[anthusiast]

Originally Posted by SHANK66

Hello experts, I am in quite a dilemma in choosing between Kushaq and S Cross, need your advice on the same.
Questions in front of me
- Is Ambition AT worth the extra 3 L over S Cross for the brand and build quality?
- Is the Tractions Control and ESP which is not present in S Cross that a necessary in India where it does not snow? My Swift does just fine on wet and slippery surfaces (upsized, wider Bridgestone tyres are helpful here I guess)
- On the highway, with 4-5 people constantly on board, and considering the higher curb weight of S Cross, will 1.5 NA be able to deliver the same performance as Swift 1.2? Need owner’s opinion here as I was not able to reach 80 – 100 kph in TDs
- Ultimately, with third wave looming large, and another 6-8 months of work from home, should I be considering an upgrade at all?

Things I found good in Kushaq/Taigun over S-Cross:
1. The 1.0 TSI is an exciting engine compared to 1.5L. But the K15 performs better in city speeds due to no turbo lag and torque assist.
2. Modern 6-speed AT + paddle shifters is lot better than the 4-speed AT.
3. A faster car is a safer car: this Engine+Gearbox combo leads to a faster car on highways. The ride-handling is also segment benchmark.
4. Active Safety: Gets ESP, Traction control, Multi collision braking, brake disc wiping etc. I'm assuming the passive safety of both cars are 4 stars.
5. 10 inch touchscreen with Wireless Android Auto vs the 7 inch one. Also additions are DRLs (Zeta doesn't get DRLs)

If you hit highways more often, I would suggest Kushaq due to Active safety features + Stronger engine. But if it is more of a city commuter, then a 1.5L NA is better.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Originally Posted by SHANK66

Questions in front of me
- Is Ambition AT worth the extra 3 L over S Cross for the brand and build quality?
- Is the Tractions Control and ESP which is not present in S Cross that a necessary in India where it does not snow? My Swift does just fine on wet and slippery surfaces (upsized, wider Bridgestone tyres are helpful here I guess)
- On the highway, with 4-5 people constantly on board, and considering the higher kerb weight of S Cross, will 1.5 NA be able to deliver the same performance as Swift 1.2? Need owner’s opinion here as I was not able to reach 80 – 100 km/h in TDs
- Ultimately, with third wave looming large, and another 6-8 months of work from home, should I be considering an upgrade at all?

1. S-Cross is equally built compared to Kushaq. So there is no big difference in terms of build and quality. The reason is that Kushaq is more an Indianised Skoda. Rapid, Polo, Vento are better germans than Kushaq. And brand-wise, you are well aware of the value of Maruti vs Skoda in India.

2. Any kind of safety feature is always good to have which significantly enhances the driving confidence and fun.

3. Engine-wise Kushaq 1L Turbo is miles ahead of S-Cross' 1.5L NA. So definitely you will have more fun to drive feel in the Kushaq compared to S-Cross. Please note that the biggest negative factor for S-Cross AT is the engine-gear box combo. So if performance is your priority then it is hands down the Kushaq.

4. Buying a car now or later is purely an individual choice and your needs. However, the car prices are not going to come down (at least for the next 12-18 months) due to manufacturing issues. So is the impact to the new launches as it deferred by 6-12 months. So it all depends on whether are you planning your new purchase with your mind or heart. If it is heart, it is always NOW.

[rAijin_]

Originally Posted by SHANK66

Hello experts, I am in quite a dilemma in choosing between Kushaq and S Cross, need your advice on the same.
I am upgrading from my 2014 Swift ZXI with 57 K on ODO. Main reason to upgrade is to have more boot space and comfortable rear seats for the family.

Opt for Kushaq If
* You want to get a car which would feel different from swift. Skoda will take you to another world.
* You want to experience German Engineering ( with Made in India flavour ).
* Your priority is driving dynamics and safety.
* Your rear passenger seat usually has only 2 adults and 1 kid at max. Kushaq's rear seat can accommodate them with comfort. A third adult is not welcomed.
* You can bear the After Sales Service of Skoda. Trust me, they are terrible at times and completely opposite of Maruti.

Opt for S Cross if
* Your priority is peace of mind and resale value.
* You are expecting 3 adults in rear seat majority of times.
* You don't want to spend extra 3 L.

Questions in front of me
- Is the Tractions Control and ESP which is not present in S Cross that a necessary in India where it does not snow? My Swift does just fine on wet and slippery surfaces (upsized, wider Bridgestone tyres are helpful here I guess)
- On the highway, with 4-5 people constantly on board, and considering the higher kerb weight of S Cross, will 1.5 NA be able to deliver the same performance as Swift 1.2? Need owner’s opinion here as I was not able to reach 80 – 100 km/h in TDs

* Traction Control and ESP are very very important in rainy season and even otherwise in panic situations.
* I think S-Cross can easily deliver 100 - 120 km/h on highways all day long. Same is for Kushaq 1.0 TSI.

