From the entry of Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella to VinFast VF6 and VF7 getting 5-stars, these are the 5 big news of this week.

From the entry of Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella to VinFast VF6 and VF7 getting 5-stars, these are the 5 big news of this week.

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Auto News Weekly Wrap Up: This week, many new updates have been seen in the Indian automobile sector, which caught the attention of car buyers and auto enthusiasts. Toyota introduced its first electric car Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella, which is a big step in the company's entry into electric mobility. Along with this, 2026 Skoda Kushaq Facelift entered, in which new design, additional features and premium touches have been given.

In terms of safety, Tata Punch Facelift, Vinfast VF6 and VF7 achieved 5 star rating in Bharat NCAP crash test. Mahindra introduced the Thar Roxx Star Edition, which comes as a stylish and special edition. These news are related to the increasing importance of electric vehicles, facelift models and safety standards in the Indian market. Come, let us know about these updates one by one.

Entry of Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella

Toyota has introduced its first battery electric car Urban Cruiser Ebella, which is based on the e-Vitara platform. There are two battery options in it. With the small battery, you get 142 hp power and with the big battery, you get 172 hp, which is capable of giving a range of up to 543 km. It is going to be launched soon with 9 color options, LED lighting, 18-inch alloy wheels and premium features.

2026 Skoda Kushaq Facelift Unveiled

The 2026 facelift version of Skoda Kushaq was also introduced this week, which has a modern solid design, sharper lines, new LED lights and updated bumpers. Features like massage seats, large digital display and panoramic sunroof have been added to the interior. This SUV will be launched in March 2026, which will further strengthen the premium compact SUV segment.

Mahindra Thar Roxx Star Edition launched

Mahindra has launched the special Star Edition of Thar Roxx, the starting price of which is ₹ 16.85 lakh. It has a gloss black grille, 19-inch black alloy wheels, piano black elements and all-black interior. This gives a stylish look to the off-road SUV.

Tata Punch Facelift gets 5-stars

Tata Punch facelift has achieved 5 star rating in both adult and child protection in Bharat NCAP crash test. This is a testament to Tata's strong build quality and safety features, making it the top choice in the sub-4 meter SUV segment.

VinFast VF6 and VF7 turned out to be safe

Both VF6 and VF7 EVs from VinFast have achieved 5 star safety rating in Bharat NCAP. VF6 scored 27.13/32 in Adult and high in Child, while VF7 scored 28.54/32 points. This shows VinFast's focus on safety in the Indian market. In this way, this week was quite happening for the auto industry.

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How much has Skoda Kushaq Facelift changed from before? Know the difference from design to features

How much has Skoda Kushaq Facelift changed from before? Know the difference from design to features

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Skoda Kushaq is considered a strong option in the compact SUV segment. The company has recently launched this SUV in facelift avatar to maintain its better position in the market. This facelift mainly focuses on changes in design, features and cabin. At the same time, the company has not made any mechanical changes in it and the platform is also the same. Let us know how different it is compared to its older model in terms of design, interior, features, safety, engine and mileage.

Talking about the design, the old Kushaq had a butterfly grille and separate LED taillights, which looked classic but a bit dated. The front grille looks more upright and wider in the new 2026 model, with illuminated light bands along with chrome ribs. The new LED headlights are sharper and more modern with segmented DRLs. There are connected LED taillights at the rear, which give the SUV a wide and premium look. Overall, the new model looks more aggressive and attractive, whereas the old one was fine for its time.

Interior and Features

There is not much difference in the cabin of both, but the color schemes in the new model are refreshed and give a more premium feel. The old one had an analog-digital cluster, while the new one has a fully digital instrument cluster. The panoramic sunroof is now bigger. A first-in-segment rear seat massage function has been added to the high-end variants (Prestige and Monte Carlo). The new one has auto-dimming IRVM, better material quality and modern touch.

Talking about the features, the new Kushaq has updates like 10.1-inch larger touchscreen, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, better AC (Variable Geometry Compressor). Some of these features were missing in the old model or were limited to only the top variants. Connected car tech and more comfort features have been added in the new one. The company now offers sunroof from its base variant only.

safety detail

Skoda vehicles are known for safety. Both the vehicles have 5-star Global NCAP rating. It has been provided with safety features like 6 airbags, ESC and TPMS as standard. These have front parking sensors and better safety aids, but advanced features like ADAS Level-2 have not been provided yet. In this way, it is a perfect SUV in terms of safety.

Engine and Mileage

Engine options remain the same. This includes 1.0L TSI (115 PS) and 1.5L TSI (150 PS) turbo petrol. In the facelift avatar, 1.0L comes with 8-speed automatic gearbox option, the old one had 6-speed. This will now give better performance and smoothness. DSG option remains intact with 1.5L. The engine may have slightly better refinement and efficiency than the old one. However, this will be known only after driving.

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Skoda brings SUV to compete with Creta, Seltos and Grand Vitara!

Skoda brings SUV to compete with Creta, Seltos and Grand Vitara!

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Skoda Kushaq Facelift Has entered the Indian auto market today i.e. on 20 January 2026. This compact SUV has now become more premium, feature-rich and attractive. Pre-booking has started and the price announcement will be made in March 2026. Come, let us know what has been changed in it after the facelift.

