[sachin_cs]

Voted yes! I have been driving a Rapid DSG from last 3 years and it has been an amazing experience so far, the service experience has been stellar too. Now when I drive any other car, I just don’t feel the connect with it. So, for me the upgrade has to be either a VAG or a move to the big Germans. Coming to the 2.0 cars, I would say no to Kushaq/Taigun because I just don’t get the idea of hatchbacks on stilts. Also the Kushaq I was driving was not the most silent cabin. As far as Slavia/Virtus are concerned, I won’t mind that 150bhp paired with DSG. Fact is, there’s no other car as fun/fast to drive as Slavia (expecting Virtus to be the same). For someone in my boat, there’s no other option for a fun to drive sedan under 20L. Period.

Would I replace my Rapid with Slavia
Probably no, I would rather have both the cars at home & nurse my Rapid diesel till it’s extinction and if at all I have to let go of my Rapid then it will be replaced with an Octavia.

The problem is, Rapid/Vento are already very good machines and if we are looking at a proper upgrade, then Octavia and above are the only options. Slavia/Virtus have big shoes to fill in. In certain aspects, Rapid/Vento were better and in some Slavia/virtus are an improvement over the PQ25 based cars. Not really a deal breaker for me as of now.


Took a drive in the 1.5 when I went to drop my car for insurance claim. 150bhp paired with DSG is insanely fun. Have that extended warranty and enjoy your drive.



It's raining Slavias here

[kaushiksudra]

Voted Yes. I've never owned a VAG car before and was keen on buying the POLO/Vento but somehow it didn't really create any emotion. Since the launch of Kushaq/Taigun i never bothered taking a look as i already have an Ecosport and wasn't interested in CSUV's. Was looking at buying an EV(but considering the market isn't yet as mature i decided ICE was the way to go).

When Skoda dropped the bomb with the Slavia, the design blew me away(was always a fan of Octavia & Superb). Almost brought it but my father wasn't really a fan of the Floating screen and hence waited for the Virtus.

Finally booked and have been waiting since March for the same.

Quality wise I really don't think it's up to the mark, but i always try to buy different brands of cars when I switch just to experience the difference.

The car this would replace is a 2007 Civic, which was a gem of a car. Lets see how things go with this little mischievous kid on the block

[sangtani]

In the past 13 years we have bought the following brand new cars - a 2009 BMW 520d, a 2010 Hyundai i20, a 2011 VW Polo 1.6L petrol, a 2016 Hyundai Creta 1.6L petrol, a 2020 MG Hector 1.5T DCT, and now a 2021 Skoda Kushaq 1.0T MT. I mention these to give context to my opinion on the matter.

A lot of folks here mention the famed "build quality" of the VAG cars prior to vision 2.0. I think we're maybe overrating it a bit. My Polo while admittedly one of the earlier 1.6L pieces, developed boot and door rattles within the first few months. Infact the door noise was down to some grease/lubricant European manufacturers use that maybe wear off quickly in our heat (I live in Nagpur). I've faced similar problems in the BMW as well as the Hector (I figure SAIC dips in the VW vendor list quite liberally). The car also only came with a CD player, and manual AC controls. My point is that the interiors while robust were pretty barebones even in the highline trim so there frankly wasn't much scope for interior trim bits to squeek or fall off! By the time we sold it in 2018 with around 50k kms on it, the clutch was squeeking and getting tiresome to depress.

The Creta was a great car with a surprisingly well balanced ride and handling package and fairly well put together interiors. However, as with our previous i20, the moment the car got 5 years old the AC compressor promptly conked off and a couple of the AC vent adjustment levers broke off. My long time garage also told me that some suspension components would need to be changed along with some parts of the Steering Rack (both were making clunking sounds). And this is a car that had only done 45k kms in 6 years of 95% city driving.

