaq Monte Carlo to see how it stacks up against the rest.

Name game: Nobility meets motorsport

The Kushaq is a sub-compact crossover SUV originally designed for the Indian market and is also built in India, making it an Eurasian of sorts. It was in the sub-continent that most of the testing – through deserts, mountains ranges and roads muddied by monsoon rains – was carried out. The name Kushaq, is derived from the Sanskrit word which translates to “the king or emperor” and so, you can imagine, it’s been conceived to dominate the market. How does Skoda plan on doing that? Competitive pricing is one of its strategies! The Kushaq starts from a very reasonable AED 59,900 (including VAT) and even the top-dog Monte Carlo is priced at a very accessible AED 79,900. Expectedly, even the Monte Carlo designation has a story. This moniker has appeared on Škoda cars for 86 years and was introduced to celebrate the company’s motorsport heritage, which began with the maiden victory at the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally.

Change Gallery | Delete

Exterior: Crossover with charisma

The Kushaq measures a mere 4,221 mm, bumper to bumper. It’s also just 1,760 mm wide at the hips and stands at 1,612 mm, making it about the size of a Nissan Kicks. Yet it has a pronounced presence thanks to its bold lines and sharp edges. And the ‘Tornado Red’ paintjob our test car adorned is so rich and bright, it could give a Ferrari a complex. The exterior is all about trapezoids as seen in the split headlamps (with Crystalline LED lamps with DRLs) and the wide signature grille (with vertical ribs). It even has plastic wheel arches to give it some off-road vibes. And tail lamps use the split format as well. The Monte Carlo variant features exclusive style tweaks including new 17-inch dual-tone Vega alloy wheels with silver callipers, and ‘Monte Carlo’ badging on the side fender garnishes and scuff plates help distinguish it further. It also comes with a radiator grille, front and rear diffusers, door mirror casings in a glossy black finish, and black roof rails. The Monte Carlo may be built to a budget, but it’s sure been endowed with a charismatic outlook that will appeal to both, the young and the mature buyer, in the Middle East.

Interior: Bold design that prioritizes utility

Like the exterior, the Monte Carlo comes with a highly stylized interior. It has a bold 2-tone design rendered by a mix of black plastics and shiny “Ruby” red plastic trims seen across the dashboard, the centre console and door panels. It manages to be loud without being vulgar and some of the plastics are hard but of good quality. Even the seats are upholstered with a combination of perforated black and textured red leatherette, continuing that 2-tone theme. It also comes with ‘Monte Carlo’ inscribed head restraints, a new red-themed Virtual Cockpit (instrumentation) and sporty aluminium pedals.

Change Gallery | Delete

The stylish leather-wrapped steering wheel has a rare 2-spoke design, something only seen in cars like the Merc S-Class and BMW 7-series. The cabin centres around a free-standing, sizable 8.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with neat animations and legible fonts. Nothing to complain about here! It’s also got a physical volume and tuner knobs which ups tactility, but the unmarked, non-functional buttons aren’t something I’m a fan of.

Despite being compact, there is plenty of space in the rear for 2 large adults, more so than some mid-size sedans. But 3 is a squeeze. It also has a acceptable luggage capacity of 385 litres – good for a suitcase and a couple of bags – expandable up to 1405 litres with the rear seats folded. The 6.1-litre glove compartment and a 2.2-litre central cubby is a good place to rest your knick-knacks, while numerous ‘Simply Clever’ solutions, like a non-slip cup holder and bag hooks in the boot add a dose of practicality. As for cabin comfort, the A/C did struggle to cool with three onboard, on days I had it parked under the sun and the touch controls are finicky, but you’ll appreciate that it has rear vents and front seat cooling function. It does come with a decent 6-speaker sound system though, to help you enjoy a musical ‘me time’ on the go, and a wireless charger with USB-C ports (2 up front and 2 behind).

The Kushaq comes equipped with everything to give you a sense of safety, like six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system, park distance control, Hill Hold Control, and a rearview camera. It’s also got ISOFIX for child seats and the reassuring 5-star Global NCAP safety rating indicates that the crash test dummies came out fine.

Change Gallery | Delete

Drivetrain & drive: Turbo power & predictable road manners

The one engine option is a forced induction motor – keeping with industry trends. Under the hood is a 1.0-litre TSI engine that develops a decent114 hp and 178 Nm. The torque is multiplied using a quick-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission and transferred to the road using a lightweight front-wheel drive configuration.

To start the engine, one must press the start/stop button curiously located not on the dash, but where the key goes – a cost-saving idea perhaps. As you roll onto city roads of Dubai, you’ll really appreciate it for its compact size as it manages to slither through traffic and navigate parking lots with ease. But when you lean into the gas pedal, in order to merge with the highway traffic or overtake, you’ll feel a slight lag in the power delivery, which is especially evident with more people on board. But once the revs climb, power manifests accompanied by some torque steer. The best way to counter this lag is to keep the pot boiling by using the genuinely quick-shifting paddle shifters. This makes it fun to drive too. On the move, the Kushaq stays planted on the highway, grips reasonably well through corners and provides ample braking power, although they were a touch grabby at times. The 2,651 mm wheelbase, which is among the longest in the segment, ensures a complaint, while the 188 mm of ground clearance allows one to get across ‘kaccha’ (makeshift) parking patches without fear of scrapping bottoms.

The claimed fuel economy figure of 16.8 km/L is very optimistic, as the number observed was far off. But we believe it may correct itself after a proper run-in period. If you take the 50-litre tank (including 7-litre reserve) into consideration, the estimated range is around 600 km.

Change Gallery | Delete

Verdict: A compelling crossover, not without chinks

In a crowded segment of competent sub-compact crossovers, the 2024 Skoda Kushaq proves itself to be a compelling product. It has a distinctive visual identity to help you be seen even in a city like Dubai. It has ample space to accommodate 4 adults and their belongings, and is technologically equipped to hang with the segment’s best. When fully loaded, it does struggle briefly for power at lower revs but makes up as the tacho’ needle climbs, and the A/C does struggle on the hottest days. But overall, it’s a good ‘daily driver’ which deserves a test drive at the very least, and if you don’t have an affinity for special editions, the mid-option Ambition variant may also be worth considering.

Rivals

Alternatives to the Kushaq in the Middle East markets include the Toyota Urban Cruiser, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta and Kia Sonnet. The JAC SJ4 and Geely Coolray are not to be discounted either.