There has been a big change in its exterior. The new bold front grille comes with sporty red stripes and illuminated light bands. The front profile looks sharp and confident with all-new LED headlights, redesigned bumper and fog lamps. At the rear there are connected LED taillights, illuminated Skoda logo and new alloy wheels. New colors like Cherry Red, Shimla Green, Steel Gray are included. The overall look is more modern and premium.

Interior and Features

The cabin layout remains the same, but now feels more luxurious. A new 10.25-inch digital driver display (virtual cockpit), 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, dual-color ambient lighting and panoramic sunroof are part of the feature list. Boot space is now 491 litres, which is 106 liters more than before.

Some variants also have segment-first features like rear massage seats. The feature list includes electric sunroof, 360-degree camera, park assist, Google AI Assistant, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming IRVM etc. It is still kept away from ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).

safety detail

There has been no compromise on safety in the new Skoda Kushaq either. 6 airbags are standard in it. Features like ABS with EBD, ESC, traction control, electronic differential lock, hill-hold assist, ISOFIX, rear disc brakes (in 1.5 TSI) and all-4 disc brakes also enhance safety. Because of this, the 5-star Global NCAP rating will remain intact as before.

Engine and Mileage

There has been no powertrain update. It will get the same 1.0-litre TSI engine as before, which gives 115 PS power and 178 Nm torque. There will also be a 6-speed manual or the new 8-speed torque converter AT to choose from. As another option, you can choose 1.5-liter TSI, which is capable of producing 150 PS power and 250 Nm torque. It can be bought in Active Cylinder Technology and 7-speed DSG AT option.

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New Skoda Kushaq coming to compete with Hyundai Creta, first teaser revealed

New Skoda Kushaq coming to compete with Hyundai Creta, first teaser revealed

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Last Updated:

Skoda India will launch the new Kushaq Facelift next week, which will compete with Hyundai Creta and Maruti Grand Vitara with ADAS features, panoramic sunroof and updated engine.

Skoda India is preparing to launch the Kushaq Facelift next week. This is the first major update of this compact SUV launched in 2021, which was introduced under the India 2.0 initiative of Skoda Volkswagen Group. Amid tough competition from new rivals like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the fast-growing C-segment, the new Kushaq will try to come back into the limelight with some significant changes.

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Recently, the Czech brand released a teaser on social media, in which the SUV was shown in green camouflage. The styling changes seem to be minor, but the spy shots suggest that major changes may be made to retain the iconic design. At the front, a large butterfly grille can be seen along with new headlamps and bumper, which will have thin LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs). At the rear, slimmer taillamps may be joined together, along with new 17-inch matte black alloy wheels that will add a sporty look.

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Changes to the interior could be made to improve the appeal of the Kushaq compared to its new rivals. It may include a panoramic sunroof, digital instrument cluster and a large touchscreen infotainment system, which will have sharp graphics.

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Mechanically, the 1.5-litre TSI petrol variants may get rear disc brakes for better handling. Top-spec models with 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre engines can get Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. However, it is likely that the 1.5-litre TSI engine will come only with DSG and will not get a six-speed manual transmission.

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The 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine produces 115 hp power and 178 Nm torque. At the same time, the bigger 1.5-litre four-cylinder TSI engine delivers 150 hp power and 250 Nm torque.

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First Published :

January 17, 2026, 18:12 IST

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New Skoda Kushaq coming to compete with Hyundai Creta, first teaser revealed

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Panoramic sunroof with ADAS, SUV loaded with smart features to enter India

Panoramic sunroof with ADAS, SUV loaded with smart features to enter India

by with No Comment Car Review

New Delhi. The Skoda Kushaq was first launched in 2021, as the first model introduced under the brand's “India 2.0” programme. It is based on Volkswagen's MQB platform, which has been specifically localized for the Indian market. People liked this SUV a lot and with this Skoda made its strong mark in the midsize SUV segment. Amidst increasing competition, the company is now preparing to give it a midlife update in early 2026.

Skoda Kushaq Facelift
The new Skoda Kushaq facelift, which has been spotted testing several times, may hit the roads in January 2026. This compact SUV is likely to get mild design changes, new features and a new automatic gearbox.

better styling
The spy image shows that the new 2026 Skoda Kushaq will get a slightly changed front grille, which will have thin vertical slats. The design of the headlamps will be new, Kodiaq-inspired connected DRL and large fog lamps will be provided. There will not be much changes in the side profile except new matte-black alloy wheels. There will be some changes at the rear too, like thinner taillamps which will be connected to the LED bar and slight changes will be made to the bumper.

more features
Two big features will be added to the interior – panoramic sunroof and level-2 ADAS (Autonomous Driver Assistance System). The SUV may also get new trims and upholstery along with a 360 degree camera.

Engine Options
The existing 1.0L turbo petrol and 1.5L turbo petrol engines will be available as before. The small engine produces 115bhp of power and 178Nm of torque, which is paired with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The 1.5L petrol engine comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which produces 150bhp power and 250Nm torque.

6-speed automatic gearbox
Skoda India may replace the existing 6-speed automatic gearbox (which is available with the 1.0L TSI petrol engine) with a new localized 8-speed automatic transmission. However, this mechanical upgrade may be introduced later. The journey for this car will not be easy in the Indian market because there is a lot of competition in this segment in India.

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