[07CR]

Originally Posted by curiousnewbie

But strange to see ppl who have already booked or own a Korean car trying to justify their decision. The need to justify is a dead giveaway.

I have neither booked a Korean car, nor wish to book one in near future. And I own a Ford Ecosport. I feel people aren't trying to justify their buying decision, but were genuinely looking for Kushaq as there next upgrade/second car (myself included). It's just that the prices it is launched at it does not offer anything significantly better than the competition, and lags in many different areas compared to the competition. It's not like Korean siblings are boring to drive. I have driven a Seltos DCT trim and believe me it's quite fun. Gone are the days of boat like handling and dead steerings of Korean cars. Seltos felt equally good in terms of high speed manners as my ecosport. Only reason I am not considering it as my second car is the dismal NCAP ratings it received. Other than that it's a perfect allrounder. And that is what everyone has expected of Skoda cars in the past, (pre facelift) Octavia and Superb being the examples. Cars that offer everything, space , road presence, features, mature ride and handling balance, performance, all at a price where even the higher segment cars won't come close ! This is certainly not the case with Kushaq.

Just my two cents.

[Col Mehta]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Looks awesome isn't it? Mini COMPAS vibe!
https://Youtu.be/-5w1j6l2kuo
https://Youtu.be/0f9s9dHy3Io

Looking beautiful in red indeed!

Had a look at the car last evening. Couldn't spend much time as the showroom was about to get closed for the day. I have stated it earlier and will say it again - yes this car is smaller than Creta/Seltos but not as small as some people perceive it to be. It definitely looks like a Skoda from outside, not so much from inside unfortunately because of really bad material used in some places - the ac vent slider, for example, which felt ridiculously cheap . The fitting on seat covers disappointed us more than anything else, very unlike of VAG cars. Our 7 year old Vento has better fit and finish.

We would have considered this car had it come with better interior fit and finish and 6 airbags in Style AT variant.

[curiousnewbie]

Originally Posted by 07CR

It's not like Korean siblings are boring to drive. I have driven a Seltos DCT trim and believe me it's quite fun. Gone are the days of boat like handling and dead steerings of Korean cars.

Cars that offer everything, space , road presence, features, mature ride and handling balance, performance, all at a price where even the higher segment cars won't come close ! This is certainly not the case with Kushaq.

Just my two cents.

I agree with both the above statements. I have clocked significant kms on both Creta and Seltos and the difference between Koreans and Germans is not that big as it used to be. But Kushaq is still better and the last mile is always the toughest. Like CR7 is so good but ain’t no Messi
Forget the test drive, most ppl haven’t seen the car in flesh but still have pretty strong opinion.
Agree that Skoda came up short with Kushaq but still they deserve a fair chance in the market. This whole thread discourages potential Kushaq buyers which is extremely unfair to Skoda.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by curiousnewbie

Like CR7 is so good but ain’t no Messi

Wholeheartedly disagree, and I would say it's the other way round ! But let's not digress

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

I'm pretty certain, most of us here talk cars, it's an enthusiast thing. Kia and Hyundai don't care what we think, an average of 20k customers a month means they're doing it right. The lane watch feature you mentioned is not a gimmick or bling, it's a proper safety device. Skoda cars come with bling/gimmicks, it's their stock in trade,take that away and the customer has no reason to consider the product.

There is an appeal to European cars, I don't deny that, but not for the mass market, the Kushaq is no Octavia RS. The service network tilts the decision in most cases, outside the urban centers, the koreans are planning an aggressive expansion in the coming years, and they're already ahead.

Are you saying that Skoda, VW or any other Euro brand shouldn't bother with mass market cars since most buyers go for features as per check list and Skoda/VW will lose out?

We all know that the Europeans cannot cut cost like the Japanese and Koreans. It has been the case with Polo, Rapid, Vento.

Skoda already has a small SUV that is a proper European, the Karoq. As CBU it was priced at 25L ex showroom. Even if they did a CKD it would be at max 22-23L ex showroom. The result would be the same 200-300 cars per month for a few months then down to double digits.