- Ultimately, with third wave looming large, and another 6-8 months of work from home, should I be considering an upgrade at all?

Well, I'm in the same dilemma. And I've decided to not upgrade until this Covid situation is completely over.
No point in getting a new car and then keep it parked for 2-4 months.

[vishnurp99]

@shank66 - There are many complaints about the reliability of kushaq and the 1.0 TSI. You can search the forum to see breakdowns etc. Personally I prefer a 1.5 litre reliable linear NA petrol over a complex 1 litre turbo petrol considering the fuel quality and other realities of our country. I personally know couple of instances where VW cars had to stay out of action for months waiting for parts to arrive.

I had a really poor opinion about the 4 speed gearbox too but after driving it I found it really usable. Having said that I would still prefer the manual because of the easy gear shifts.

Best of luck on your car making decision!

[Kaus2002]

@shank55: I have recently purchased the Kushaq Ambition AT, hope my response to your questions help you decide.

Is Ambition AT worth the extra 3 L over S Cross for the brand and build quality?
Ans: Yes for sure, 3L you are paying extra not only for Build Quality, but additionally you are getting few more things.
1. More powerful engine compared 1.5 Naturally Aspirated K15 Suzuki Engine.
2. 6 Speed AT compared to 4 Speed of Suzuki
3. Paddle shifters, this really helps in taking a quick overtake.
4. It also have a Electronic Differential Lock . Yes It has it, this feature is available mostly in 4x4 SUVs.
5. Better suspension, it takes on bad roads and pot holes really well.
6. You will get LED Headlamps in this model, compared to Projector halogen in SCross.

Are Traction Control and ESP, which are not present in S Cross, a necessity in India where it does not snow? My Swift does just fine on wet and slippery surfaces (upsized, wider Bridgestone tyres are helpful here I guess).
Ans: This should be taken in consideration when you will be driving on bad roads with gravels. I have taken a test drive on a Up Hill, and way up there was full of gravels, put holes and what not. Kushaq took all that very smoothly, Hill Hold Assist, ESP, Traction control and Electronic Difflocks helped to climb that hill *Swiftly* :P.
So yes you need all that.

On the highway, with 4-5 people constantly on board, and considering the higher kerb weight of S Cross, will 1.5 NA be able to deliver the same performance as Swift 1.2? Need owner’s opinion here as I was not able to reach 80 – 100 km/h in TDs.
Ans: You are planning for long test drive, get this tested by yourself. Take your friends or family with you and see how it works. Kushaq 1.0 TSI reaches 80KMph effortlessly, I have not taken it beyond that speed yet.

Ultimately, with third-wave looming large, and another 6-8 months of work from home, should I be considering an upgrade at all?
Ans: Yes thats a good point, if you think for next 6-8 months you car will mostly going to stay in your parking lot then you should wait for a few more months. There are 22 new car/upgrade launch planned for 2022, you should look for these cars:
1. New Brezza/Scross: Expected to get 48V mild Hybrid engine.
2. New Tata Mid Size Suv(Creata rival): Expected this year, not sure about month.
3. Altroz DCT & Altroz EV Expected this year.
4. Nexon EV with 400KM range.
If you use vehicle to commute to your work, then you can go for EVs as well. You will save a lot on fuel.

I hope this helps, if you have any follow up questions I would be happy to help.

[maskebail]

Hi @shank66 i booked the Kushaq ambition AT and taking delivery by this weekend in Bangalore. I was in a similar dilema as I wanted to know if it is worth the extra money for the kushaq.
The reason I went ahead with Kushaq is purely because i liked the way it drove! I took the TD car through some tight roads, some horrible roads, long straight stretches with a lot of undulations, market areas and well paved long roads and the car handled it all very well ! Tested out hill hold too, and the car easily managed it as well. Since it's going to be a weekend/vacation long distance travel car and not a daily driver, my requirements were good highway manners, ride quality, safety and handling; this car did check them all within my already stretched budget.
If you are considering Kushaq or any VW /Skoda, do add the 4year maintenance package and extended warranty to the price( currently about 41k together i think) - strongly recommended!
As others have already mentioned, if you are looking for a pure daily driver , pick any maruti or a Honda and you can't go wrong with it ( reliability of these Japanese cars is precious if you are going to put in a lot of miles regularly ).
But since you also plan to use it on highways with some people, i am not too sure if the 1.5L +4 speed TC is a good option, also the missing safety features like TCS and ESP are good to have ( many cheaper cars offer it as standard ).
I would say list out pros and cons of both the cars and weigh in on what is important to you and what is not , will help you make a clear decision) and drive them again back to back and see which one you like more, take 4-5 people and see how both the cars drive on same/similar route ( pick some route that where you can test a variety of things) there was a really good article here recenty on how to take a test drive ! Worth a read in my opinion even if it's not the first time.
You are going to reach a point where it would look like a heart vs brain situation (with a lot of overlapping) at that point convince your brain

For your current needs, if your car is good enough , you can postpone the upgrade plans; but do note that the prices are not going to come down any time soon. The planned City based Honda crossover or the Maruti+Toyota's Creta rival could be the cars that you could wait for, but i have not seen any confirmed updates about the drivetrain or the launch timelines; they could be cheaper/similar in price to Kushaq though. Variant to Variant and feature to feature, I expect the prices to matchup especially for variants like Ambition AT.

