[gopi_rm]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

When it comes to its own segment - Kushaq is truly the smallest, in all dimensions! Wonder why Skoda adopted this strategy, in our market where size and road presence plays a big factor in sales!
Attachment 2134584

Compared to the segment leader Creta, Kushaq is 7.5cm shorter in length, 3cm shorter in width and 2.3cm shorter in height. But if the interior packing is better than Creta then it will translate into better legroom and more useable boot space and in that case it’s a better product for urban usage. Let’s wait for the official review.

I agree many Indians would prefer road presence than a better interior packaging for which skoda is well known for.

[07CR]

I just went over the entire feature list and couldn't help but notice there are actually many misses, than the hits.

Vis-a-Vis a Seltos/Creta, Kushaq misses out on-

1) Pano Sunroof (Creta)
2) EPB with Auto Hold (Creta)
3) 360 degree Cam (Seltos)
4) Front Parking sensors
5) Rear Sunshades
6) Puddle Lamps (Creta)
7) Superior MID
8) HUD (Seltos)
9) TPMS (it's optional = further additional cost)
10) Electric seat adjustment
11) Rear Sunshades
12) Hill Hold (it's optional = further additional cost)
13) Remote Start Stop Option with AC operation
14) Air Purifier
15) Blindspot monitor (Seltos)
16) HUD (Seltos)
17) All wheel discs
18) Smaller external dimensions (Choti Car Image)

I am sure I might be missing out on some more equipment the Korean cousins offer. Kushaq Might offer a better build (some reviewers pointed negatives here), some nifty touches like cooled glovebox and a tantalizing 150 PS TSI motor, but this still looks quite tough for SKODA.

Additionally, SKODA brand's image is much more negative than what the Kia And Hyundai's has been (despite the recent negatives being highlighted). Add to that, Kia/Hyundai offer a wide ranging variant spread in multiple fuel and transmission options, SKODA has it's task cut out. Kushaq is also likely to offer better handling setup, but that isn't the priority for majority of the Indian buyers in the segment.

With so many feature misses and also some equipment being optional, I am pretty sure we will be seeing a very aggressive pricing for Kushaq. Even then, how aggressive will define it's fate. A starting price of OTR 10L for base stretching to 15L top end 1.5L variant is what they should be ideally targeting. Anything above that and it looks really difficult.

[AZT]

Was the sunroof kept out to make it a Taigun exclusive feature, kind of like the Seltos and Creta situation. It's criminal to launch a car in 2021 India and not offer that in the higher trims.

[Vid6639]

The Kushaq looks promising. If they have the Skoda trademarks such as build quality, drive quality, dynamics, safety then the package will be formidable.

Skoda is never going to come close to Hyundai and Kia on gizmos if they plan to be price competitive.

When they were competing in D1 sedan space, the Octavia was most expensive as it had all the bells and whistles which the Toyota and Honda lacked. Same with the Rapid and City and Verna.

This will be an honest car. They haven't gone overboard and to me that is an indication of competitive pricing.

I did see some un-skoda like bits.

- No engine bay insulation
- The boot area near the light had some slats in the plastic cladding which could see straight thru to wiring and orange paint.
- The boot lid around the windshield had no molding and bare.
- Interesting to see only 3 parking sensors at the rear

Other than that I am happy to see nice clean analog dials vs cheap digital display which people don't realise it's just initial fad and main objective is lower cost. Digital dials also age faster as screen technology keeps evolving.

I am also from the minority that will not miss air purifier, electric seats, 360 degree camera (for this size vehicle), panoramic sunroof, electric parking brake. These are nice to have but not deal breakers if the car drives better and is priced close to rivals.

Personally, it would be an ideal upgrade for Ecosport owners who could only look at Hyundai and Kia but lose on driving dynamics, or look at JEep but increase budget. This hits the sweet spot imo. Same for Polo owners.

What I really like is they have the perfect set of features people need and want such as:

1. LED lights (must have in today's market)
2. 6 airbags (top end will sell for this)
3. Seat ventilation (most useful feature from Kia/Hyundai to come down to lower segment)
4. Infotainment system with android auto/apple carplay and some connected tech
5. Subwoofer! (nuff said)
6. Sunroof (Although not panoramic this is good enough as the panoramic really saps ac performance)
7. USB C ports galore. This is good but has its own set of problems as cables are not as easily available.

I just hope they price is lower than Kia /Hyundai especially the 1.0L engine. It is clearly half a segment lower in size and even more so with 1.0L TSI.

The 1.5L TSI might be able to pull off a price tag close to Kia's but truly speaking this needs to be well under 20L on road.

