[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Karvel

Tyre Change:

Was pleasantly surprised when it was offered at Rs 7.5k per tyre.

They had ready stock in 205/55/R16 and the tyre dates ranged from 4719 to 4919 indicating Nov/Dec'19 makes, as good as we get from the factory.

Final price was package of Rs 29k, including the discount for the older tyres.

Pirelli P6s are offered with 5 yr warranty, with the first 2 years being unconditional - no tread wear check, no damage reason check - exchange on the spot. Warranty from 3rd to 5th year is in proportion to the tread wear. This was mentioned on the invoice clearly.

Glad to hear that Pirelli 205/55/16 is prices so reasonably and that too with a handsome guarantee + warranty combo. Neither Yokohama nor Pirelli nor Continental have been very aggressive in the IN market for many years now, and had left it to Michelin to lord it over (apart from the IN brands of course).

Are these tyres directional or asymmetrical? Did you retain the spare NCT? Do post a few pictures of your Octavia with the new tyres :-)

[Karvel]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Glad to hear that Pirelli 205/55/16 is prices so reasonably and that too with a handsome guarantee + warranty combo.

Are these tyres directional or asymmetrical? Did you retain the spare NCT? Do post a few pictures of your Octavia with the new tyres :-)

It was a pleasant surprise to me as well. I was expecting that it will be a 2 or 3 year proportionate warranty, when i asked that question to the dealer. Not sure why Pirelli is not pushing in the market when the price points are also okay.

These tyres are asymmetrical with marking of "Outside" clearly on the sidewall. Should not be a problem in tyre rotation as whichever way these tyres are exchanged, once the outside is fitted in proper place, they will always be looking out, unless the tyres are dismounted and worn on the wrong side. Did not change the spare NCT5. Was not thinking about it then. Maybe could have pushed for a deal for exchange of the spare as well.

And the tyres are more rounded off , like bike tyres, in side appearance compared to NCT5s which appeared more flat at the treads and sidewalls looking like perpendicular (90 degrees) to the tread area. Maybe this shows the soft nature of the sidewalls. No change in stance anyotherway. While i will continue to drive as carefully as i do, hope these lasts longer than the NCT5s.

Few pics:


In this pic the front and back bumpers looks dirty, actually its due to yellowing of the PPF, which is about 32 months in age. In person this does not look so bad, but in the photo the contrast comes out clearly.

[Karvel]

3rd Service Update - 45k Kms:

Actually done about 44.1k when i took Silver Bull for the 3rd service. A bit early, as some travel was planned after. Visited Jai Auto's in Gurgaon for the scheduled service. Had got a call in mid Feb reminding of the service due. Asked for last week appointment and was booked in the first slot for the day. +1 for this reminder call and booking, which was as quick as booking on the app.

Went in by 9.30 am on the Saturday. A new SA was with me in 5 minutes, when i enquired about SA Nikhil, was informed he was on leave. Unlike last time, SA was aware of the 4 yr service package for the car. SA inquired about any issues i had. Told him about occasional Sunroof noise (again!) once in a while, like when going over the rumble strips or at fair speed on some stone paved roads. Otherwise the car was holding good.

Went out for a test ride, but as it usually happens, there was no noise from the sunroof. Happened during earlier visit as well. Anyway, told the SA that i will be with the car during the service.

Before taking to the bay, car was hoisted and the 40 point (i could actually count some 20 odd) winter check was done as part of some service camp underway. On the rear left tyre the wheel nut cover was missing. Was noted for adding during service. Otherwise the under-body cover looked okay with some minor scratches that were there during the second service as well.

Car was taken into the bay by 10.15. Work was done quick and Engine oil, Air filter, pollen filter, Diesel filter was all changed in quick succession. In this service Brake oil was changed including bleeding of the brake cylinders. Suspension and brake inspection was done. Brake pads looked okay and the technician said it will be good for another 15k atleast. Overall the changes took about 2 hours to complete. Then the vehicle was taken to washing bay and was given a good bath. Asked the drying guys not to polish anything in the interiors and just use vacuum to clean. Handover was quick and finally was out of the showroom in under 4 hours from entry. Total cost about Rs 256.

And Silver Bull ready to much the next 15k Kms.

[BlackPearl]

Thread has been moved to the Long-Term Ownership Reviews section.

[Karvel]

4th Service Update - 54k Kms (supposed to be the 60k Kms)

The "Pandemic" had a topsy turvy impact on most of our lives and consequently reduced my drive time as well. While the initial few months, Mar to Jul, was spent starring at the laptop screen most of the time, sitting at home, started going to office from Aug. Infact not many came to office and still had to spend a lot of time starring at the screen, but driving on wide open roads with the entire highway mostly to yourself and getting to cross the infamous Gurgaon toll within 30 secs, in-itself, was much of a liberating feeling after all the time spent holed up at home.

