The midsize SUV market remains the most hotly contested battleground in the Indian automotive landscape, making sustained commercial success incredibly difficult to secure. Defying intense market competition, Skoda Auto India has officially achieved a defining corporate milestone: the Skoda Kushaq has crossed the historic 1,00,000-unit cumulative sales mark in the domestic market.
Launched on June 28, 2021, the vehicle surpassed this threshold at the end of May 2026, anchoring the Czech carmaker’s local presence while spawning a highly successful export operation that has shipped over 4,600 units to international markets.
Deconstructing the Numbers: A Five-Year Fiscal Rollercoaster
While the 1 lakh milestone is a massive win for Skoda’s India operations, a closer look at the annual fiscal numbers reveals a highly dynamic market lifecycle. The Kushaq enjoyed an explosive start, acting as the absolute volume driver for the company during its first two years on the market. In FY2022, the SUV racked up 21,427 units, commanding an astonishing 98.05% of Skoda India’s entire utility vehicle portfolio.
The vehicle reached its historic peak in FY2023, growing 18% year-on-year to post 25,300 units, which represented 94% of Skoda’s total SUV sales of 27,005 vehicles.
However, as newer competitors entered the midsize space, the Kushaq faced natural market saturation. Sales dipped slightly by 7.53% in FY2024 to 23,396 units, followed by a more noticeable 26% contraction in FY2025, wrapping up at 17,363 units. FY2026 recorded the vehicle’s lowest annual volume at 10,191 units, largely because savvy buyers chose to wait for a heavily rumored mid-lifecycle update.
This drop also coincided with a massive internal shift, as Skoda’s wildly successful sub-4-meter compact SUV, the Kylaq, launched in January 2025 and quickly absorbed over 80% of the brand’s total utility vehicle sales.
The Turnaround: The 2026 Facelift Ignites a Major Comeback
To regain its competitive edge against dominant segment leaders, Skoda introduced a thoroughly updated 2026 Kushaq Facelift in March of this year. Priced aggressively between ₹10.69 lakh and ₹18.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the refreshed SUV brought critical tech upgrades, bolder European styling, and segment-first luxury touchpoints like a rear-seat massager.
The consumer response to the facelift was immediate. Between March and May 2026, Skoda dispatched 5,468 units of the updated Kushaq to dealerships across the country. This represents a spectacular 135% year-on-year growth compared to the 2,324 units recorded during the exact same period in 2025.
Furthermore, the mechanical updates solved major powertrain pain points. While the highly praised 150 hp 1.5-litre TSI Evo turbo-petrol continues to pair exclusively with a lightning-fast 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic, the volume-driving 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder engine received an all-new, highly efficient 8-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, entirely replacing the older 6-speed unit to offer smoother urban drivability and a fuel efficiency rating up to 19.66 kmpl.
Skoda Kushaq Comprehensive Fiscal Sales Matrix
The table below provides a detailed look at the Kushaq’s sales trajectory, tracking domestic volumes, percentage shifts, and key milestones from launch up to the current June 2026 tracking window.
| Tracking Fiscal Year | Domestic Wholesales | Year-on-Year (YoY) Shift | Portfolio SUV Share | Key Mechanical & Strategic Milestones |
| FY 2022 | 21,427 Units | Baseline Launch | 98.05% | Debuted MQB-A0-IN platform with 1.0L and 1.5L TSI options |
| FY 2023 | 25,300 Units | ▲ 18.00% | 94.00% | Peak volume year; achieved a 5-star adult safety rating from Global NCAP |
| FY 2024 | 23,396 Units | ▼ 7.53% | 92.53% | Introduction of specialized Monte Carlo and Elegance luxury trims |
| FY 2025 | 17,363 Units | ▼ 26.00% | 45.00% | Market pressure increases; launch of the entry-level Kylaq SUV sibling |
| FY 2026 | 10,191 Units | ▼ 41.00% | 17.00% | March 2026 Facelift Debuts; switches to an advanced 8-speed AT |
| FY 2027 (Apr-May) | 3,161 Units | ▲ 121.00% | 24.50% | Surpasses 1 Lakh Domestic Sales Milestone; exports hit 4,632 units |
| Cumulative Total | 1,00,838 Units | Historical Marker | Corporate Core | Total exports combined push global production past 1,05,470 units |
Strategic Market Takeaway
Crossing the 1 lakh sales mark validates Skoda’s localized “India 2.0” product blueprint. By tailoring a premium European architecture to Indian driving conditions and achieving up to 95% component localization, Skoda has proven that car buyers are willing to pay a slight premium for exceptional driving dynamics and top-tier build quality.
With the recent 2026 facelift fueling a massive 121% surge in early FY2027 sales, the Kushaq has successfully secured its long-term future, serving as the premium bridge in Skoda’s expanding vehicle lineup.
To see how this localized manufacturing strategy transformed the brand’s long-term operations, check out Skoda in India: The Journey of 100,000 Sales, which highlights the development of the MQB-A0-IN platform and the key design choices that helped the Czech brand build its massive local footprint.