The only way to bring the costs down to the Korean and japanese levels to cut wherever possible without diluting too much. Every brand has been doing this including Ford.

Yes, the Skoda is expensive and it was always going to be but the fact that it is now an option for a Hyundai/Kia buyer since the price point is same is what matters. The thread clearly shows that Kia/Hyundai potential buyers and owners are all interested in Kushaq now

Skoda/VW packaging has never been great in mass market cars other than the Superb. The Polo is the most cramped, the Karoq was tight at the back, the Yeti was like a hatchback, the Laura was cramped vs the Corolla and Civic. The Kushaq has the legroom which in itself is a feat but you can't win em all and the width is suited only for 2.

If you need space, Tata and MG should be your pick not Skoda or even Kia/Hyundai. Everyone has different approaches in this segment. Tata, MG will give you maximum car for your buck. Hyundai/Kia will give you maximum features for your buck. Skoda is badge value plus drive quality plus solid feel as well as safety (GTO mentioned 4 star safety is pretty much assured as per his reliable birdie). So you need to take your pick.

Pricing wise I definitely agree it's a premium and 2L cheaper would have been ideal but its something you have to accept with Euro brands. The Jeep Compass was same story when it launched. People cross shopping between Kia/Hyundai would crib as to how expensive the compass was with lesser space and lesser features and those who appreciated the attributes would not even look at the Koreans. No matter how much localisation, how many variants they tried, features juggling as well but they just couldn't compete on price with Kia/Hyundai.

The only gross miss by Skoda remains that at this price point a Skoda buyer expects that the top AT variant will have all the features and not lose 6 airbags as you go up in variant. If they get this right, it's an easy pick.

[Bhargav7]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Skoda already has a small SUV that is a proper European, the Karoq. As CBU it was priced at 25L ex showroom. Even if they did a CKD it would be at max 22-23L ex showroom. The result would be the same 200-300 cars per month for a few months then down to double digits.

This was my initial thought as well. However, as I understand, the customs duty on the Karoq was absorbed by Skoda and not passed on to the customer. Skoda was making a loss on every Karoq sold in India. Going by that, the CKD imports of Karoq would be priced higher than 25 Lacs to have a sustainable sales volume.

Probably, Skoda should have tried to localize the Kamiq production in an as-is condition without trying to develop an all-new car for India. I am not sure how the pricing would have worked, but sure enough, we would have got a better car than Kushaq - Both in terms of the quality as well as space.

[Latheesh]

White color walk around video - Style variant

https://youtu.be/fiK1GPhDDME

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

White color walk around video - Style variant
https://Youtu.be/fiK1GPhDDME

I now understand why the rear is claustrophobic. It's mainly due to the front seats placed on stilts which obstruct the view of rear passengers, the limited width and the rising window line. The black/grey interiors just add to the effect!

[shibujp]

Ironically I am typically critical of Skoda's pricing. However given the experience of the Octavia I was pleasantly surprised to see the pricing start at 10.49 lakhs having expected a 13-18 lakh range.

However looking at the features and variants it is evident that the prices are certainly at a premium. But it's hardly a surprise. For a brand that touts Äffordable luxury" as it's tag line you can hardly expect it to be priced anything other than premium. I for one, do not think Skoda is competing with the Koreans or the Japanese, for the simple reason that they cannot. They are too far into their game to be effective at that.

The Kushaq is simply a Polo in the SUV segment. Having been a Polo owner and now that of a Baleno I understand both worlds. Think about why Swifts and Balenos sell in numbers and you will also get where the Kushaq numbers will stack up. And it has nothing to do with the personal characteristics of buyers or their lack of knowledge.

The Kushaq would play a similar strategy. For the small family or single person wishing to buy into a European experience and the benefits/compromises that come with it, it's a valid choice. However for a typically Asian family space and bang for buck matters so the Koreans still rule the roost. And dynamically the gap is not what it once was. I would for once stop to hail the Kushaq as an excellent choice simply because of the iffy nature of Skoda service. In the Indian context where we have absymally low service qualities in almost every figment of life, having to deal with it in a car ownership is hardly alluring. We Indians for the most part are a very pragmatic bunch of people. Unless Skoda and the VAG group bring a monumental shift in their service culture they are never going to effectively play the volume game. When you have a lot other pressing issues in middle class Indian life a reluctant service organization is way more vexing than a creaking panel. That's a reality.

