Car review: The Kushaq looks to become lord of small SUVs in India

For those who want to get into sportier driving, the high-end variants come with paddle-shifters for quicker shifting of gears

Ever since Skoda entered India sometime around 2001, it has built a reputation for itself with strong, high-quality cars that have stood out for their distinctly European design and competent, refined diesel engines.

One of its smaller launches, the Fabia hatchback lived up to all those qualities and found strong interest in the metros. However, after it was withdrawn from the country, Skoda has more or less sustained itself on sales derived largely from the Laura and Octavia, and to some extent the Superb.

With the Kushaq, which means “emperor” in Sanskrit, the company is making a bold return to