[smilingakash]

I took a TD for 1.5 DSG yesterday (will take another one for manual soon).

Monte Carlo Edition

Interiors- The pictures for its interiors online were ugly and I did not want to sit in ONE. The SA still wanted me to check this one out. I can safely say the looks are polarizing- Some people will hate it and some will truly dig the sporty feeling.

Exteriors- Hands down, everyone loved the exterior treatment for Monte Carlo Edition

Is it worth it additional 80k over the 6 Airbag Top variant?

- If wireless Android Auto/ Apple Car Play are must for you then this is the only current edition in Kushaq which offers the same. Also, the unit has a 10 inch screen (as offered initially by Skoda).

- Better sound quality with Sub-Woofer. Good for music buffs but if you are not too keen on music, this is not the most important factor.

- Exterior and Interior cosmetic features are a plenty with lot of Monte Carlo Badging

Monte Carlo edition also has 6 Airbags so if that is a priority for you, then only Monte Carlo and Top model Skoda (Style with 6AB) will fit your bill.


DSG Drive

DSG is a hoot to drive However, coming from a Duster, the assured feeling with acceleration was somewhat missing. In no way, Skoda felt light but Duster always feels a lot more comfortable with sudden acceleration surges (Perhaps my love for the car over 10 years).

What I liked about Kushaq was it felt like a very easy car to maneuver in tight areas, parking etc. Felt a lot smaller while driving and that makes it very good for the city ride. Has enough juice (1.5 version) for good highway runs as well.

Boot Space

After Hyryder disappointment (I still have the booking), I have started looking for backups. Budget is flexible 20-35L but in NCR due to no-diesel mantra, the options surprisingly become very limited.

Unless Hyryder makes practical sense (Will check if by removing the parcel tray and false tray, the weekend luggage is feasible), I may have to cancel the booking.

Now, the Kushaq boot space. On paper it says 385L (less than Duster). However, I have learnt to take these figures with a pinch of salt (Case in point with boot space figures of Creta which in real life do not equate to same usable bootspace).

Pleasantly surprised by the height provided. Make no mistake guys, the usable boot space is good in Kushaq. If you are like me worried about boot space in this car then you can put your doubts to rest

Back seat comfort

Seats are alright- No complaints there. But can you seat 3 healthy adults on the back seat for a long trip?

Sadly the answer is NO. The only 5 seater cars (20-35L Budget) which can do this today are Duster, Creta, Tucson and City. Even Jeep Compass fails the back seat width criteria.
You can always buy a 7 seater and use the last row for your boot. Case in point- Carens, Alcazar, Innova. However the 7 seaters are too long for most people and are often chauffeur driven.
So if you are a family, which often seats 5 then your options are limited. For city runs, it should not be a problem. However, for long highway runs, the comfort for 3 adults in the backseat is highly questionable.

Worth spending 22-23 L for Top Model (6AB version)/Monte Carlo?

Kushaq has niggles but also is perhaps the best to drive (Even compass DDCT is laggy). Average is decent for a petrol SUV.
However, for this money there are options in the market. Hyryder/Vitara hybrid models will be in direct competition. Also, the omnipotent Korean twins which are the behemoth in this segment. Yes, we do not like them for average safety and banality of their presence on the roads. However, Creta is still the most spacious, has Hyundai reliability and has great resale value.

Join the circus of conundrums before buying Kushaq. I do believe, it is one hell of a car and owners (even with niggles) have a smile while driving this beast.

[XRoader_001]

Skoda India has recorded its best-ever sales performance with 37,568 sold in the first eight months of 2022.

Thus making India the Czech brand’s third largest market globally, after Germany and the Czech Republic.

[JitendraW]

2353400

So Zac Hollis will no longer be responsible for India market and has been replaced by Petr Šolc.

[Blanktrails]

Got delivery of my Kushaq Ambition Classic AT this week. It's second Kushaq in the family. My brother had bought Kushaq Ambition AT six months back.

I had considered Seltos IMT and IVT models primarily other than Kushaq. IMT couldn't match the convenience of AT. Seltos IVT felt good but driving feel was slightly poorer to Kushaq. Further, the middle seat in Seltos was really bad in our opinion due to protruding arm rest. There were no discount on Seltos and waiting period was also too high. After driving Kushaq and seeing the final price I had to pay for Kushaq vs Seltos IVT, I decided to buy Kushaq.