[Eshan Joshi]

Originally Posted by AZT

Was the sunroof kept out to make it a Taigun exclusive feature, kind of like the Seltos and Creta situation. It's criminal to launch a car in 2021 India and not offer that in the higher trims.

Hey mate,

The Kushaq comes with a sunroof .

Originally Posted by EightSix

The Škoda Kushaq has been unveiled globally today.

◘ Electric Sunroof, Silver Roof Rails

[Hayek]

Skoda seems to have a done a great job in packaging the Kushaq - the rear seat leg room seems great for a car of this size, and even if the boot is marginally smaller than the Creta, I don’t see that as a deal breaker. Clearly, the bulk of the sales are likely to be the 1 l MT and TC - I see the 1.5 DSG as more of a halo product which will account for less than 15% of overall sales.

Think lots of folks have been very unrealistic about price expectations here. Think pricing will overlap with the Creta - don’t see any reason for Skoda to undercut Hyundai. The 1.5 TSI DSG will probably be priced above the top end Creta. The absence of rear disks and a panoramic sun roof is not a deal breaker - the normal sun roof seems much larger than the tiny one in the Seltos for example.

The key is whether Skoda and VW are able to give a
Good ownership experience to customers - in the absence of that, demand will fall away. Hoping that this does well - not because I will buy this car but because the long term survival of VW in India depends on this car, and as the owner of a new VW, that is critical for me.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

[i]

Build on your strengths not on your weaknesses:

Your observations are spot on.

It's not the parts that need localisation. Localisation is a euphemism for cheapening of the quality. It's their culture of customer service and cost of maintenance that need overhaul.

I dread the prospect of seeing a Skoda that has a cheap build, underpowered engine but no improvement in cost and hassle of ownership. I am worried this vision 2.0 seems to be heading in this direction. Let's wait to see their pricing, servicing and warranty packages.

Given the recent success of KIA, I am fully convinced that European brands have a long uphill task in Indian market. Priorities and preferences of Indian customers can never be catered to by EU brands. Only exception has been the long wheel base (which is more of a Chinese tinkering)

[Shreyas_H]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

This will be an honest car.

Looking at all that I have seen / read since yesterday, I feel this is a great adjective to describe the car. It will be a no nonsense car.
I personally feel that the 1 L Torque Converter automatic top trim will hit the sweet spot for quite a few people and should sell well!

Looking forward to see Skoda's pricing strategy on this. This is their pièce de résistance, they are going to put all efforts into selling this car.

[Highh5]

Originally Posted by 07CR

I just went over the entire feature list and couldn't help but notice there are actually many misses, than the hits.

Vis-a-Vis a Seltos/Creta, Kushaq misses out on-

1) Pano Sunroof (Creta)
2) EPB with Auto Hold (Creta)
3) 360 degree Cam (Seltos)
4) Front Parking sensors
5) Rear Sunshades
6) Puddle Lamps (Creta)
7) Superior MID
8) HUD (Seltos)
9) TPMS (it's optional = further additional cost)
10) Electric seat adjustment
11) Rear Sunshades
12) Hill Hold (it's optional = further additional cost)
13) Remote Start Stop Option with AC operation
14) Air Purifier
15) Blindspot monitor (Seltos)
16) HUD (Seltos)
17) All wheel discs
18) Smaller external dimensions (Choti Car Image)

Believe me, if I would have to go through this list before the purchase of Harrier, I would have never been able to justify why I bought it because it misses on almost everything except two or three things from the list above and it is priced way more than the Creta/Seltos or hopefully even the upcoming Kushaq.

But I think Car has his heart and soul sorted first and then I will look at the necessities whether they are covered or not. For me, that would be how beautifully the engine and gearbox are synced together and how pliant is the ride quality. And I think Kushaq is going to shine there as well since Skoda's are known more for the driving pleasure with a premium feel inside out.

I think for the expected price point it is going to be launched, looks to be very well loaded with all necessities covered. For an average Joe who cares more about features will still opt for Korean cars, one needs to have a big heart before owning Skoda as money pit is their second name.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by Highh5

Believe me, if I would have to go through this list before the purchase of Harrier, I would have never been able to justify why I bought it because it misses on almost everything except two or three things from the list above and it is priced way more than the Creta/Seltos or even the upcoming Kushaq.

Harrier offers much better road presence, interior space, and that big butch appearance compared to the Korean twins. I can understand your choice for the Harrier. Harrier vs Creta/Seltos is quite a different story. In Kushaq's case even the dimensions look smaller.

Originally Posted by Highh5

For me, that would be how beautifully the engine and gearbox are synced together and how pliant is the ride quality. And I think Kushaq is going to shine there as well since Skoda's are known more for the driving pleasure with a premium feel inside out.