Where the Kushaq starts to look a bargain is when you put it against the Jeep Compass. You get a wonderful set of petrol power plants, excellent legroom and competent dynamics all at a very competitive price compared to the Compass. And a service availability that certainly trumps that of Jeep/Fiat.

That said I can hardly wait to see the car in the showrooms for myself. Both the Kushaq and the Octavia are on my bucket list.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[NevGin]

My showroom visit was good. The burnt orange looks glorious. Nothing changed for me after I saw it in person. May be a tad smaller but this is going to be a new dimension of cars on roads soon. That additional width which is missing is anyway still not too comfortable to fit a 3rd adult. This backseat seals the deal. No third adult at all. Its best that way. Fit & finish externally is really top class. The seat bolstering is weird as everyone said but I think it being a tad softer and more compliant maybe because of earlier feedback not sure.

Highlight of my trip to the showroom was the gentleman who was attending to us. Told me that there was more booking for the 1.5 and that if I booked today I would get delivery in November. Of course I was there just to look at it. Did not want the drive either until they get the 1.5.

Top variant deserves the additional airbags.

[ridehard]

Had dropped into the showroom, to do a test drive. Unfortunately, the TD card are only going to be ready from Monday.
So, just checked out the car in red and orange. Red looks super! The exteriors are fantastic, better finish than any competitor. Front row interiors look quite good, at least aesthetically. Didn't check the quality of the bits, but felt like a nice, sophisticated place to be.

The rear seats were not so welcoming, but it was okay. The roof felt, too close to my head (6ft guy), despite being scooped out. No wonder why some felt claustrophobic.
The width as reported everywhere, is quite limited. So much, that accomodating a kid with two ~75kg adults might be a tough ask. For 2 average height persons, the rear should be a good enough space to be.


Quick City Test Drive comparison:
Since I also have the Rapid in my list, asked for a TD of the same. Unfortunately, someone had taken it for a long TD.
Disappointed, I went to check out the City 5G, next door. TD was free, had a good time with it. The interiors were nice, not modern like the Skoda, but it felt sort of rich. And all that beige, makes the cabin feel so spacious and airy. The seats were so comfy, and enough width to seat 3 fairly built adults.
Nice steering feel, and the ride quality within the city was soft and plush, I loved it.
The only thing that didn't feel new to me, was the engine. Since I've spent some amount of time driving a 3rd gen city(in-laws 3rd gen), it almost felt the same. Not that it's a bad thing, the iVtec is probably my most favourite, among the cars I've tried so far.
Definitely keeping the V MT in the list, hope my better half approves it(She's into CSUVs, but I prefer Sedans :|)


Did I mention that the RED looks super hot!? What you see is what you get.

[ashvek3141]

So I had a look at the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 MT Style variant.

Below are my impressions of seeing & driving the 1L MT variant. These are all personal observations and in no way meant to offend any car / brand in particular.

Also, these observations will largely be based on the comparison to my humble 1st-gen Creta SX+ VTVT MT & the 'newer' Korean's.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a Hyundai fan-boy although I own one.

I didn't click any pictures as there are plenty of them on the net already!

Interior & Exterior:

- There were two cars: the Honey Orange colour on display and the White for TD's. Both in top spec Style variant.

- As expected NO 1.5L models. However, the 1.0L AT is expected to be available for TD's in the coming week.

- First up, the car is definitely a size smaller than the Koreans; no two ways about it. This is more or less comparable to the S-cross albeit slightly heighted. It simply get's lot into the crowd. You won't give it a second look for sure.

- The exterior design is typical 'skoda', and the rear is more in-line with the elder Skoda SUV's.

- I did observe a slight 'orange peel' effect in the Honey orange shade which was parked inside the showroom and under heavy lighting. In general the paint quality is decent.