Managed to do about 10k Kms over the last 8 months, including a long trip across Rajasthan roads, which are fantastic, by the way.

Did the servicing at Jai Auto, Gurgaon. Had booked the appointment earlier. Was there well before the time and was promptly attended to. Vehicle was in the bay by 9.30 am and all the work got completed by 11.15 am. This was the fastest service I had gone through. At the 60k service, ATF was also changed. While engine oil change was a normal affair, ATF change needed the battery and its base plate to be removed and the oil was filled in through capillary gravity (I think this might be the right way to explain) wherein the oil was pushed in through the drain hole.

Got the Steering mounted Control Switch module changed under warranty. These had become loose and started rattling, though not broken. SA Nikhil was very helpful in getting this checked and the warranty claim was processed without much of a problem. While there was nothing charged for the parts or the labour, as this was changed under warranty, this part costs a whopping Rs 21.5k. This took another 1 hour and after the regular washing and cleaning, the car was ready in about 4 hrs all in all. Pretty good experience. Stayed with the car during most of the service duration.

While waiting for the bill, was checking on the MySkoda app on the service cost, as I had the 4 year service pack, to see what would it actually cost if the service pack was not there. It was a surprise to see that the 4th/60k Kms service is actually double the cost of the earlier services and was costing about Rs 25 k. And strangely for cars of MY 16 and before, the service cost is lower than the MY 17 and after cars. Also the Brake Fluid change is being done at 75k kms for MY16 and before cars compared to 60k kms for MY 17 and after cars. And the pollen filter costs are also different along with VBelt change for MY17 and after cars.



So if the pack was not taken, I would have shelled out about Rs 58 k for the 4 services over the years. Luckily, had the opportunity of taking the 4 year service pack during the vehicle purchase for Rs 14k as there was some offer going on. That definitely helped. In the end had to pay Rs 645, as strangely the ATF drain nuts/o-ring was not included in the service pack.

Also over the years, the labour cost and material cost would go up and considering that picked up additional 2 year service pack covering the 75k/90k kms service @Rs 24k. So the next two years are covered with extended warranty and the service pack. And, all said and done, this gives a lot of comfort.

[Karvel]

4 Years and counting

Journey so far, to 54K Kms

Stepping into April'21, the SilverBull is completing 4 years of blissfull ownership. The 2.0 TDI with Wet-clutch DSG has been a good companion whether its the city run or in effortlessly munching miles during the highway tours.

Suspension is on the firmer side and is noticeable at lower speeds, when driving alone without any other passenger or luggage. Once loaded up with the family and/or luggage, the ride is much suppler and even in low speeds bad roads are no issue. Also, with various combination of tyre pressure experiments, started using 33/32 combination for F/R when driving alone, the ride turns a much plusher one and 36/38 in F/R when on family trips. Suits well for GC as well as highway handling.

Steering is precise and weighs up to a good extent when cruising at triple digit speeds. Feedback is a bit muted to my liking at city speeds, though the road imperfections are transmitted back at times with a thud of the suspension.

Braking is continuing to be excellent and inspires a lot of confidence, with the combo of the Pirellis. Still running on the stock brake pads, at 54k kms. During last service the service technician said these will last easily till next service, ie another 15k kms.



Tyres - Pirellis have settled well and are giving a very comfortable ride and are a marked difference compared to the Goodyear NCT5s. Excellent grip at all speeds and in wet as well. As soon as it rains, Gurgaon roads turn into rivers, with torrential flow and the tyres behaved well in the limited runs, during the last flood season. Had to brake suddenly from mid triple digits, twice, during the last Rajasthan trip as cattle stepped into the road from the shrubs in the highway dividers. No squeaks or skids, just calmness personified and passengers sleep was not disturbed as well. While I thought that I might end up calling for RSA, Pirellis braked evenly and stopped well in time to avoid the cattle. Very silent and minimal tyre noise in the band of 80-120 kmph. Anyway, higher triple digit speeds lead to higher wind-noise effectively drowning the tyre noise if any. Have done about 10k kms after the tyre change. Minimal tyre wear noted as most of the driving is done sedately within the highway speed in the band mentioned above. While choosing Pirellis was in a double mind of whether to go for the Perfinza’s based on Nikhil B’s & Dr Naren’s glorious reviews. As of now, no regrets. Maybe next change will be into Perfinza’s.

