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Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Pune
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| ![]() Skoda has been forced to delete some features from its models due to the ongoing chip shortage. Earlier, the carmaker had stopped offering auto-folding ORVMs and now, automatic climate control has been removed from the mid-spec 'Ambition' trim of the Kushaq. ![]() The Ambition variant of the Kushaq used to be offered with automatic climate control as standard. However, cars are now being shipped with manual AC instead. The image shows a fairly basic AC module with three rotary controls for the temperature, blower speed and direction. ![]() When Skoda had stopped providing auto-folding ORVMs, customers were being offered a discount of Rs. 20,000. Now with automatic climate removed, customers can expect an additional discount on this variant. The Kushaq was launched in June last year. The SUV is available in three trims: Active, Ambition and Style, and comes with two engine options - a 1.0L TSI producing 113 BHP and 178 Nm and a 1.5L TSI with 148 BHP and 250 Nm. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic and a 7-speed DSG. Thanks to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent this image in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page! Link to Team-BHP News Last edited by TusharK : 11th April 2022 at 17:22. |
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BHPian Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Bangalore
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Infractions: 0/1 (4) | ![]() Hope the discount is substantial since this is a feature which I don't think can be retrofitted & price difference between Active & Ambition was already high for the additional features. |
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![]() | #3 | |
BHPian Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Chennai
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| ![]() I am surprised as just yesterday I posted the below in Kushaq's thread. Cross posting here. A small correction - Ambition never got the Rs.15,000/Rs. 20,000 discount for the Auto folding mirrors removal as only Style variant got it. April Brochure still lists Auto AC for Ambition but looks like removed from the actual product as seen from the image (Seat cover color is that of Ambition). Quote:
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![]() | #4 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Ambala, Haryana
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Wow! Has a touchscreen but omits out on Auto AC which even the significantly cheaper Baleno Sigma and Brezza LXI get as standard! Seems like is working on their Exit.0 strategy, instead of the 2.0 strategy! |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() | ![]() What is Skoda doing. Why are they all over the place and so much volatility. It's not like the Kushaq sales are segment leading. Kia/Hyundai is adding features every few months and Skoda is doing the opposite. |
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![]() | #6 |
BHPian Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Pune
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| ![]() Why are these guys hell bound on attracting negative publicity! Maruti or Hyundai could have got away with such antics, not you guys Skoda. Looks like some moody person in finance section is giving instructions to maximize profit. These kind of short sighted moves will only backfire. Give the customer an absolutely loaded car, and they will still gobble it up. The new Indian consumer is a very savvy one and is swayed by features as you can gauge from the sales of top end models from Hyundai and Kia. If you can’t beat them, join them! Are you listening Skoda? Last edited by GTO : 11th April 2022 at 21:09. Reason: Language, please :) |
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BHPian Join Date: May 2016 Location: Pune
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![]() | #8 | |
BHPian Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: San Francisco
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As someone pointed out, other car manufacturers are adding features, with even Maruti Suzuki now giving 6 speed auto in their cars, and here we have Skoda writing its own death story. They should have learnt from Rapid Rider sales that pricing is the key to Indian market, but yet time and again they are letting us down. The 2.0 strategy should have never compromised on the car quality, the main attribute which made Skoda/VW stand out. I have completely lost faith in this brand, and wouldn't care less if they go the Ford route | |
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![]() | #9 |
BHPian Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Kharagpur
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Infractions: 0/1 (4) | ![]() Yukk!! The Tata Altroz/Punch has better looking manual ac's than these rotating knob ones ( I think they are automatic ac only without the sensors as the airflow is controlled by small motor driven actuators rather than manual knobs, something like what an amt does). VW group is already suffering due to multiple issues in their cars yet they keep on deleting features and raising prices. |
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![]() | #10 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Bokaro
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Same kind of semi manual AC can be found on XUV 700 AX5 variant. Skoda should've atleast provided this instead of those stone age knobs. |
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![]() | #11 |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() I See this as an Upgrade as I personally dislike the current climate control touch sensitive scroller available on my Kushaq (Style variant) & find it really difficult/distracting to operate A/C Controls while driving. Hope this is available as a retrofit for Style variant owners and we get some cash-back of sorts. Will enquire ![]() Last edited by karan561 : 11th April 2022 at 23:57. |
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Newbie Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: CHENNAI
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| ![]() How many more years are car mannufacturers going to blame semiconductor/chip shortage? Skoda is not the only manufacturer to do this. Even Tata did the same with Hexa, which was their flagship and every other manufacturer at some point of time A better way to tackle this will be to provide customize your car/build your car option, where the customers can select only the options they want and skip out on some of the features. If needed, some of the options can be retrofitted at some point later, without voiding the warranty. This might take a longer time to deliver the car (definitely not longer than a year I guess, Thar I am looking at you ![]() |
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![]() | #13 | |
Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() | ![]() Quote:
Skoda is really getting a lot of negative PR on the Kushaq. The EPC issue, this feature deletion, deleting electric folding ORVMs, the cost cutting (although I personally don't have any problem with the interiors), overpricing the higher variants (no.1 reason for it not meeting sales targets), other breakdowns, not launching the Top AT with 6 airbags at the start (soon corrected though)...the list goes on. And this is over and above the negative after-sales image that the brand is already fighting. Shows that selling volume cars isn't really everyone's cup of tea. Maruti, Hyundai & Tata make it look effortless, but moving models that sell over 5000+ copies every month requires superhuman strength & skill. P.S. Wait till the inevitable DQ200 failures start. Last edited by GTO : 12th April 2022 at 10:00. | |
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BHPian Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Chennai
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Recently there was a India Investment 2.5 plan by Skoda and I guess they are spending the entire investment in expanding the Marketing/Sales footprint as seen by the opening of dealership at Tier 2 and 3 towns across India. Possibly the thinking is with more sales points, they can gain the market but again I believe they are not realizing the buyer sentiment in India that once product is perceived as Poor quality or Non-VFM, it can never recover just by increasing geographic spread. With these feature cuts, they simply don't have any talking point on the ground (Forget the safety aspect as they don't even want it crash tested) and the only trump card left is the immediate delivery (due to unsold stock) ![]() | |
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Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dubai/Bombay
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