Got discount of 1.15 lakh on on-road price inclusive of all add ons. I paid 14.75 lakh for car with BH series registration, Extended Warranty, 4 year service package and Skoda Accessories Kit for ambition classic model. Kit includes black roof wrap, seat cover, chrome garnishes. Its a July 2022 manufactured car.

Observations after driving around 200km:

1. In city fuel economy displayed was 12 kmpl. On Mumbai Pune Highway, it was 15 kmpl.

2. Even the manual AC on ambition classic is not strong. On AC temp set at lowest and fan at 2, the cabin was not cool enough. Temp displayed on driver's display didn't go below 29.5 celcius in sunny weather. This is my biggest disappointment with the car.

3. Car drives well in city and on highway. No problems with power or steering. I do feel car veers off to left if I leave steering. But need to test it more. I'm not sure it's normal though.

4. Sound quality is just adequate. At high volume, its very lackluster. Bass is weak. However, for low volume, it's good enough. Can't see myself enjoying it too much with EDM or Punjabi dance music.

A major gripe I have with Skoda is lack of accessories or option to modify. Even neck rest are not available in official accessories list. There is no option to improve sound quality. In comparison, Hyundai lists so many accessories for creta, multiple choices in each segment. Skoda could do much better in providing accessories for their car.

[RealAbhinavRajp]

Originally Posted by JitendraW

2353400

So Zac Hollis will no longer be responsible for India market and has been replaced by Petr Šolc.

Ok... And now who will respond to customer issues on Twitter.

I had this concern last year when I was looking for a car and Skoda was one of my shortlisted brand. I knew Skoda cars have history of issues and every other Skoda fan on Facebook group was like... Ohh Zac is there to help if anything goes wrong and now he is leaving.

So now customers will be on the mercy of Dealers?

[ShortShifter]

Booked a Kushaq Style 1.0 TSI Automatic for family in Carbon Steel Grey from Mahavir Motors Hyderabad, the downgrade to the old Skoda 8 inch Head Unit and lack of a subwoofer is such a bummer. Delivery promised in 3 weeks.

Are any other dealer giving discounts currently, got a paltry sum + HDFC Regalia + maintenance package as the only discounts.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by ShortShifter

Booked a Kushaq Style 1.0 TSI Automatic for family in Carbon Steel Grey from Mahavir Motors Hyderabad, the downgrade to the old Skoda 8 inch Head Unit and lack of a subwoofer is such a bummer. Delivery promised in 3 weeks.

Are any other dealer giving discounts currently, got a paltry sum + HDFC Regalia + maintenance package as the only discounts.

As far as I know, these are probably the only discounts offered:
4 Year Skoda Service Care Pack worth Rs 25K + Rs 15K Exchange Bonus + Rs 15K Corporate Discount or Loyalty
Exclusive Offer for HDFC Bank Card Holders on Kushaq, Slavia: HDFC Regalia and Diner Card Holders gets Rs 25,000 Cash Discount on Kushaq and HDFC Infinia and Regalia Card Holders gets Rs 20,000 Cash Discount on Slavia. Either One among Corporate or Loyalty or HDFC Bank Card Discount applicable
I don't think most dealers are offering more discounts.

[VRJ]

Originally Posted by ShortShifter

Booked a Kushaq Style 1.0 TSI Automatic for family in Carbon Steel Grey from Mahavir Motors Hyderabad,
Are any other dealer giving discounts currently, got a paltry sum + HDFC Regalia + maintenance package as the only discounts.

Originally Posted by bijims

As far as I know, these are probably the only discounts offered:
4 Year Skoda Service Care Pack worth Rs 25K + Rs 15K Exchange Bonus + Rs 15K Corporate Discount or Loyalty
Exclusive Offer for HDFC Bank Card Holders on Kushaq, Slavia: HDFC Regalia and Diner Card Holders gets Rs 25,000 Cash Discount on Kushaq

Hello there, i booked a Kushaq 1.5 DSG two weeks back at Mahavir Motors Vizag. I'm taking delivery today. I do have a Regalia card and was never informed of any HDFC Regalia cashback. I did ask my SA after reading your comment today morning and he informed it was available in Q2 and not Q3. Is this true or is he just lying to me? and how much do you have to pay with your credit card to get the cashback? surely can't be the entire amount.

Coming to discounts, i received only the 4 year maintenance and Rs. 10,000 exchange bonus.

