[Vid6639]

This has already been highlighted before but I am going to stress upon this point once again.

1. The Slavia has the same engine and gearbox as the Kushaq
2. The Slavia is better built than the Kushaq atleast from initial impressions which were really bad for Kushaq from people visiting showrooms.
3. The Slavia is considerably bigger in length than Kushaq
4. The Slavia is based on the same platform as Kushaq
5. The Slavia has more features vs Kushaq - virtual dials, electric folding ORVM etc
6. The Slavia has better dynamics both in ride and handling than the Kushaq

The Slavia is 1.1L cheaper for the top end 1.0 TSI AT Style vs the Kushaq Style 1.0 TSI AT.

There is only one thing the Kushaq does better and thats the ground clearance which the Kushaq has 9mm additional over the Slavia.

Remember when going to the showroom that Skoda is charging 12K per mm extra for the Kushaq's ground clearance vs the Slavia.

To me this package seems far more complete and a no brainer even if I wanted a SUV badly. I would change and get the Slavia.

[speedracer05]

I did a slavia 1.0 automatic TD today.. it tugged at the heart right away! Had a big smile driving this thing. 1.0L turbo reached high speeds effortlessly and I could confidently carry a lot of speed into corners (no drama at all).
Plastic quality, features, price premium etc etc aside.. to me its the best drivers car south of 20 lakhs by a mile!. It’s a true successor to rapid that offers a lot of features, space and creature comforts while still being super fun to drive.
It drives a LOT better than Kushaq due to lower GC and lower weight. The GC is high enough and this is a better choice over Kushaq for most.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

There is only one thing the Kushaq does better and thats the ground clearance which the Kushaq has 9mm additional over the Slavia.

Not just the ground clearance. The Kushaq has better seating at the rear. The seats are placed higher, there is greater headroom and the legroom also seems to be better. I didnt believe this in the first place but after sitting back to back in the rear seat of both cars, I found the Kushaq to be better and had to believe the salesman. The length advantage of the Slavia over Kushaq only shows in the boot and not in the cabin space.

But yes, on the other hand I do not see a point buying the Kushaq unless someone is really insisting on the compact SUV factor. Another issue being the ingress and egress of the rear seat. In the Kushaq you just turn around and walk out of the rear seat whereas in the Slavia, it is slightly tougher.

[TheHelix0202]

Not too off topic, but you know that sedans are a dying breed and are watered down so much when you see them being compared to a compressed SUV (regardless of them sharing chassis). Meme material right there. That’s all I see everyone talking about: Slavia-Kushaq; Kushaq-Slavia…

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Not too off topic, but you know that sedans are a dying breed and are watered down so much when you see them being compared to a compressed SUV (regardless of them sharing chassis). Meme material right there. That’s all I see everyone talking about: Slavia-Kushaq; Kushaq-Slavia…

That's the only ways Sedans will sell now.

Nobody wants low slung sedans that handle like its on rails but can't clear a Bangalore speedbreaker. Those days are long gone.

[GTO]

Can see many customers facing this dilemma, so copying the Slavia vs Kushaq discussion to a new thread. Added poll too.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

There is only one thing the Kushaq does better and thats the ground clearance which the Kushaq has 9mm additional over the Slavia.

That's the case with most crossovers which have hatchback / sedan siblings with the same platforms & engines. The Kushaq does have more advantages = taller seating, easier egress / ingress (especially for senior citizens, many prefer crossover styling to sedans, etc.

Tough choice for sure. I still cannot decide which one to vote for.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

To me this package seems far more complete and a no brainer even if I wanted a SUV badly. I would change and get the Slavia.

Is it really that clear cut to be a no-brainer though? Hear me out!

1. The Slavia has the same engine and gearbox as the Kushaq
That's brilliant and I am a fan of both drivetrains. Wish VAG could have equipped the 1.5 + DSG in the mid variants too. Hey, some of us do dig additional horses + torque vis-a-vis ventilated seats or wireless/ LED this and that!

2. The Slavia is better built than the Kushaq atleast from initial impressions which were really bad for Kushaq from people visiting showrooms.
Both are fine on the outside. All panels have good heft and the panel + shutlines are very consistent. Kushaq was miserable on the inside on debut, Taigun was better. Slavia is better still. And that is on the plastic trim, but they aren't able to get the upholstery right. The stitching on the seats, the trim on the inside of the boot, the roof liner could be better. I wish Skoda had charged 25k more and made those class leading. A car should be desirable inside out. And the plus side is that good quality stuff will be hard wearing and will age well. I have never put an aftermarket upholstery on any car I have brought. But quality of the stock fitment matters.

