[07CR]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Yes my current requirements are for a Diesel AT car (sedan also ok) with good mileage as I will drive 100+ kms every day. Must be dependable and modern. Budget 15-20lacs is fine.
But in this price range I don't see any options. Hyundai Verna is one option, but I don't like the ride quality of that. I also don't like the Creta (looks wise and safety wise).

I currently own a Skoda Laura (diesel manual) which is excellent but it is now nearing 10 years (in Dec 2021) and is not allowed in NCR. I also own a Jeep Compass diesel (pre facelift) which is now 4 years old.

I was quite keen for the Kushaq but not having 6 airbags on Style versions really disappointed me.

Few options from my side-
Elantra AT
Seltos AT (Sonet seems better pick imo, if space isn't an issue)
Harrier AT (would have to deal with frequent Tata Niggles)
Xuv700 AT( if you can wait)

[RoadTrippin]

I simply cannot wrap my head around the folly of this strategy: I am going to price my top end AT models at a premium. I am going to use my renowned safety as my USP. AND I am going to offer my highest ticket customers less safety by removing airbags available on lower variants.

Utter foolishness.

[krishnakarthik1]

The more I start to analyze the pricing of these cars like Kushaq, Safari, Alcazar etc. the more I am starting to wonder if it is because of widening income inequality and this huge economic gap between the rich and the poor that the companies have identified.

Because this car is the size of a Swift, does not have a diesel, is expected to have poor resale value and bad reliability and the top end does not get even the full airbag kit yet it's priced into the 20+ lakhs OTR category.

After the pandemic the middle and lower middle class have been wiped clean. Maybe companies are starting to think that since a sizable chuck can't afford to buy cars anyway in the near future, let's target the small category of folks who can afford to buy cars and maximize our profits.

I think the MBA's are watching this change closely and if that thought process gets customers approval we will see a day when Harrier will be 35 lakhs, Innova 50 lakhs, Fortuner 75 lakhs etc. and huge cost cuttings in lesser priced cars. We will have faster highways and more unsafe cars. Just thinking aloud.

[Bhargav7]

Against the popular opinion here, I believe that the prices are on expected lines. The top-end manual comes to around 18 Lacs on road in Bangalore for the 1.0TSI. This is not such a steep price for an apparently well-built car. If only the rear seat was a little wider, this would have been a great buy.

The missing airbags in the AT variants are a bummer, though.

[curiousnewbie]

Originally Posted by krishnakarthik1

The more I start to analyze the pricing of these cars like Kushaq, Safari, Alcazar etc. the more I am starting to wonder if it is because of widening income inequality and this huge economic gap between the rich and the poor that the companies have identified.

Problem is that we compare the car prices with what we paid 5-6 years ago for our last car. Inflation adjusted price of base model Honda city is still less than what is used to be in 2015.
Inflation of car prices is highly correlated with with fuel prices which is taxed at north of 200%. This makes the spares expensive along with other car parts.
On top of this we almost pay 70% (OTR including road tax, gst , cess, etc) in taxes using our post tax salary which was taxed @ 34% to start with. So for the top model Kushaq, Skoda gets only 11.7L. This figure can be further adjusted for import duty paid on 5% imported parts(considering 95% localisation).
So effectively you buy a Kushaq with a pretax amount of 31.3L where almost 20L goes to government in taxes and Skoda gets 11.3L. This car will then run on heavily taxed fuel.
This analysis excludes businessmen who show the car purchase as business expense and get gst credit as well.
In all it’s difficult and unfair to live in a country where anything(TV, car, balcony etc) a middle class would want comes under luxury and heavily taxed.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by harmanjeet14

Hi All,
My brother in law is planning to upgrade from his 2011 Honda City, and Kushaq is one of the top contenders. An automatic is an absolute must in the next purchase.
Since 1.0 wont be much an upgrade from the City, we plan to go for 1.5 variant. The plan is to keep the car atleast for 10 years.
Would it be a good bet to go for the DSG version or we should look elsewhere. The car will be driven in Delhi NCR, and hence would face lot of traffic jams.

Honestly, as difficult as this is to digest, one of the best upgrades from this (if reliability and peace of mind is also a concern) is the latest Honda City. In the 17-20 lakh on road price bracket he will be hard pressed to find options that are reliable, more powerful and provide comparable space to his 2011 Honda City.

If he is willing to significantly extend his budget, he can add the following to his options list:

- Jeep Compass petrol A/T
- Octavia Sportsline (if he must take DSG risk, he’d rather take it with the Octavia (bigger engine, DQ 381 instead of the known and problematic DQ 200 and generally a proper upgrade from the City).

If he must stay within the 20 lakh mark and doesn’t want the City at all, he could consider the Kushaq 1.0 TSI or the Creta iVT automatic. They will save him some cash and also remove some of the DSG / DCT risk that Hyundai and Skoda come with. Will provide the crossover body style instead of sedan which he seems to be seeking, although the driving experience will not be a BIG jump from the City.

