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Skoda Kushaq vs Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos
14th July 2021, 11:24 by Aditya Nadkarni
Skoda Kushaq
What you'll like:
- A breath of fresh (European) air in a sea of Korean, Chinese & Indian SUVs
- Classy exterior & interior styling matched with solid European build quality
- Cabin has good legroom to offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & lots of storage
- 148 BHP engine makes the Kushaq one of the most fun-to-drive crossovers in the segment
- Sporty 1.0L & 1.5L turbo-petrols are mated to slick 6-speed MTs & smooth ATs
- Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
- Safety features include 6 airbags (sadly MT only), ESC (all variants), 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
- 6-year extended warranty & 4-year all inclusive service packages available
- Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, audio system with a punchy subwoofer, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
What you won't:
- No 1.5L diesel is a major disadvantage in a world where petrol costs over 100 bucks / litre
- DQ200 DSG transmission has a history of poor reliability & breakdowns in India
- Narrow width makes a 5th adult completely unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
- Lovely 1.5L TSI is only available on the top variant
- At 385 litres, boot space is lesser than its direct rivals (Creta & Seltos = 433L)
- Sure lacks the street cred / presence offered by some competitors
- Skoda’s notorious dealerships & after-sales horror stories
- Missing some now expected features such as 6 airbags on the ATs, driving modes (sport), panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, electric driver's seat adjustment & regular USB ports
- Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard
Hyundai Creta
What you'll like:
- A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
- We find the Hyundai Creta to be well-priced for what it offers
- User-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality parts
- Loved the 1.4L turbo-petrol & 1.5L diesel. These are fantastic engines
- Smooth & competent automatic gearboxes available. With the useful "auto-hold" feature too
- Sorted road manners & handling for a Hyundai, including on the highway. You will be surprised!
- The Creta's safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS etc.
- Impressive kit (panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more)
- Hyundai's competent after-sales service, fuss-free ownership & upto 5-years standard warranty
What you won't:
- Oddball love it or hate it styling. We find the Creta's exterior design to be too weird & futuristic
- Firmer suspension isn't as cushy as the 1st-gen Creta. It is more comfortable than the Seltos though
- Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
- Some misses (no auto wipers, 360-degree camera, illuminated window buttons, full-size spare tyre on top trims)
- Dual-clutch ATs (like the Hyundai Creta Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
- Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment. Old 1.6L CRDi was superior
- No manual transmission available with the fast 1.4L Petrol (Seltos offers this combo)
- The stiffer Seltos has an edge in the handling department. IMHO, the Kia is better looking too
- You get bigger SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)
Kia Seltos
What you'll like:
- A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
- Handsome, contemporary styling. Looks very sharp
- We find the Seltos to be well-priced for what it offers
- Nice, user-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality
- Loved the 1.4L turbo-petrol & 1.5L diesel. They are BS6 compliant too
- Both the automatics - Diesel AT & Petrol DCT - are simply fantastic!
- Mature on-road behavior, including at highway speeds. A+ brakes as well
- Unusually wide variant offering. Seems there is something for everyone
- Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, blind spot monitor, TPMS etc.
- Impressive kit (360 degree camera, HUD, front parking sensors, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more)
What you won't:
- Barely managed 3-stars in the GNCAP crash tests (full discussion)
- Firm suspension. Liveable, but bad roads will bother you (especially on 17" wheel variants)
- Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
- Niggles are being reported by owners (details here)
- Some misses (illuminated window buttons, thinner spare tyre on top trims, no dual-tone option on GTX+ / HTX+)
- Dual-clutch ATs (like the Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
- Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment.
- Extremely confusing & complicated variant spread. We still haven’t gotten the hang of it!
- Kia's after-sales service quality is an unknown. We await details in our ownership reports
- You get bigger SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)
Jeep Compass
What you'll like:
- Handsome Cherokee-inspired styling & loads of character
- Solid build. Feels very robust, just as a Jeep should
- Powerful 2.0L diesel. Good driveability in the city, fast on the open road
- 1.4L turbo-petrol makes 161 BHP! Offers fast performance.