[SHANK66]

Thanks everyone for your reply.
With new developments on electronically foldable mirror feature getting omitted from all variants on Kushaq, the initial engine failures, fuel injector issues in general for VW/Skoda cars, high maintenance cost, lower FE on turbo petrol etc, I would give Kushaq a skip at the moment. I feel Kushaq 2.0 will be a very improved car if a facelift gets launched 3-4 years down the line.

Nissan has been a relatively lesser know brand, so there is bit of an uncertainty on the after sales and reluctance by local mechanics outside Bangalore to work on it if something goes wrong. Thanks for the suggestion though. (Kicks vs Kushaq drag race on the other thread was interesting ).

Due to semi-conductor shortage, there is an insane amount of demand for good used cars. I am getting a whopping 4.7 L for my Swift on Spinny. I had paid 7L OTR in 2014!!
This spurred me to think of buying a new car in the first place and I recon, the price will start depreciating aggressively from May when the car would be considered 8 years old.

Looks like the Brezza, XL6 and Ertiga facelift are going to get 6 speed TC.
Source: Autocar India

I can either wait for Brezza to launch, book and wait for delivery. But given the car is quite popular, there is going to be huge waiting time.
OR, I can use the info to negotiate a better price on S Cross .
S Cross in its current avatar is by no means a bad car.

[Aaditto]

Originally Posted by MAKMADDY17

I agree. I replaced the Stock JKs immediately post delivery with Continental UC6s, and what a difference it has made to the road noise and comfort aspect. I'm a sedate driver so haven't really pushed it to it's limits to test the grip, but the comfort and NVH is vastly improved.

Sorry for my naivete - I've never bought a 1st hand car...

But can such a change of tire stock be done via the showroom itself? Or, do you have to take it to a tire shop separately?

Also, if I change the tire immediately - is there an 'exchange value' on offer for the 'stock' (JK) tire?

How much did it cost you - the new Continental UC6's??

[PaddleShifter]

Originally Posted by Aaditto

But can such a change of tire stock be done via the showroom itself? Or, do you have to take it to a tire shop separately?

Also, if I change the tire immediately - is there an 'exchange value' on offer for the 'stock' (JK) tire?

Car showrooms do not offer these services. It is recommended that those who want to put better tyres should take the car directly to a tyre dealer and get the tyres replaced. Driving for a few days reduces the exchange value or buy back price and if a tyre catches a nail, I dont think that the tyre will retain any buy back value in that case.

A single Continental UC6 tyre in 215/60R16 size costs around Rs8000-8500 (approx). Prices can be variable and my quote is not accurate. The exchange value of JK tyre can be told by the dealer in your area. A new JK UX Royale 215/60R16 tyre costs around Rs5500.

[Aaditto]

Wow! Reading your post here was like going through a corollary to my own search for a car over the past few years...

My original short-list almost completely overlap with yours - Sonnet, XUV300, Kiger, S-Cross, (Honda WR-V & Venue). And then, my second-list (after TD'ing the ones in the first list, and some research here on the TBHP forum) fill up the few blanks - Taigun, Kushaq, Nexon (/Punch), MG Astor (& Magnite/ Kicks)!

My weekly driving, like yours, would also not cross 100 kms. Though in my case, 9 months in a year would be travelling in rural/ semi-urban areas, and 3-month is a congested Metropolis (Kolkata).

The only prominent divergence between your and my ask being that I am strictly interested in MT's. I need the 'C' pedal to be present!

You and I also seem to have similar outlooks - about cars, as well as life in general. Minimalism is very much my motto. (Though, I never really considered electric cars with any seriousness, even though it would be a choice after my heart. Simply because I know it's too early in the day for its success in a country like ours!)

Incidentally, I saw you mention that you got your confirmation for the S-Cross on your anniversary - and there also the coincidence was uncanny. Our wedding anniversary happens to be just one day after yours!