[ACe_10]

Originally Posted by krishnakarthik1

Because this car is the size of a Swift,

Getting a little carried away aren't we? It was bad enough when this car was being compared to a Sonet and Brezza. Now Swift?

With respect to the larger observation in your post, this 12-18 lakh segment is targeted at persons doing reasonably well financially and have a decent paying job/business and are looking to throw a bit of money for a 'nice' car. Plus Skoda/VW have never targeted the mass market and they are not doing so now with Kushaq - like it or not, their products are always at a premium. Look at how they have historically priced the polo/rapid/vento vs their competitors.

[kushagra452]

Originally Posted by krishnakarthik1

Because this car is the size of a Swift,... yet it's priced into the 20+ lakhs OTR category.

IMO Skoda Kushaq is closer to the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross than to the Swift. Swift is a sub 4m hatchback, whereas the S-Cross is almost the same length as the Kushaq.

[Bhargav7]

Originally Posted by curiousnewbie

This analysis excludes businessmen who show the car purchase as business expense and get gst credit as well.

A quick point here. Businesses cannot claim GST credit on Motor vehicles. Only driving schools and taxi operators (and not aggregators) can avail the GST credit.

They can claim the Income-tax benefit on depreciation though.

[Nithesh_M]

I think the biggest winner of this pricing fiasco will be the 5th gen Honda City. With Creta running long waiting periods and the Seltos hitting production constraints thanks to Sonet priority the buyers of this segment who cannot wait long will throng to the next best thing in the price range now.

Also to everyone freaking out about lack of 6 airbags in top end 1.5l variants, Autocar said there will be actual top end 1.5 variants dropping in later on. Preferably with digital instrumentation as seen in promos.
Only reason they didn't launch it now is because people would laugh if there was something the size of S Cross with the interior fit and finish of a Celerio asking over 20 lakhs OTR.

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

the buyers of this segment who cannot wait long will throng to the next best thing in the price range now.

Other than GC I found Honda City superior comparing to all these crossovers. I spent few hours yesterday to check all City variants, colors, and drove it extensively. Base city V is feature loaded and have almost all safety features. It is a much better option than base or base+ variant of crossovers (Creta, Seltos, and may be Kushaq). I have not taken final decision yet.

Only thing I miss in City V comparing to ZX variant is Lane watch camera, that is a very useful feature on our roads.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by 07CR

Few options from my side-
Elantra AT
Seltos AT (Sonet seems better pick imo, if space isn't an issue)
Harrier AT (would have to deal with frequent Tata Niggles)
Xuv700 AT( if you can wait)

While Elantra is good, it doesn't have the dynamic ride quality to match the Octavia (current Laura I have) and it is also expensive.
Seltos got dropped the moment the crash results came out. Personally I find the Sonet better built than Seltos and if the Sonet were crash tested it would probably get 4 stars like the Venue as it is on same platform.
Harrier, while I like the car I am afraid of Tata Niggles and would not risk 20L on a tata.
Xuv700 - I am waiting for that and in the 4 months waiting period I have till delivery, If I get a better proposition with Xuv700, I will consider it.
Kushaq could have really been properly positioned in the 10-15 lac segment with the 1.0 L Tsi engine but only if it got its safety kit and variants right.

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by Lowflyer23

Yes, this is one of the major reasons by which the rear seat width of a car is compromised. This plastic panel along with thick door pads occupy precious space in even the EcoSport, leaving the rear cramped for anything more than 2 adults.

Those panels appear to be the covers for the wheel well, which as in any car, does intrude into the rear cabin area. However, those panels appear to continue upwards vertically, whereas in most other vehicles, the seat back is flared outwards into that area.

We need to instead, check out detailed specs - what are the rear and front wheel tracks? If these are narrower than the competition - then that's the primary reason for the reduced width and not primarily those panels.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Only reason they didn't launch it now is because people would laugh if there was something the size of S Cross with the interior fit and finish of a Celerio asking over 20 lakhs OTR.

The current OTR prices are already beyond 20L. Once the true top variant is launched, it will be within sniffing distance of 25L mark.

But that's no reason not to launch it at the beginning. Once launched, this variant wouldn't be any cheaper than today. Skoda should showcase all their wares and let the customer decide if they want to laugh or handover their cheques!

Originally Posted by marathp

After the Kushaq price reveal, I was checking alternatives and found Nissan Kicks to be reasonable. I am aware of the lack of clarity about Nissan's future and possible service issues, but is Kicks so bad to get such abysmal sales in lower double digits? I wonder why nobody is even talking about it as an alternative.

Dated platform, dated interiors and Nissan brand. All came together to decide it's fate. And once the market loses interest in a model, it's near impossible to get its sales going again.

As you rightly noticed, nobody is thinking of the Kicks.

[marathp]

After the Kushaq price reveal, I was checking alternatives and found Nissan Kicks to be reasonable. I am aware of the lack of clarity about Nissan's future and possible service issues, but is Kicks so bad to get such abysmal sales in lower double digits? I wonder why nobody is even talking about it as an alternative.