[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by pannags

A couple of questions for Kushaq owners here:

1. How comfortable and ergonomic is the two-spoke steering wheel on the Kushaq? I'm asking because I found the two-spoke wheel on my old Esteem a tad bit more challenging to maneuver compared to the more common three-spoke wheels

2. Is the rear seat bench comfortable during extended drives? I comprehend that the width is appropriate for two adults, but this is the scenario with most CSUVs, anyway

1. Yes, steering being lighter is comfortable to hold and use. I generally hold steering only with my right hand and rest the left hand in gear lever (I know it is not a good practice but couldn't change) and no challenges to operate.

2. Yes as per my family. We are now regularly travelling 8+ hours (600 Kms) and they feel a lot comfortable than the previous ride in i10.

Originally Posted by sandeepmukunda

I purchased my Kushaq Monte Carlo 1.5 DSG in December 2022, have been running it in RON 91 fuel since beginning, so that's 8 months in a tow.

Does it really make a difference? does performance take a real exponential downgrade or it's okay to continue refueling with Normal fuel. i never faced any engine knock due to this.

Other Owners can pitch in with ideas why RON95 makes more sense.

I used regular RON91 for 1.5 years and recently switched to Power95 and the observable difference is engine audible note refinement in 1.0 TSI. I don't know whether any performance or fuel efficiency improvement is there as I don't really worry about them. I am sticking to Power95 as I am pleased with improved refinement. Refer the new excellent thread about the fuel Octane ratings, give it a try and decide.

[pannags]

Originally Posted by abaliga

I have driven the Octavia extensively and it has the same steering wheel as the Kushaq, the two spoke steering is really well made and is ergonomicaly perfect, no learning curve needed, it looks great as well.

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

Yes, steering being lighter is comfortable to hold and use. I generally hold steering only with my right hand and rest the left hand in gear lever (I know it is not a good practice but couldn't change) and no challenges to operate.

Appreciate your valuable insights. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to test drive the Kushaq after experiencing the Elevate. I must admit that I found the steering exceptionally user-friendly, and surprisingly, the absence of a third spoke wasn't really felt.

Originally Posted by vagman

The recline angle and bucket seats at the rear are perfect for long drives, we recently did a 500km trip Mumbai - Shirdi - Mumbai on same day and my parents were extremely pleased with the comfort the car offered.

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

2. Yes as per my family. We are now regularly travelling 8+ hours (600 Kms) and they feel a lot comfortable than the previous ride in i10.

Thanks for responding. This is reasssuring. I found the seats a tad bit softer than the hard ones I've seen on the Taigun.

[RohanPitre]

Originally Posted by audioholic

What I did for my Slavia as well as my Crysta(which had the same creaking noise) was to buy a can of wurth silicone lubricant and spray it along the plastic panel edges twice. It solved the problem. The Innova had creaks even on the door panel when we would open or close it. Even thats gone for good. Currently Its working on my Slavia since I didn’t want the dashboard to be opened up unless its absolutely necessary.

Hey, can you specify which exact Wurth spray? I have also heard about Wurth hhs 2000 synthetic oil spray. My Kushaq has some creaks on door opening, and then rattles around armrest, dashboard and AC vents. Not sure whether to use hhs 2000 or silicone spray. I need it to add just insulation around the plastics. It will be helpful if you can share the product details and where you got it from. Thanks!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by RohanPitre

Hey, can you specify which exact Wurth spray? I have also heard about Wurth hhs 2000 synthetic oil spray. My Kushaq has some creaks on door opening, and then rattles around armrest, dashboard and AC vents. Not sure whether to use hhs 2000 or silicone spray. I need it to add just insulation around the plastics. It will be helpful if you can share the product details and where you got it from. Thanks!

Wurth silicon spray was what I used and got it from Amazon. However it is retailing at 800 rupees now so I have switched to another brand called Aerol for all my silicon spray needs and is much much reasonable. Have done three cans so far since I use it in multiple vehicles and different applications so it is pretty good and worth the price paid, usually 250-300 a can.