- Like I mentioned, due to the dimensions the car doesn't give you that SUV vibe which maybe the Creta / Seltos manages to give. I am not saying the Koreans are typical SUV's, but they atleast give the kinda look IMHO.
The Kushaq doesn't quite do that. Also, being shorter in height doesn't help either. Heck, even the Sonet / Brezza looks a bit butch from front especially.

- On the inside too the car doesn't feel roomier as compared to the Koreans. Surely it isn't claustrophobic, but NOT roomy a such.

- I just had about 7 - 8 cms of headroom with drivers seat set to my height (I am 6 ft. tall). It is even worse at the rear. The sloping roofline comes very close to the head.

- Overall the from seat comfort is good. Good back support and one can easily find a comfortable driving position.

- The seating of the car is low too. With the Kushaq's seat set to the lowest setting, it gives you the feel of a hatch / sedan seating. The difference was very apparent when I switched back to my Creta. The driving position in my 1st-gen is surely commanding in comparison to the Kushaq.

- The quality of leather on the steering is surely disappointing. Not at all expected from Skoda. It also look a bit thin to hold. Skoda's got to improve this ASAP.

- The seat leather was kinda acceptable though. I didn't find any of the creases that were seen in the reviews, or I wasn't looking closely maybe.

- It's got a 'meak' horn. Skoda could have atleast given it the wind tone horn. How much would that increase the cost anyway?

- The AC controls are nice to operate. One will get used to them very easily.

- The touchscreen is fluid and easy to use, reminiscent to today's times. Good display quality too.

- The infamous roof liner: Well, it surely could have been better is what I would say. I didn't find it to be flexing as shown in the review of evo India; but ya, there's scope for improvement.

- The plastics on the door, especially on the upper half near the windows are too hard and scratchy. I wonder how long they'll last. Skoda should have given a better quality materials at these touchpoints atleast.

- The windows!! Ahh, they're terribly noisy in operation. Damn, even my 2nd-gen Swift windows don't make so much noise during operation. Skoda, really?? Also, no famed one-touch-up / down for the passenger windows, sad.

- The rear space is good except for the headroom as I mentioned earlier. the legroom is decent and me being 6ft tall had no issues seating behind my driving position. But, it's strictly a 2 seater for 2 healthy adults at the back. I found the recline angle of the rear seat little upright though.

- The boot is adequately spacious. The is surely better than my Creta's boot and will swallow more luggage.

Driving Impressions:

- The clutch is slightly on the heavier side for a petrol car; is what I felt. I found the travel a bit long too.

- The car pulls just like a good NA engine from standstill. It starts picking speeds once past the 1800 rpm mark. I didn't find any push-in-seat feel though. Having said that, the engine isn't a slouch & does a good job.

- On slopes too, the Kushaq struggled terribly in 2nd gear to pick up pace.

- I feel the AT will be a better option for the 1L instead of the manual. I am waiting to drive the AT though.

- Somehow the performance of the motor didn't 'wow' me. I feel that the 1.5L will be a killer package!! And this is said in our TBHP review too.

- Shifting of the gears was a bit notchy, which could have been better. Not a dealer breaker though.

- The handling is typical Skoda and the car holds the line on curves without any drama.

- Braking too is great!

- I found the ride to be a little bumpy for a Skoda. However, I feel that the tyres were surely over inflated as the cars had arrived just yesterday and none of the showroom guys would have bothered to check the pressure.
The SA tried searching for the TPMS in the MID, however, he wasn't able to locate it. I didn't try either.

- I loved the music system. Nice punchy bass it's got!

Waiting to drive the 1L AT, which I feel would surely be better than the MT in terms of drivability.

Overall, this car didn't 'wow' me per se. Surely it is a good package, but could have been priced aggressively IMHO.

Would I pick this if I was in the market for a PETROL CSUV? Hmm, maybe.

[varun_ro]

Originally Posted by curiousnewbie

Agree that Skoda came up short with Kushaq but still they deserve a fair chance in the market. This whole thread discourages potential Kushaq buyers which is extremely unfair to Skoda.