Seating comfort remains excellent, with sustained long distance rides as well. During the last Rajasthan trip covered about 2400 kms in 4 days of driving. No complaints either from my side or from wifey or kids. Seat supports were good and the lumbar support was very helpful. Headrests for back seat too at correct height making life easier for rear seat passengers as well.

Mileage has been one of the highlights of this tireless workhorse engine + transmission combo. Peak Torque across the wide RPM band and lightning quick-shift DSG means, no need to be excessive on the accelerator pedal. The more the gentler in the inputs, driving is smooth with very high mileage returns on the highway and even within the city. I do cross the infamous Gurgaon KD Toll twice in a day for the office run and this 4-5 mins spent on crawling and haggling to get into the lane brings down the benefit of the 25+ kms run on the expressway, each way. Inspite of that, been getting around 18+ kmpl averages regularly and this has gone up into the 20+ kmpl category during the semi-lockdown periods of Aug to Jan. The MID shown mileage is consistently higher by 5-6% compared to the tankful method. Maybe it’s a deliberate configuration done by Skoda to make us feel happy, when one relies only on the MID.





Have been noting down the mileage details and other expenses from the purchase date. Its costing about an average of Rs 3.8 per Km in fuel expenses and about Rs 6.2 in other expenses (Insurance, tyre change, PPF, Ceramic Coating, Extended Warranty, Service pack and other minor spends). Total of about Rs 10 per Km. Looks to be a good economical running cost for a D1 segment car and as frugal as it can get. And diesel price has been going through the stratosphere lately and is reflecting on the cost per Km. The overall range hovers around 850-950+ kms per tankful and the last few months mostly ranging above 1000+ kms as seen in the Estimated Autonomy graph. All the graphs are based on tankful to tankful data captured after every fuel fill.





Took the extended warranty for 5th /6th years, last Jan. Got the RSA benefit for 2 years as part of the pack. This extended RSA has been removed now from Extended Warranty pack and has to be purchased separately, though the extended warranty pricing remains the same. Also took the Periodic Maintenance pack (PMS) which covers 5th and 6th services (75k/90k kms).



In the four years, following changes/replacement were done:

1. AC compressor replacement – Compressor failed and was changed under warranty
2. Battery change – Battery test advised change and was changed under warranty with a minor charge of Rs 1.8k, as the two year period was just over by a month.
3. Front windshield change – A chipping and crack appeared due to a flying stone from a truck going in front, hit the glass. Was changed under 100% insurance. Voluntary payment of Rs 4k
4. Steering Mounted Controls button module – Became loose, but not broken. Was checked and changed under warranty during the 4th service.

Overall, the ownership experience has been good. The Service Centre – Jai Skoda – has improved a lot in their approach and attending to the issues and sorting them out without any delay, and a special mention of my SA Mr. Nikhil. Very prompt and clear in communication with periodic updates and now I have started requesting the front desk to book my appointments only when he is available.

Skoda processes too have improved compared to 3 years back with the warranty claims or response from customer service teams taking considerably lesser TAT, days coming down to hours. Mr. Zac Hollis is definitely bringing in the change. Hope this trend continues and improve further in future as well and Skoda gets to play a bigger role in Indian Automotive scenario.

[saurabh_v8]

Originally Posted by Karvel

4 Years and counting

been getting around 18+ kmpl averages regularly and this has gone up into the 20+ kmpl category during the semi-lockdown periods of Aug to Jan.

Hi Karvel,

I need some advice here on
1. Low fuel efficiency in bumper to bumper traffic:
We have a 2016 skoda octavia style plus 2.0 TDI at which has been driven 60k kms.
I don’t use this car at all but recently when I checked it for fuel efficiency it was giving merely 6-7kmpl and yes that is kmpl. This mileage has been similar since inception may be a drop of 1-2 kmpl which may be on account of increase in traffic.
The driving condition is peak Mumbai traffic even tires are fare 5-8k kms old and same good year stock model
There are no errors on the mid and it drives like any other octavia 2.0 TDI. All services done in skoda service center.

I guess this mileage is same as 1.8 TSI

To test the fe, I took the vehicle on a 30 km drive on nearly empty stretch of road and it gave 20+kmpl.

2. How do you put the vehicle in sports mode:
It does not have any provision for sports mode in mid. It’s somewhere activates based on throttle position. My father primarily uses the vehicle and I don’t have any enthusiastic people in my family who may remap the car.

3. I saw some images of your mid and noticed the navigation button. This button is missing all together in our car. Don’t understand how do features go missing on top end.