3. The Slavia is considerably bigger in length than Kushaq
Is it such a big deal? Yeah, the boot is really humongous. But do we really need that much space. Yes, there will be handful of days when it will be, but I wish the sedan was a little more compact. My wife opined that Slavia got a Manza vibe and I agree with her! That said, I have no idea why VAG chopped the rear end of both crossovers so much. It's not like those cars were built for the stupid small car rule, the side profile is ruined because of that.

4. The Slavia is based on the same platform as Kushaq
Yeah, it's 1 - 1 for both.

5. The Slavia has more features vs Kushaq - virtual dials, electric folding ORVM etc
I hate the virtual dials and not a big fan of electric fold either, I need my ORVM open all the time. But Slavia gets one big feature which both crossovers miss out on - and that's KESSY for the mid variants. For someone with 2 young kids, that feature weighs quite high in my decision making. Must have for any car across variants. The convenience and freedom it offers is unparallel. And sensors on both sides please! I hate the Korean implementation there. Agree on this though - with all the craze for crossovers, a sedan or hatchback has to be better equipped! It is the case everywhere!

6. The Slavia has better dynamics both in ride and handling than the Kushaq
This is where I have the biggest issue. Disclaimer - I haven't driven the Slavia yet, but did spent some time with the car earlier this week. Is the ride and handling that better?? Most reviews paint a not so great picture! The common theme is that it is not as good as the Rapid. Now, was the Rapid that good? It was okay, and could be made much better with aftermarket mods. But it was only average in the stock form. Where does that leave the Slavia? Mind you, both crossovers ride and handle well too. The delta here doesn't look that big. So, VAG should have gone the extra mile with the sedans.

Anyways, I have requested Skoda to bring the car home, let's see how it goes.

What Skoda should have done!

• Make the car sit low, and get that ride/ handling balance right! When its sitting lower, they can make the suspension mode supple without making it roll or pitch so much. Why in the world does one need this much ground clearance anyway?? If its bothering so much, one should just simply pick up the crossover. And I don't think 90% people buy crossovers or SUV for ground clearance, it is for the Image + Practicality from a 2 box shape. And no sedan even if its got the greatest ground clearance in the world is going to change that!
• The steering has to be more direct and involving! Again, this works in tandem with point above. It also needs to come down a bit more, I am most comfortable at the lowest seating position in a car and the steering could come down a bit more in the Slavia. Full marks for the telescopic adjustment + movable arm rest. I hate the steering wheel, but let's not get into that now.
• Better upholstery on the inside - even the boot, that looks so bad! Its like a school project. A notchback would have sealed the deal here.
• Get that 1.5 DSG in the mid variant. I will preselect the longest warranty.

They have a lot of room in the 15 to 20 lakhs bracket with the Octavia moving up the segments. And there are customers who would have paid for an involving notchback from Skoda with quality inside out. Instead, they have gone for the City here. Leaving the Slavia neither here, nor there I am afraid.

[Akshay6988]

Voted for Slavia !
I've been drooling over this car ever since it was in design phase. It looks damn good ! As much as I have bashed Skoda in multiple threads, I will always admire them for not abandoning sedans Superb, Octavia, erstwhile Rapid are a gem of cars (niggles not withstanding). I hope Slavia is relatively sorted product and it takes their India 2.0 project to succession !

[tbppjpr]

If there would have been Polo which is the mother of both, I would have voted for it. Polo is the original design where everything will be well sorted out. But rest of the modded models based on the Polo will obviously be having lot of adjustments like tweaked suspension setup or raising height to prevent the long overhangs from scrapping on the road humps, so the driving dynamics not gonna be as good as what a Polo will have.

if I have to chose from the currently available options in India, I would prefer the Sedan version over the SUV. The ground clearance problem is just a myth, especially with VAG cars which usually have stiffer suspension so scrapping the underbody is not a that big issue even with their hatchbacks or sedans counterparts with the constantly improving road conditions.

The ground clearance on the paper does not tell the whole story. The actual advantage Kushaq has over the Slavia is the smaller overhangs and bigger rims. So the probability of scrapping the nose or tail are reduced drastically while jumping over the big road humps.

Still the Kushaq falls in the category of pseudo SUVs which have never been my cup of tea because most buyers of these pseudo SUVs also drive them on the surfaces meant for cars so whats the point of loosing the dynamics, control and comfort which a car provides?

Drive a vehicle with raised seating position on windy and twisty mountain roads with lot of hairpin bands and drive a sedan or hatchback with lower seating position on the same route, the feeling will not be as scary in a car as you feel in a SUVish vehicle. If I will be in the market to buy a comfort oriented urban SUV then I would atleast be looking for AWD setup if not a full fledged 4x4 so that I can take it to mild adventurous locations occasionally.