Over the past 2 months of research and TD's my heart seems to have been completely captured by the S-Cross... I just fell in love with it's ride quality (the butter smooth suspension, which was just as brilliant on seriously broken dirt roads, as well as it's poise on the highway) - the power train is also elegant and smooth (my only slight disappointment being the mid-range lag) - and more than anything else, i just love it's true Crossover styling, because what I am really looking for is a 'high hatchback' - and not an SUV.
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Now, here are a couple of points, gleaned from your post, which I would be much obliged for you to clarify/ respond to -

• Even though you threw out cars like Kiger & Nexon ("weird rear design", totally agreed!) - due to "long term reliability + service/spare issues"... And yet, you DID NOT discard the MG Astor for the same reason?

Question:-
Did you find any reason to believe that MG would provide good after sales service? I ask this because in spite of numerous advise on this forum to stay away from brands other than Maruti/ M&M/ TATA - given my requirements of inexpensive and hassle-free maintenance - I still can't shake away my attraction towards the MG Astor, along with the Kushaq & Taigun!

• Your description for the reasoning behind crossing-off the XUV300 from your list suggested that it was some technicality with the automatic-transmission, specifically. Since I am not at all interested in an AT, I have really not researched any detail in that department. So, frankly speaking, I did not understand a word of what you described in that department.

Question:-
If you were not looking at the car's auto-transmission - would you still have discarded the XUV300 (let's ignore the small boot and light interiors, for the moment)? And if yes, then why?

At the moment, my heart is telling me to go ahead and seal the deal with the S-Cross - and the head is nagging away with things like, "dated model"... "reports of suspension degrading drastically within a few years"... "long vehicle - cramped road conditions in Kolkata"... "ARAI rating of 18.55 (MT) must never be trusted"... and so on and on and on!

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The one other car that is presently a top contender in my list is the XUV300.
And the 'dark horses' - throwing all caution to the wind - are the Kushaq, Taigun & Astor.

Also, now that you have driven your car for two more months since your post here - would you care to add anything further to your original response at 150 kilometres of driving??

Thanks in advance... And Cheers!

Originally Posted by aniruddh1987

Dear BHPians,

It is lovely to be part of such an esteemed community of auto-enthusiasts and I thought what better way to begin my journey of becoming a new BHP member than share my own journey of picking a new car during the last two years....

[souvikjana83]

I took a test drive of the S Cross Manual and I feel the Zeta Manual is super VFM. For under ₹10 lacs, one get most of the basic features that are needed on day to day basis. For a sedate driver like me, the drivability and handling is quite excellent. I am not very fond of the all black interiors as it makes the cabin a bit claustrophobic. The rear seat space is very good for 3 people and I think at this price point it is much better than small cars like Venue and Sonet whose rear seat is best for 2 adults and 1 child. Features wise, the S Cross may be missing some modern features but I absolutely loved what I get at the price point.

[MAKMADDY17]

Originally Posted by Aaditto

But can such a change of tire stock be done via the showroom itself? Or, do you have to take it to a tire shop separately?

Also, if I change the tire immediately - is there an 'exchange value' on offer for the 'stock' (JK) tire?

How much did it cost you - the new Continental UC6's??

These are very general questions everyone faces when purchasing a car. Please find the responses below :

1 - Yes we can definitely change stock tyres from the showroom itself if they agree (In 99% cases they won't ) It all depends on the connection between a tyre dealer and showroom management. I got changed once from a Maruti Suzuki dealership from Ranchi.
If they don't it is always recommended to change the tyres at a shop at earliest. In my case i went directly to the tyre shop immediately after the delivery. (Bangalore)

2 - Yes we get an exchange value on any stock tyres. Values are not constant due to market price fluctuations. I was offered 3400 for each stock tyre for my SCross. (July 2021)

3 - I purchased each Continental UC6 tyre for 8600 (July 2021)

FYR: All purchases were done at Bangalore. The shop details are below -

Name - Cherry Tyre Park
Location - 7th Main Road, BTM 2nd Stage
Owner Details - Amjad, 9538785619

[Mustang Sammy]

One observation:

In 2009, I purchased an automatic SX4 in Bangalore for approximately 9.5L OTR price.

12+ years later I purchased an automatic S-Cross with much more electronics and 4 disc brakes for 13.3L OTR in Pune.

Even accounting for the Karnataka to Maharashtra tax delta, How did Maruti keep the price from rising?
IMHO it was done by extensive cost cutting of core mechanical components, as the prices of all other equivalent cars have risen far more in this period.

[swageo]

S Cross AT has ESP ?. Dealer says yes, but maruti website does not list it.

[MAKMADDY17]

Hi Friends,

With Bangalore getting high summers this time, willing to get 3M's CR70 for my SCross especially for the comfort of the rear passengers. Wanted to know if anyone has installed the same & if possible can share the window images with the feedback? (I am little curious to see the window edges)


Does anyone know any POC for the installation of CR70 or any other brand if you recommend ?
FYR- I will not be installing it on the windshield.

Thanks