Thanking in anticipation

[RohanDheman]

Originally Posted by saurabh_v8

Hi Karvel,

I need some advice here on
1. Low fuel efficiency in bumper to bumper traffic:
We have a 2016 skoda octavia style plus 2.0 TDI at which has been driven 60k kms.
I don’t use this car at all but recently when I checked it for fuel efficiency it was giving merely 6-7kmpl and yes that is kmpl. This mileage has been similar since inception may be a drop of 1-2 kmpl which may be on account of increase in traffic.
The driving condition is peak Mumbai traffic even tires are fare 5-8k kms old and same good year stock model
There are no errors on the mid and it drives like any other octavia 2.0 TDI. All services done in skoda service center.

I guess this mileage is same as 1.8 TSI

To test the fe, I took the vehicle on a 30 km drive on nearly empty stretch of road and it gave 20+kmpl.

2. How do you put the vehicle in sports mode:
It does not have any provision for sports mode in mid. It’s somewhere activates based on throttle position. My father primarily uses the vehicle and I don’t have any enthusiastic people in my family who may remap the car.

3. I saw some images of your mid and noticed the navigation button. This button is missing all together in our car. Don’t understand how do features go missing on top end.

Thanking in anticipation

That must be the efficiency after starting the car and not long term for the tank full. In constant stop and go traffic over short durations (specially after start), do not expect high efficiency numbers.

To engage the Sports mode, just nudge the gear level back when its in D mode. To come back to D, just nudge it back again.

Karvel and i have the MY2017 cars (these went on sale 1 October 2016 onwards) and hence you see the updated system with the Navigation button. Nothing is missing from your car.

Just relax and enjoy the drive!

[Karvel]

Originally Posted by saurabh_v8

Hi Karvel,

I need some advice here on
1. Low fuel efficiency in bumper to bumper traffic:
The driving condition is peak Mumbai traffic even tires are fare 5-8k kms old and same good year stock model
There are no errors on the mid and it drives like any other octavia 2.0 TDI. All services done in skoda service center.

I guess this mileage is same as 1.8 TSI

To test the fe, I took the vehicle on a 30 km drive on nearly empty stretch of road and it gave 20+kmpl.

2. How do you put the vehicle in sports mode:

3. I saw some images of your mid and noticed the navigation button. This button is missing all together in our car. Don’t understand how do features go missing on top end.

Thanking in anticipation

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

That must be the efficiency after starting the car and not long term for the tank full. In constant stop and go traffic over short durations (specially after start), do not expect high efficiency numbers.

To engage the Sports mode, just nudge the gear level back when its in D mode. To come back to D, just nudge it back again.

Karvel and i have the MY2017 cars (these went on sale 1 October 2016 onwards) and hence you see the updated system with the Navigation button. Nothing is missing from your car.

Just relax and enjoy the drive!

Hi Saurabh,
FE in stop and go - bumper to bumper traffic, will definitely be low and that gets further impacted if the travel distance is short, like Rohan mentioned. My driving is predominantly on highway, even the daily drive, with average speed of 50-60 kmph for the majority of the distance. Hence the consistency in FE over long term. And as you too got a 20+kmpl on a long drive, your octavia looks to be absolutely fine in FE delivery.

For sports mode, once you engage into D, push it back once more mildly. While there will be no position change of the stalk, sports mode will be engaged. To come back to drive mode, give one more mild push back.

As Rohan said, MY 17 cars have this Navigation button, which when selected brings up the Skoda supplied navigation map on the HU console. And to be honest, the map offered is a basic one and not comparable to Google maps. While I had updated the maps as and when Skoda released new versions, not properly usable still. So do not worry about it missing.

Sit back, relax and munch more miles happily.

[Karvel]

Update after a long break.

75,000 Kms munched



Life has kept me busy, positively, with change in job responsibilities and new things to learn. And in this period had few long road trips as well to take care of family wishes and with friends. Covid subsiding had its own back to normal transition with WFH ending and getting teams back to office and settling down into a pre-covid routine, with hardly a lull period.

During all these, Octavia stood in good stead and performed the duties with comfort and good composure. Silver Bull crossed 75k kms sometime during 1st week of Oct, about 5 years and 5 months from purchase. This also includes about 7 months of covid lockdown and WFH when hardly 100 kms were done in a month, which was just to keep the battery charged.

Servicing has been done as per schedule through Jai Skoda, Gurgaon. Had taken the 4 year service pack @13999 (special offer by Skoda in Apr-Jun quarter in 2017) during vehicle purchase and then took two more years pack @Rs 23,999/- after 4th year service. All the 5 services were a breeze without any unnecessary pressure, on doing any additional work other than mentioned in the service manual. Everytime the 41 point inspection was done and came out clean other than wiper change advise, which I did on my own with Bosch AeroTwins. These costed about Rs 1800/- purchased through amazon. They came with the 4 different adapters to fit different setups in the wiper arm. Service centre estimate was 3k including service charges. By the way, I was never able to count to 41 on the inspections done, but to about 25-28 at times. I do keep buying some extra bottles of wiper tank fluid and add them whenever the wiper water reserve tank was getting filled. Felt that they are a good additive, maybe a placebo effect as well. Other than these nothing much was spent on servicing as such and all covered under the service packs.