All said and done, I recently recommended Tata Punch to my brother since we have limited parking space for two cars and he mostly drives in the city during rush hours with occasional outskirt drives so safety was also a core point in a small package. He is also one of those people who prefer to see the bonnet while driving despite driving a hatchback for years. Now he got the Punch and is happy with it. So sometimes there are different priorities for different people where they have to take the calls accordingly.

If someone regularly drives on extremely poor roads with massive potholes then Kushaq is better suited over the Slavia.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

I voted for the Skoda Slavia. However, will not buy either.

Kushaq was a disappointment for me, ever since the reveal. I remember reading our Team-BHP review and getting a shocker with the dull grey interiors and the poor fit and finish (the seats, the roof liner etc) being evident even in pictures! Seeing one in the showroom didn't change my impressions either.

However, reviewing the Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSi DSG made me fall in love with the mechanical package and I pre-booked one - only to be let down by the Kushaq again, which started breaking down by the dozens. By the time these issues got sorted, the Slavia was unveiled and it promised better quality over the crossover sibling. Decided to wait till March.

Got a chance to check out the Slavia too recently and was promised initial delivery of the 1.5 in the first slot itself if I was flexible on the colour, and second slot in my choice of colour - but the car (though better than the Kushaq IMHO) didn't excite. Also by this time, Kushaq disappointed for a third time - with the owners reporting severe rattles and build issues with the Kushaq - and the Slavia didn't seem revolutionary enough to have addressed all these shortcomings either.

Moving on from the 0-IN platform.

[Rajeevraj]

My vote is for the Slavia. Apart from all the reasons already mentioned, I prefer a sedan any day over a 5 seater CSUV. Only situation I would buy an SUV is for 6/7 seats. Ground clearance is overrated beyond a point in my opinion.

Not sure if I will buy either now. I am not too much into tons of features and from what I have heard and read so far, the overall quality and fit/finish seems to be lower with this new India platform as compared to the earlier models. So although I am yet to see the Slavia in flesh, I doubt it will excite me enough to consider it as an upgrade from a Vento TSI

[GTO]

Thought about it some more & just made the first, lone vote for the Kushaq. Reasons:

- I always buy the best engine that a car is available with. The difference between the Kushaq 1.5 & Slavia 1.5 is slimmer than with the 1.0. See Viddy's quoted post at the end.

- Already have 3 sedans in the family. Hence, would like "something different". Would also be the first crossover we ever bought.

- Would be primarily city usage as we have already fast & big sedans for highway runs. The smaller footprint + taller seating would be preferred in the city.

- Last but not the least, it is my bhabhi who would be driving this car and she'd (like most women) prefer a crossover to a sedan.

I'd buy the Kushaq in 2023 though. There are clearly many areas that Skoda needs to sort out or improve upon, in the Kushaq.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Interesting to note that the difference between the 1.0L TSI AT and 1.5L TSI DSG is 2.4 lakhs for the Slavia but only 1.7L for the Kushaq.

This means the Slavia 1.5L TSI is less VFM than the 1.0L TSI.

Also this means the price difference between the Kushaq 1.5L TSI DSG and the Slavia 1.5L TSI DSG is only 40K.

But with the 1.0L TSI AT the difference was a much larger 1.1 lakhs.

Interesting strategy by Skoda to have this difference.

[lamborghini]

I'm going against the tide and voting for the Kushaq / Taigun as well primarily because of the usage of the car which will see all types of roads & multiple drivers (so good ground clearance needed), will see tight parking space at home and just in general in Mumbai (4.2M length of Kushaq is a boon!), and will also see all types of passengers : elderly, kids, tall, short, thin, fat, etc. (so good ingress & egress mated with good headroom at the rear).

That being said, in an ideal world - where I would be driving the vehicle daily and the rear seat would be used sparingly - the Slavia 1.5MT would be a good companion but I picked up a pre-owned F30 4 years ago for a price within striking range of what I anticipate the top end Slavia 1.5MT would cost on road.

[sunikkat]

Voted for Slavia

In general I would prefer Slavia over Kushaq. Never a fan of crossovers and always like low seating. Heck even the maximum low seat setting of new i20 is high for me, and do not feel very comfortable.
Though Kushaq is a very capable car, I believe Slavia has that extra ride and handling balance (based on reviews) and will go for it. Also with Slavia few mods and we can make it more sportier and a proper fun to drive car.

But if I have to really buy now, I would go for a Kushaq since I already have another sedan.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I would change and get the Slavia.

You are looking to upgrade a car or get a new car?

Originally Posted by Vid6639

That's the only way Sedans will sell now.

My wife and I and most of my friends prefer the look of a sedan over the SUV/MiniVan/Crossover type boxes. SUVs remind us of this. Hence voted for the sedan.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...ilk-trucks.jpg