For my Slavia the spray is used mainly around door beadings, plastic panel gaps, sun roof gasket. For door hinges and other metal parts I use a hinge relief wax from Maruti genuine parts. For other areas like Sunroof channel etc I use a silicon grease from a random brand.

[RohanPitre]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Wurth silicon spray was what I used and got it from Amazon. However it is retailing at 800 rupees now so I have switched to another brand called Aerol for all my silicon spray needs and is much much reasonable.

I have used Aerol in the past, but only for door beadings and hinges. Never gave it a try on interior plastics. Does it have an insulating effect and reduce rattles/squeaks? I had tried wd40 on my Ameo handrest and it increased the rattles. Since then I'm reluctant to use sprays on interior.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by RohanPitre

I have used Aerol in the past, but only for door beadings and hinges. Never gave it a try on interior plastics. Does it have an insulating effect and reduce rattles/squeaks? I had tried wd40 on my Ameo handrest and it increased the rattles. Since then I'm reluctant to use sprays on interior.

WD40 Is an organic compound and is oily. Please don’t use it as liberally as silicone spray especially on rubber and plastic. Rubber and plastic need silicon based sprays and not organic/petroleum based compounds except when meant specifically to be used with the materials. WD40 is a spray meant for metals and electronic circuits. And is not necessarily meant to be a lubricant even though it does a good job of that.

[Rohit_Quad]

https://www.carwale.com/news/skoda-k...-rs-1159-lakh/
New variant of the Kushaq and Slavia launched. What is not clear from the news article, is whether Kushaq gets alloy's or not. Because in the spec sheet on carwale, it says steel wheels.

[RohanPitre]

Originally Posted by audioholic

WD40 Is an organic compound and is oily. Please don’t use it as liberally as silicone spray especially on rubber and plastic. Rubber and plastic need silicon based sprays and not organic/petroleum based compounds except when meant specifically to be used with the materials. WD40 is a spray meant for metals and electronic circuits. And is not necessarily meant to be a lubricant even though it does a good job of that.

Thank you for this information. I will try aerol on my Kushaq interiors, door beadings and windows. Hopefully it helps with rattles. Or else I will give Wurth silicone a try. Did you notice any difference given the price difference?

[abkumar]

Android Auto does not work with Oneplus 11R in my Kushaq 1.5 DSG having 8 inch ICE. I tried Oneplus Nord and Samsung Galaxy A71 phones and it worked with both of them flawlessly. Also, Apple carplay works.

I guess it is incompatibility of Oneplus 11 R with Skoda Kushaq. Anyone else facing this issue?

[NewEnthusiasm]

Hi Team-BHPians!

This is my first post on the forum; thanks Team-BHP for letting me in the circle. First off, I would really like to thank everyone for providing such detailed and useful information on the platform; it really helps an under-informed person like me to come up to speed related to any-and-all issues related to buying a car, which is obviously a complex task.

I'll now come to my question.

TLDR version: I live in Mumbai and primarily will drive from office to home (5 kms one way) apart from the usual weekend outing. Should I go for the 1.5 DSG Kushaq transmission or not?

Longer version:

I have*driven an I10 for over 10 years, and a Baleno once in a while for 2 years (my brother's car). I am looking for an upgrade, and have always wanted to get a racy, sporty car (with automatic transmission for the city commute). I came across the Kushaq and took 2 test drives of the 1.5 ltr DSG. I immediately fell for it. It's just very sporty and can set the heart racing. While the 1.0 turbos and 1.5 NA engines of the competition are also powerful, this 1.5 feels like a significant upgrade. Since I'll majorly be driving within Mumbai city with its bumper*to bumper traffic, I feel the 1.0 turbo will not be able to give the same oomph because of the turbo lag.

