Buckle up. Wear your helmet. Drive safely. How often have you heard us talk about it across our channels? Besides, even consumers are taking an active interest in this topic. Many new car buyers want a crash test result and well, this is making manufacturers go the extra mile to provide a car that will protect the family of the consumers when on the go. Skoda Auto India stepped up the game in the compact SUV segment when it launched the Skoda Kushaq in the country and now, it has a big ace up its sleeve because it has been awarded a 5-star safety rating by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP).
The Made-in-India Kushaq is the first car in India to receive a 5-star rating in both adult and child safety, receiving 29.64 points out of a possible 34.00 for adult occupancy and 42 points out of a possible 49 for child safety. The MQB-A0-IN platform, which was developed specifically for India for the world forms the core of the Kushaq’s crashworthiness. The Kushaq’s array of active and passive safety features, and no-compromise, crash-absorbent engineering together contributed to these topline ratings. Furthermore, the Skoda Kushaq was tested using Global NCAP's updated crash test protocols, which are comparable to the high standards set by EURO NCAP.
With it, Global NCAP added new protocols for evaluating car safety such as frontal and side impact protection Electronic Stability Control (ESC), pedestrian protection, and side impact pole protection. Furthermore, the car was tested at 64 kmph for the frontal offset barrier test, and 50 kmph for the side barrier test. The pedestrian child head-form to bonnet test was performed at 40 kmph, while the pole side impact test was performed at 29 kmph. Now, these tests were enough for Skoda Kushaq to bag a perfect score, however, Global NCAP offers extra credits to cars that go the extra mile in securing it even further. Consequently, the Skoda Kushaq got these credits due to the fact that it is equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Pedestrian Protection, a side head protection system, and Seat Belt Reminders, as standard across variants.
Petr Šolc, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India.
Commenting on the Kushaq’s accomplishment, Petr Šolc, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “At ŠKODA, safety is not just a feature. It is an essential part of our brand DNA. Today, I am extremely proud to share that the KUSHAQ has received a 5-star safety rating by Global NCAP for both adult and child occupants, making it the first car made in India to do so. It is a proud moment for all of us at ŠKODA to have India’s safest family car leading our growth story in India. The KUSHAQ, along with the SLAVIA, drives the success of ŠKODA’s INDIA 2.0 project. In a very short time, it has created a space for itself among SUV enthusiasts across the country. The intelligent, Simply Clever solutions and advanced safety features have been appreciated by experts as well as our valuable customers.”
The Skoda Kushaq provides excellent levels of protection for the driver and passengers with its comprehensive range of active and passive safety features and numerous convenient assistance systems, with high levels of driving safety always ensured by the ESC system, which is a standard feature in all variants.
However, Skoda's commitment to providing the best protection does not stop there, as the company offers best-in-class safety features not only to adult occupants but also to children. The Skoda Kushaq comes standard with ISOFIX and top-tether anchor points for child seats in the rear seats. These seats are specifically designed for newborns to four-year-olds and are simple to install. The seats come with metal jaws that attach to ISOFIX points in your vehicle, but how to install them? Well, you open the jaws, align them with the ISOFIX points, and push them together to hear a click as the jaws close and lock onto the anchor points. Simply Clever! It can also be easily removed by pushing a couple of buttons to release the seat.
In addition to these features, the Skoda Kushaq includes standard Roll-over Protection, Hill Hold Control, Electronic Stability Control with ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Electronic Differential Lock System, Brake Disc Wiping, and Rear Parking Sensors with a camera. All these work in tandem to offer the highest level of protection for the occupants inside the Skoda Kushaq. Not to mention the body's impact-absorbing components and Side Impact Protection Beams in the doors.
The company's commitment to the Indian market is not limited to cars, as it has invested approximately 275 million euros in the research and development of new SUVs. Most of the investment is focused on achieving the desired level of localisation in development and manufacturing in India of 95 per cent. Much of the development is done at the new technology centre in Pune that was set up in January 2019. A total of 250 engineers work in the Pune technology centre, as the company intends to strengthen its long-term presence in the Indian market, with a no-compromise approach to safety.