Our Kushaq is now 3 months old and I have to say I love using it as my daily driver. It's compact and sprightly and super easy to maneuver, the gearbox is as smooth and light and as precise as the Polo's, the steering feel is slightly more more with an obviously better ride. The wireless Android Auto works seemlessly. Do some of the stalks and the dash feel less robust that the old Polo and even the Creta.....maybe so. But the so called "rattles" are also overblown. While I bought my Kushaq in Feb 2022 its an Aug 2021 model (I chose it because of the Electric ORVMs and because it was the only non-white coloured car immediately available, and also because I got a decent discount on it), and I have not heard a single rattle till now. Is it odd that the dash trim gives a little if you press hard? Sure, but I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I don't typically go around pressing my dash trim every time I sit in a car! The steering is a aesthetically fabulous and the rocker volume controls are a joy to use. The touchscreen is responsive and much better than the Hector's as well.

The 1.0T has got plenty of performance and is much more fun to drive than the Creta was, and the 11kmpl I'm getting is something my Creta (8.5kmpl) or my Hector (7.5 kmpl) could only dream of. Also, the Hector's DCT is possibly the worst tuned automatic transmission of all time! But sorry, I digress.

So overall I'm pretty happy with my choice and as a previous generation VW Polo owner I haven't felt as if I've been shortchanged by buying VAG's newer model.

[ZB86]

Voted No.

I have never owned a VAG car before, and unlikely I would consider them in their 2.0 version.

I have a soft spot for VAG sedans and owning an Octavia is a long pending wish. However their 2.0 version does not inspire me much. Surely, the driving dynamics and the engines are not in question, but the sheer amount of niggles and experiences from others does not inspire confidence.

Compared to the Kushaq / Taigun, I find the new sedans to be far more appealing. Lack of options also play a part here.

A friend recently got a Slavia, 1.0 TSI Auto and it seems to be suffering from the same EPC issues which plagued Kushaq. I was hoping by the time sedans came out this issue would be resolved.

Out of curiosity, is this issue limited to Skoda or VW 2.0 cars also suffer from similar problems?

[SaiSW]

I don't need a new car now, instead I'm going the remap route with my 1.5 Ford, but if I had to buy one, VAG would be in my list. Or maybe, like another member said, wait (a couple months?!) for their "2.1" version cars, with all the fuel pump, doorpad rattling/window trim issues resolved.

VW no longer sell decade old cars for the same price as new models from their competitors, I have driven both the Kushaq and the Taigun and I was impressed by the cabin ambience, looks, build and engine performance. While a lot of other companies have shut shop or become stagnant/dependant on one model, VAG has not given up in India and we have to appreciate that.

I just hope they improve the dealership reach, improve the aftersales service niggles and the various small issues cropping up in the 2.0 cars and then they're fine. Same with Renault/Nissan and Honda, I'd hate for them to not succeed.

[PrasannaDhana]

Voted Option 2.

Reasons :

1. No TDIs.

2. The overall quality seems to have gone down in comparison to older Skodas/VWs.

[pjnayak64]

I have never owned a VW/Skoda car and would not buy their India 2.0 cars

VW never impressed me because of the dated looks. Few in my friends circle owned Vento. Short drives gave me the impression of solid build quality and that is about all. Most of their offerings are too bland in styling and too expensive to maintain. The latest problem is lack of diesel engines. Taigun, although impressive from the exterior, absence of diesel and DSG gear box are deal breakers.

As far is Skoda is concerned, I fell in love with Octavia (previous generation) but the horror stories at the service centre made me stay off. Again Slavia looks impressive, but no diesel. Kushaq has cut a sorry figure due to many a reported middle of the road failures.

Its a sad story overall. In spite of extremely good build quality, the brands are put down by poor style upgrades, terrible ASS and lack of accessories in comparison with the competition. Till recently they were churning out such low numbers, one was but forced to worry about them going the way GM and Ford did.

[SN88]

I own 2 VW cars, a Jetta and a Tiguan and they are stellar but the newer releases like the kushak/taigun and Slavia/Virtus really will keep me away from them if and when I need to buy.

Never has any company received such pathetic reliability issues in brand new cars and whats worse is the way they are receiving complaints and ranting on about the bad quality fuel etc. I mean its terrible the way new excited owners flaunting their new cars after working hard for it are stranded on roads and are having their entire new car experience go down the drain. I personally know a friend who saved so hard to buy a Kushaq and it has been horrible for him. 15k kms and 4 breakdowns in NOT COOL.

[abhishek0303]

Vote- No! Owned one in the past- Yes
Can’t vote yet, still a newbie on the portal.