I agree, but honestly speaking, the new Creta and Seltos aren't as bad as the old Hyundai's on this front too.

PS- My points might make it sound like I am a huge fan of Hyundai/Kia (infact it's the opposite), but I am just trying to make sense, of how the Kushaq will fare in the face of competition. Unless very aggressive pricing by Skoda, this will sink without a trace.

[NevGin]

There is much being said about the car dimensions and comparisons. Let us understand that a car length does not determine the space it has inside.

• The cabin section could be longer and the bonnet shorter which seems like what Skoda has gone for in the Kushaq. This will push the engine slight deeper and help driving dynamics as well.
  
  
• Wheelbase – The Kushaq wheelbase is 41mm more than the Seltos & Creta. How this is to be understood is that the cabin is designed around this and will be as spacious. I would go on a limb to say that take all these 3 cars around sharp corners and you will know which one goes quickest and with practically no body roll. It will be the Kushaq.
  
  
• I do not agree to the thinking that boot space is a deal breaker. Logically if you are carrying no one in the back seat and need more boot space, fold down the seats. And if you are mostly carrying people at the back then viola, you anyway have better leg room. It is not a deal breaker at all. Think about it.
  

Let’s progress into a safety and quality mentality and move on from the age old features and 200 service centers next to my house mentality.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by Saminxs

Hi, I see you own a Eco sport and hence reaching out to you. I was going to book a Eco Sport At but decided to wait for Kushaq launch. What is your outlook since you have been driving Ecosport. I own a Figo and it feels awesome but its time to upgrade now.
Thanks in advance

EcoSport is a fantastic product no doubt; handling, steering feel, the solid tank-like build are top class (my personal opinion; no car in the CSUV segment in which EcoSport exists provides the same driving feel even till now) only downside is the rear seat space and Ford’s constant feature deletions. I can’t comment on the Kushaq yet, but I expect a similar driving experience compared to the EcoSport because of the explosive TSi motors. But by now the EcoSport deserves a new generation, and I would suggest you to wait for the Kushaq to be launched.

Even I wanted to upgrade from my EcoSport, but there was nothing in the market in the segment above that can match it, finally I feel the Skoda Kushaq can be a good upgrade considering Skoda’s have excellent build quality, no compromise on safety, decent feature list (nothing too blingy), connected driving feel and if the Rapids, Polos, Ventos 1.0L TSI are anything to go by I can say the 1L & 1.5L Kushaq will be an absolute hoot to drive.

To me the Kushaq looks like an honest upgrade to the EcoSport not it’s competitor but still there will definitely be some overlap in price with the EcoSport.

Now hope Skoda doesn’t get too ambitious with the pricing .

[AZT]

Originally Posted by Eshan Joshi

Hey mate,

The Kushaq comes with a sunroof .

Thanks. Misread a comment above which compared the features missing vis-a-vis Creta and had mentioned panaromic sunroof. Panaromic is the thing they meant.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Won't Kushaq 1.0 TSi also be the only vehicle in this segment to quality for the lower tax benefits (vehicles larger than 4 metres, but with a petrol engine smaller than 1.2 litre capacity)?

15% compensation cess instead of 22% for the entry level variants of all it's rivals - another factor which should contribute to brilliant pricing of the 1.0 TSi variants - unless Skoda gets greedy.

If Skoda can repeat a 'Rapid Rider TSi' strategy here - it will be one big success story.

[tirumalavoleti]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Surprisingly, Kushaq is smaller than most sub-4m SUVs in at least two dimensions! It is shorter than most sub-4m SUVs with the exception of the TATA Nexon, whereas in terms of width - it is THE smallest among them all!

Except when viewed in side profile, this car may end up having less road presence than even sub-4m SUVs!

When it comes to its own segment - Kushaq is truly the smallest, in all dimensions! Wonder why Skoda adopted this strategy, in our market where size and road presence plays a big factor in sales!

Attachment 2134584

Very good comparision

An unexpected strategy. One advantage is they could fight both venue/sonet with 1.0 TSI and creta/seltos with 1.5 TSI. But the danger is, they might miss out on either segments. Remember there would not be any sub 4mtr benefit for the car pricing.

Definitely it would look like an extended ecosport based on the dimensions.

The USP is the driving dynamics which are lacking in creta/seltos which would be pleasing the enthusiasts. But tricky situation for common buyers.

Very glad to see 6 air bags, ESP. Customers would have choice of 3 categories:
Low end: comfort with 1.0 TSI
Middle end: comfort and features using 1.0 TSI (OR) performance with out features using 1.5 TSI
High end: Performance with features using 1.5 TSI

Lot of combinations to choose from


Lets hope to see super success for Kushaq and have a good position which show cases driving and safety are more important along with features and comfort.