NEW DELHI: The current Skoda Kushaq offers an eight-speed torque-converter automatic with its 1.0 TSI petrol engine and a seven-speed DSG with its 1.5 TSI petrol engine. A six-speed manual is also available with the smaller engine. The gearbox names therefore identify different powertrain choices, rather than successive equipment upgrades on the same engine.
| Powertrain | Transmission | Trims listed by Skoda |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 TSI | 6-speed manual | Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige |
| 1.0 TSI | 8-speed torque-converter automatic | Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige, Monte Carlo |
| 1.5 TSI | 7-speed DSG | Sportline, Prestige, Monte Carlo |
Choose the powertrain before comparing trim names
The distinction is easiest to miss in Sportline and Prestige because both names appear beside multiple combinations. A quotation saying only Kushaq Sportline automatic leaves the engine unclear. Ask for the full engine and gearbox designation before comparing equipment, insurance or any other item on the quotation.
Monte Carlo illustrates another reason to read the table closely. Skoda lists it with the smaller engine's automatic and with the larger engine's DSG, but not in the manual group. A trim badge alone does not reveal which combination is underneath it. Keep the complete specification together when discussing the car with other household drivers.
The current retail-page grouping is the relevant reference for this check. Older advertisements or a remembered test drive may describe a previous combination. Ask the showroom to identify the model and transmission in the actual demonstration vehicle before treating its behaviour as representative of the version on your quotation.
What changed in the updated Kushaq
Skoda's January 2026 update introduced the eight-speed torque-converter automatic for the 1.0 TSI. The official release gives that engine 85 kW and 178 Nm, while the 1.5 TSI delivers 110 kW and 250 Nm. The larger engine is paired exclusively with the seven-speed DSG and uses Active Cylinder Technology.
Those published figures show that the automatic comparison changes both engine output and transmission. Counting ratios alone cannot establish which car will suit an individual commute. It is more useful to compare the complete combinations over the sort of route the car will cover, with the same driver and a similar passenger load where practical.
For a household moving from a manual car, ask for a demonstration of the controls before setting off. Include an ordinary parking manoeuvre and the low-speed conditions you expect to encounter. These are suggested evaluation tasks, rather than claims about the relative smoothness, durability or maintenance cost of either transmission.
Who the different combinations are for
The manual grouping is relevant to drivers who specifically want to operate the clutch and select gears themselves. The smaller-engine automatic gives access to that transmission across the full trim range listed on the current page. The DSG grouping narrows the equipment choices to Sportline, Prestige and Monte Carlo.
That makes the table a useful filter for a shared family car. Establish whether an automatic is required, then identify which engine combinations remain. Only after that should the household compare the equipment it wants. Otherwise, a discussion about upholstery or a sunroof can conceal a change in the underlying powertrain.
Our Kushaq Sportline 1.5 DSG report provides related price coverage. This guide maps the gearbox choices and does not present a fresh variant price list or infer a premium between combinations.
Check the rest of the mechanical specification
Keep demonstration notes for the smaller-engine automatic and larger-engine DSG on separate lines. Record the route, the people travelling and the controls that needed explanation. That makes the comparison more useful when another family member joins the discussion later. It also avoids attributing a difference to a gearbox when the demonstration changed the engine and equipment grade at the same time.
Skoda also states that the 1.5 TSI has disc brakes on all wheels. That detail belongs on the comparison sheet alongside the engine and gearbox, rather than being lost among cabin features. Ask for the specification sheet for the exact vehicle so that a feature shown elsewhere in the range is not silently carried across.
Readers considering other Skoda SUVs can use our Kylaq coverage and Kodiaq comparison as background. For the Kushaq, retain the full trim, engine and transmission description in the final order and delivery checklist. That is the clearest way to keep the car discussed, the car demonstrated and the car ordered aligned.
Official sources: current Kushaq powertrain and trim listing and Skoda's January 2026 technical update.