Having previously owned a Skoda Laura 2007, experienced dsg failures on 3 occasions in the 8 years we owned the car.

Other than that the car was excellent to drive and be driven in. Really comfortable, engaging to drive and luxurious for the time.

However the current crop of cars do not feel the same and have serious doubts about the dealers in Bombay, as they are the same ones as were in 2007 when I bought the Laura. Was a big fan of their diesels as well. Only petrol is a downer for me.

My brother is considering a car from VW/Skoda 2.0 but he also has an alternative in the form of a pre owned Skoda Octavia L&K 2017 TSI DSG with only 7k on the odometer. Still thinking what we should go ahead with considering the Octavia is out of Warranty and really worries about post warranty troubles faced in these cars. New cars come with their 6 year warranty and maintenance packages.

[Miel]

I have never owned a VW/Skoda car but have extensively driven one in the extended family. A top-spec diesel Vento. The drive itself is exemplary, however in later years, post the 40K mark it started having niggles, compounded by inefficient service centers, which has thoroughly muddied the experience forever.

When I look at their 2.0 efforts alongside reports of lowered build quality, nonexistent reliability, with the cars not aging very well, I see no reason to buy their India 2.0 cars. But, I do love their design language! I am actually in the market for a sedan or UV, but have not bothered to consider any VW/Skoda car. Don't wanna be paying a million or two and be left with what has high chances of being just a "selfie prop".

[IREV]

Originally Posted by SN88

I own 2 VW cars, a Jetta and a Tiguan and they are stellar but the newer releases like the kushak/taigun and Slavia/Virtus really will keep me away from them if and when I need to buy.

Never has any company received such pathetic reliability issues in brand new cars and whats worse is the way they are receiving complaints and ranting on about the bad quality fuel etc. I mean its terrible the way new excited owners flaunting their new cars after working hard for it are stranded on roads and are having their entire new car experience go down the drain. I personally know a friend who saved so hard to buy a Kushaq and it has been horrible for him. 15k kms and 4 breakdowns in NOT COOL.

Let alone the reliability factor, the Kushaq twins aren't thoroughly engineered cars at all. I'd consider them as glorified Maruti cars. Not only they lost the character of VAG cars but they have become worse than Tatas and Mahindras in terms of quality and reliability. No offense to all those who own either of the MQB-AO IN based cars. I own a Rapid TDI MT myself. Even the MG Astor is superior to the Kushaq in terms of everything including reliability as well. Earlier the Kushaq twins had EPC issues then queaks and rattles and now AC issues. Now even the Slavia is suffering from EPC problems. I have never seen such issues in Tatas, Mahindras and even MGs as well.

But what's rubbish is that Skoda is now removing 10 inch touchscreen in the Slavia yet increasing the prices in the name of so calledsemiconductor crisis. They already removed the auto AC in the Kushaq Ambition.

SHAME ON SKODA AND VW for selling such half baked rubbish cars like the Kushaq and the Taigun in India and removing features in the name of semiconductor crisis.

[mindshack]

Keenly following the votes as was considering one of the 2.0 cars. However, what struck me the most was of the people who have owned and voted, there is almost a 50:50% on if they would buy one again. Though each's reason may be slightly different, I won't dare to plonk 20 big ones and then flip a coin to know which category of the 50% I might be on the next poll.

[ChandraSekarMN]

Having driven their TDI's (1.5 and extensively the 2.0L), I am not sure if i would think of their petrols (read Turbo Petrols)atleast for the next 10 years, given the dismal fuel efficiency expected under enthusiastic driving. I know 1.0L Turbo Petrols are more than sufficient for city driving (90% of my usage will be within city). But I can't afford two different cars for City and Highways.

[kaushikduttajsr]

Originally Posted by manjubp

What is surprising is that, more than 60% people those who never owned a VAG voting NO, ha ha ha.

Speaks volumes about their brand perception. Isn't it?

[NT56]

Originally Posted by mindshack

However, what struck me the most was of the people who have owned and voted, there is almost a 50:50% on if they would buy one again.

It's a disappointing sign that even on this enthusiast forum half of the past VAG owners would not buy their localised cars. And a lot of other half would wait a generation or two to see if niggles go away. I sure hope the brand is successful because it's good to have driver focused cars that are accessible to the masses.