However, since I will be driving in the city majorly (with the occasional weekend trip), should I even go for the 1.5 DSG? I read that the DSG is prone to heating in city traffic with frequent use of clutch for adequate gearing. Can anyone who uses the 1.5 automatic in cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai kindly comment on their experience? While I haven't*yet read too many instances of failure of the new DSG, i'm not sure what to expect. I also understand the fast crawl of the car can be irksome in city traffic.

The DSG concern brings me to the other, much bigger issue: reliability. This forum and other forums are littered with posts of niggles and issues with the car. While some common ones (rattling, AC) were attributed to the 2021 batch of production, I can still see people having issues with it. I also see many new issues coming up (fit and finish issues, car breakdowns, etc). For many people, the car seems to have visited the service centre multiple times within the first few months of purchase, which is not what a new buyer wants to experience.

This ties in to the next issue: service experience. so many people have complained about long wait times for even figuring out the problem, apart from long time taken to actually service the issue. Skoda dealers and service centres continue to bring the brand down.
I would also like to provide a counterpoint: I know of some people who have had a blissful run even two years into ownership. However, purchasing the car seems like playing with loaded dice: you could be unlucky and spend a lot of time and effort chasing the dealership, service centres and the company itself.

While i'd really love to own the car, these things are holding me back. Would love to hear from the forum what their experience has been related to 1.5 DSG in cities.

As can be made out: while I like sportiness, I will prefer peace of mind and reliability. I'm not really a car person who would know the insides-and-out of the machine, so the latter points become specially important.

I'm also looking at safety, so the Hyundai twins with their turbo engines are down the pecking order (however I'm still on the lookout for revised NCAP ratings for the new Seltos). I'm also not dazzled by features such as sun-roof or even ADAS for that matter (in terms of practicality in the Indian context) so the price delta is a little hard to digest for me. Another point: I've put a budget of 15-20L for myself (a little here and there is fine).

I took a test drive of the Honda Elevate. It seems like a good mix of reliability, comfort and good enough power. I think it performs at par if not better than the 1.0 Kushaq.*For me, it becomes a very strong fall back option with the advantage of a known engine and transmission plus 'Peace-of-mind' that comes with the Honda City platform which I believe the Elevate is based on. It only lacks the kick that comes with 1.5 ltr Kushaq for me.

Would love to hear your recommendations!

[pannags]

Originally Posted by NewEnthusiasm

I took a test drive of the Honda Elevate. It seems like a good mix of reliability, comfort and good enough power. I think it performs at par if not better than the 1.0 Kushaq.*For me, it becomes a very strong fall back option with the advantage of a known engine and transmission plus 'Peace-of-mind' that comes with the Honda City platform which I believe the Elevate is based on. It only lacks the kick that comes with 1.5 ltr Kushaq for me.

First things first - a warm welcome to Team-BHP. As you very rightly said, this is one place you'll find loads of information and finer details that perhaps no other forum or medium offers.

About the 1.5 DSG, I was smitten by the refinement, power and fun that this transmission delivers. However, I've ruled it out because my daily commute involves crawling traffic and the dry clutch offered with the 1.5 engine is not a fan of those conditions. I checked with current owners and received suggestions that included shifting to M mode, coasting in neutral etc. Frankly speaking, my motivation to buy an automatic is to be able to drive stress free - both physically and mentally.

I have also driven the 1.0 AT and that is definitely fun to drive too. In fact, I did not experience any lack of power on lower rpms at slower speeds. The niggles definitely are a cause for concern. I'm seeing posts from recent owners complaining of occurrence of known issues.

I have a booking for the Elevate and recently completed a long test drive. I must say I'm very impressed with the 1.5 iVTEC CVT combination. S mode allows good acceleration on demand and the drive itself is very smooth. A very competent fallback, if I may say.

On a related note, I see a lot of potential buyers torn between the VW/Skoda twins and the Elevate. I believe you'll not go wrong with either. I actually like the nice styling and subtle road presence the Kushaq offers, but the Honda is no sloch and an great overall package. Do take a longer test drive of the Elevate before you decide anything. Good luck.