- Mature suspension setup, nicely-tuned EPS & rock-solid stability
- Capable AWD available (unlike some competitors)
- City-friendly: Compact size, higher seating, smooth gearshift, soft clutch & low NVH
- Topnotch safety: Strong all-disc brakes, a plethora of electronic aids & 6 airbags
- We think the Compass is well-priced for what it offers. The driving experience & overall package feel premium
What you won't:
- Small size for the price! A sentiment echoed by most people who saw it in person
- Suitable for 4 adults, not 5. Boot is small too
- Tiny dealership network. Plus, after-sales quality & long-term reliability are unknown factors
- AWD's premium is over 2 lakh rupees on-the-road. Includes 4 extra airbags, but is still too much
- Turning radius of 5.65m is wide. Also, 17º approach angle is too low
- Missing goodies (blanks on the steering, lumbar adjustment, reclinable rear seats)
Link to Report - The Trailhawk
Tata Harrier
What you'll like:
- Smooth & competent 6-speed automatic transmission
- Stunning looks & strong road presence. Solid build too
- Classy, spacious cabin with comfortable seats & a chilling air-con
- Fantastic 9-speaker audio system. Sound quality & bass are enjoyable
- The Harrier's 2.0L diesel now gets 30 BHP more & offers good performance
- 205 mm of ground clearance + terrain response system. Latter will make monsoon driving safer
- Topnotch safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, break reminder, hill hold, brake disc wiping & more
- Features such as the panoramic sunroof, Eco & Sport modes, auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control…
What you won't:
- Heavy steering gets cumbersome at parking / u-turn / crawling speeds (<5 km/h)
- Harrier AT’s focus is on smoothness & comfort; gearbox is not the most responsive
- Concerns over niggles & long-term reliability associated with Tata cars
- Service visit every 6 months / 7,500 km (12-months is the norm today)
- Diesel engine does get loud at 3,500 rpm & its engine note is quite sad too
- No petrol option (almost all competitors offer it). No AWD for enthusiasts either
- Although improved, the Harrier's steering @ 120 km/h is still a level too sensitive
- Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
MG Hector
What you'll like:
- Big size & lots of bling for the money! We find the Hector to be well-priced
- A spacious cabin that can easily seat 5 adults. Massive 587 litre boot too
- Fiat-sourced 2.0L diesel is simply fantastic
- Compliant ride quality. Suspension is tuned for comfort
- Lots of kit (panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, electric seats & tailgate etc.)
- ‘Connected’ Tablet ICE with an embedded SIM & lovely sound quality
- 5-year / unlimited km warranty with roadside assistance
- Top safety equipment includes 6 airbags, ESP, HSA, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS & more
What you won't:
- Awkward styling on the side & rear profiles. Looks weird from some angles
- Sloppy high-speed handling, noticeable body roll & easy understeer
- The petrol engine is “adequate” at best. Its guzzling Automatic variant is unimpressive
- No Diesel AT (Creta, Seltos, XUV500, Hexa offer this combination, which we love)
- Some annoyances like the ~6 meter turning radius, strange rpm meter…
- Small after-sales network. Service quality & long-term reliability are big unknowns
- Waiting period runs into a couple of months
- Don’t get blinded by the British branding. This is a Chinese car
Mahindra XUV500
What you’ll like:
- A well-engineered, contemporary SUV with a value-for-money price tag
- More mature styling. Front end no longer looks garish
- Acres of space on the 1st & 2nd seat rows
- Competent engine delivers fantastic urban driveability, as well as fast highway performance
- Balanced ride & handling package
- Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP with rollover mitigation, ABS + EBD and all-wheel disc brakes
- Expansive feature list (sunroof, touchscreen ICE, powered driver's seat, cruise control etc.)
What you won’t:
- Absolutely no luggage capacity with all the seats in place
- Cramped 3rd seat row is best suited to children only. A sliding middle row is sorely missed
- Interior quality, although better, still has a lot of scope for improvement
- Clutch is lighter now, but has a long travel range & high resting point. Gets cumbersome in traffic
- Niggles & issues, as reported by existing XUV500 owners
- Mahindra's inconsistent sales & service experiences
Volkswagen T-Roc
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