I completely agree with you. When I visited the showroom two days back, I wasn't sure what to expect after reading this thread. But after seeing the car in flesh and taking a test drive, my doubts were put to rest and I went ahead with the booking.

I genuinely feel that people should go check out the car in flesh at least once. Also, after talking to the finance guy about the number of cars booked since 28th and the waiting period, the sales figure is definitely going to shock a lot of people. Atleast for the first few months.

[maverickNerd]

Hey everyone, finally after lot of tries, I got my membership approved and I am so happy about it. Yay !!

On to the main point now, I am waiting from a long time for a vehicle. Last year before covid, I booked Seltos HTK+, and got a call from dealer just before lockdown but since my office already started WFH, me and my better half knew lockdown is coming. So I said NO to the car, then during diwali time again booked Seltos, this time HTX model as I saved some more money but then the crash rating came and like everyone else, I was not able to comfort myself with the thought and cancelled again, since that time I was waiting for Skoda SUV/crossover. My first preference is always safety and though I am not impressed with Kushaq launch and prices, but I still think all important features are available in Kushaq and a big list of active safety feature that no one provides in this segment like brake wiping, XDS, and others.

I went to showroom few days back to check Kushaq and then went to Hyundai and Kia showroom right after that, here is my and my wife's view on it:

1. Kushaq doors, bonnet, and tailgate is much much heavier than both creta and kia.
2. Kushaq does not look small at all, infact from side, it looks bigger because large wheelbase.
3. Kushaq does have less height, and wife was not impressed with it, she found Seltos height as better and hence felt it more spacious, she even felt little claustrophobic because of seat colors and less height, She liked Seltos light color scheme in seats. Though for our heights(5ft 8') I didn't find the height to have any problem and I know less height will help in overall dynamics.
4. Found Ac vents clips of cheaper quality in Kushaq, middle ones are good but side ones are not.
5. Found that roofliner is not as bad as was presented in reviews. Infact I am able to press seltos and creta roofliner also with same pressure. Can easily live with it.
6. Boot space seems small on paper for kushaq but we both think it can absorb more stuff as it is deep. Though quality of boot lid cover is bad in kushaq. But we hardly touch it except when we need spare wheel and can be changed if needed.
7. Two spoke steering wheel is very premium compared to seltos and creta.
8. Middle armrest was useless in both creta and Seltos, it is very useful in kushaq because it is sliding.
9. Now, the most important point, rear width, so as per my measurement, we found hardly any difference in rear width, and wife, me and a healthy salesman sit together shoulder to shoulder(we are not fat, but not thin also). I sat in the middle, and I feel as part of highly adjustable Indian society, my family of 5 can sit there once they come and visit me(once/twice a year).
Infact, rear seats of kushaq for 2 are very comfortable because kushaq has bucket seats. For 2 people on back, it feels premium and very relaxed. Seltos and creta rear seats are not having such good bucket seats. In Kushaq, for 3 people it is ok, one can sit easily if you are not so fat/bulky, but since there is a cup-holder on back, it is not soft, and this problem is with all the cars which has cup holders in rear seats.

Overall we both found the vehicle more premium than Creta and Seltos and we found build quality same as Ecosport which we checked out few months ago. TD has not started yet. Will start on Monday.

I moved to Style 1.0L MT from AT due to airbag goofup by Skoda.

Can someone tell me how is the clutch and gearbox of MT variant.

[maverickNerd]

Can someone guide me on how to talk with dealer on insurance price, currently quoted price for insurance is 63500 with nil dep, but from outside I am sure I can get it for much less(I checked for equivalent Seltos variant earlier and it was quoted as 35-38k), now if I fear that if I talk to dealer regarding matching insurance price with the outside price that I am getting or if I say that I will take insurance from outside, he might delay my delivery and keep delaying till a month or so since I see lot of people in the showroom and as per dealer they already have around 100 bookings.

Also, I got a call today from my dealer saying to deposit cheque before 10 and delivery will be on 12th, I told him that I can only provide cheque after PDI, but he was reluctant with this idea, so I said I can only provide a soft copy before PDI, now I think dealer is doing this to check if I am including insurance price in cheque or not.