[Evyas]

Originally Posted by NewEnthusiasm

Hi Team-BHPians!

I have*driven an I10 for over 10 years, and a Baleno once in a while for 2 years (my brother's car). I am looking for an upgrade, and have always wanted to get a racy, sporty car (with automatic transmission for the city commute). I came across the Kushaq and took 2 test drives of the 1.5 ltr DSG. I immediately fell for it. It's just very sporty and can set the heart racing. While the 1.0 turbos and 1.5 NA engines of the competition are also powerful, this 1.5 feels like a significant upgrade. Since I'll majorly be driving within Mumbai city with its bumper*to bumper traffic, I feel the 1.0 turbo will not be able to give the same oomph because of the turbo lag.

Hello and welcome to TBHP! As a fellow Mumbaikar, and also a fellow lurker between a few models (& smitten mainly with the Kushaq!) I can understand where you’re coming from. But from reading your post it seems to me you didn’t take a TD of the 1.0 TC Kushaq? If not please do so. My TDs in traffic with the DSG weren’t as awesome as the open road ones. And in all fairness the sporty nature and oomph of the 1.0 is really quite good plus if takes care of the reliability too.

So if you’re a very ‘fill it, shut it, forget it’ type of car owner and still love the Kushaq, maybe do extensive TDs of the 1.0 - call for the car near your commute area and spend some time in traffic. And give it a good run on the open road when you get some - I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with the 1.0 too The 1.5 is like a prize horse - but I feel in your case the occasional weekend run might not need the bigger engine, even the 1.0 is quite fun on the open road.

Also for DSGs, I refer everyone to one of the great threads here by @JoshMachine.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4547770 (DSG, demystified! All you need to know about VW's Direct-Shift Gearbox)

The Elevate is a different beast altogether. More staid, no nonsense, also bulkier and has more ‘presence’ than the Kushaq imo. I haven’t done a TD since it wasn’t available then but my initial impression sitting in it was it’s a seemed like a more ‘grown up’ car, while Kushaq seemed more snazzy and ‘young’ for want of a better metaphor.

But all things aside, if your heart is set on the 1.5 DSG, then go for it. No car is perfect and my personal opinion - it’s better to go for what you love than settle for what everyone tells you is better. Love can make you carve out mountains, but compromising will only make you bitter if you come upon a mountain further down the road

[NewEnthusiasm]

Originally Posted by pannags

First things first - a warm welcome to Team-BHP.
======
Do take a longer test drive of the Elevate before you decide anything. Good luck.

Thank you for your valuable input!
Your feedback on the 1.5 is really helpful. Probably not as practical a choice in city traffic. Regarding the 1.0, I know a few fans of the car already. I'll check it out again.
I tried to get on a longer test drive on the Elevate, but the dealership said it'll have to wait. I guess they have their hands full at the moment.

Also wanted to check if the MG Astor turbo came into your consideration?

[jaysonline]

Originally Posted by abkumar

Android Auto does not work with Oneplus 11R in my Kushaq 1.5 DSG having 8 inch ICE. I tried Oneplus Nord and Samsung Galaxy A71 phones and it worked with both of them flawlessly. Also, Apple carplay works.

I guess it is incompatibility of Oneplus 11 R with Skoda Kushaq. Anyone else facing this issue?

Looks like a known issue, check this , somebody has mentioned a workaround but looks cumbersome:
https://support.google.com/androidau...en-os-13?hl=en

[abkumar]

Originally Posted by jaysonline

Looks like a known issue, check this , somebody has mentioned a workaround but looks cumbersome:
https://support.google.com/androidau...en-os-13?hl=en

Thank you, yes I have go through this thread and found that the VW group brands have this issue with the firmware not compatible with latest Snapdragon chipsets. Hope they will release a new firmware soon.