ShortShifter, do ask if they have any old stock with the 10 inch screen. While booking i told them how stupid can Skoda be to delete the 10 inch screen with wireless CarPlay and the subwoofer and he said there are a couple of Kushaq's available with the 10 inch screen. They did find one in Hyderabad (also Mahavir) and the customer had some payment issue and they asked if i wanted it and i immediately said yes.

Cheers!

[KapilD]

Low Frequency Dual Tone Horn is seen as an accessory.

Has anybody got their hands on it?

[CafeRacer16]

Regarding the 1.0 TSI model, AC issue, it seems VW India finally has a solution, got this message from VW India's official Instagram handle as a DM.

"Hi, we received feedback from some customers regarding Taigun's AC's performance, especially from regions experiencing higher temperatures around summer. Taking this feedback into account, we have been working rigorously on further improving Taigun’s AC performance and have successfully released the Phase 1 improvement update. Customers can approach their nearest Volkswagen dealership for any further information or details."

However on asking Skoda & Zac Hollis, got a response that "if you have any issues, reach out to dealership". This is a bit weird response considering Mr. Hollis has acknowledged this issue earlier on social media.

[ShortShifter]

Originally Posted by VRJ

Hello there, i booked a Kushaq 1.5 DSG two weeks back at Mahavir Motors Vizag. I'm taking delivery today. I do have a Regalia card and was never informed of any HDFC Regalia cashback. I did ask my SA after reading your comment today morning and he informed it was available in Q2 and not Q3. Is this true or is he just lying to me? and how much do you have to pay with your credit card to get the cashback? surely can't be the entire amount.

Coming to discounts, i received only the 4 year maintenance and Rs. 10,000 exchange bonus.

ShortShifter, do ask if they have any old stock with the 10 inch screen. While booking i told them how stupid can Skoda be to delete the 10 inch screen with wireless CarPlay and the subwoofer and he said there are a couple of Kushaq's available with the 10 inch screen. They did find one in Hyderabad (also Mahavir) and the customer had some payment issue and they asked if i wanted it and i immediately said yes.

Cheers!

Hi Congratulations on the purchase, yes the Regalia card offer is very much active right now with Mahavir Motors, maybe the sales executive missed out on it and is trying to cover up his tracks.

I did ask them for giving a car that comes with 10 inch screen but the sales team mentioned couple of tradeoffs such as

a. Car manufactured in the starting of this year or couple of months ago.

b. No digital cluster or active cockpit display.

c. Strictly no discounts.

Will stick to a car manufactured recently as it might carry updates to door rattles, ac etc. For Wireless Carplay i do have a Wireless CarPlay CarlinKit 3.0 from USA, (Link) will try it out post delivery and report back on its performance.

[smilingakash]

Originally Posted by VRJ

Hello there, i booked a Kushaq 1.5 DSG two weeks back at Mahavir Motors Vizag. I'm taking delivery today. I do have a Regalia card and was never informed of any HDFC Regalia cashback. I did ask my SA after reading your comment today morning and he informed it was available in Q2 and not Q3. Is this true or is he just lying to me?

Cheers!

A quick online search tells me that the offer is valid for deliveries till 30th September. You should show your SA, Hdfc regalia offer as avaialble on HDFC website.

[mixke]

Originally Posted by VRJ

Hello there, i booked a Kushaq 1.5 DSG two weeks back at Mahavir Motors Vizag.
======
Coming to discounts, i received only the 4 year maintenance and Rs. 10,000 exchange bonus.

Regalia discount of Rs. 25,000 is very much available. You need to make payment of Rs. 35,000 with Regalia card and delivery _must_ be on/before 30-Sep-22.

[losblancos_sr4]

Booked a Kushaq Monte Carlo 1.0TSI MT on the 3rd of last month. The dealer called today to inform that she had left the factory and would be in within the week. However, the SA refused to give the VIN number until at least 50% of the payment had been done. Is this common practice? Have any of you faced this issue?

[anshuman_b]

Originally Posted by losblancos_sr4

Booked a Kushaq Monte Carlo 1.0TSI MT on the 3rd of last month. The dealer called today to inform that she had left the factory and would be in within the week. However, the SA refused to give the VIN number until at least 50% of the payment had been done. Is this common practice? Have any of you faced this issue?

Congratulations for booking one of the very few driver’s car available today.
Coming to your point, This is not a standard practice and you should push for the VIN before disbursing anything.


On a different note, I too have my eyes set on the kushaq, so may I know the kind of discount they are offering these days?