2.0 TDI is a gem and has been aging well and sounds more smoother and performs better with no drop in mileage. Power on tap and no strain whatsoever. Runs without any complaint for hours together. Recently, during July, did a pilgrimage circuit of Gurgaon-Varanasi-Gaya-Ayodhya-Gurgaon, a 2475 kms trip, over excellent highways and overcrowded alleys in old cities, over 5 days. Miles upon miles were munched effortlessly with glee and eagerness. First leg of Gurgaon to Varanasi of 930 kms was done in about 12 hrs of running time, with 3 adults/luggage for 5 days, and distance to empty, on the single tank filled up night before, was still showing 130 kms. That was one sweet screen to look at. Seats have aged well, with no visible break in leather though. Supple and at the same time bolstering well with lumbar support and making long journeys all the more relaxing.

*Trip statistics of the 2475kms round trip

6 speed DSG has held well with no slack or jerkiness, all along. Anyway DQ250 wetclutch 6 speed ones are better in reliability compared the DQ200’s and that’s giving a lot of comfort, with the proof in the pudding, till now. Still, touchwood. Shifts are smooth and very quick with no discernible sound or vibrations and aids in gaining speed in no time. Downshifts are still a bit slow with any quick kickdown on accelerator, actually takes about a second for the right downshift to happen. Maybe this is also due to my driving behaviour with any rarely sudden accelerations are done/intended. No complaints though. Transmission oil was changed once during the 4thyear/60k service as part of the service pack.


Brakes are great. Had run the stock brake pads till 75k kms. Worked well and going by the images still about 5-8k kms life was left in the front pads and about 10-12 k kms in the rear brake pads. As there were a couple of long distance family trips in the plan, went ahead and changed the pads. Brake discs were holding good with negligible grove formation and hence the SA/floor mechanic advised that change was not required. And they were also surprised on the longevity of the brake pads and the good condition of the brake discs. Total costed about Rs 14k, including labour charges, for both the front and rear brake pads change. Skoda service app, though showed a lower value for the rear brake pads, which when I highlighted to the SA, was told that it was the old price and it had changed and the parts are billed as per the system rate update for the parts from Skoda.




Pirelli P6s are doing a good job. Minimal noise, supple, soft and very good grip both in wet and dry conditions and drops speed very quickly when needed. No squeaks or loss of grip during hard acceleration as well. Had changed from the stock Eagle NCT5s to P6s at about 42k kms as they became hard, noisy and had frequent punctures as well, though treads were still good for about 5k kms. So about 33 k kms done on the P6s. Happy with these and going by the condition currently, will be good for atleast another 18-20k kms. Maybe will explore the Perfinzas for the next change, if the P6s are not available. Mostly maintain 35 psi in the fronts and 33 psi in the rear. Have found this setup the most suited for my regular use, as daily travel is about 50 kms and 80% on the NH8 with good speed traffic flow. Mileage has been the best with this setup. On long family trips of highway runs at speed-limits with fully packed luggage bay, generally maintain 36 psi all around. Has helped in handling and avoiding scrapping over speedbreakers as well as navigating bad road patches, like encountered between Moradabad – Ramnagar stretch in reaching Jim Corbett. Wheel balancing/alignment and rotation are done at every 7.5 kms religiously.

Handling is entertaining with sharp response and continues to keep me engaged. While the squeaks in the sunroof and door beadings are constant companions, irrespective of frequent lubrication, the pleasure of driving overcomes these inconsequential irritants. Just switch on the music to drown these bugs and then it’s a bliss.

Battery changes – done twice till now –

1. First during the 2nd year end when the battery check came up with some low voltage and was done under goodwill warranty after a bit of pushing the ASS team, with token amount of Rs 1.5k+tax. Exide (Made in India) was offered by Skoda for the replacement.
2. Second during the 5th year after the battery died down after non-usage for 20 days during Jan’22 winter break. Batter would have already started deteriorating and non-usage in such cold weather added to the process. Changed to Amaron after checking with ASS. Paid around Rs 8.4K for doorstep replacement & exchange of old battery.

PPFs done in the front/rear bumpers have started yellowing, though not very dark. Have to checkout for replacement. Have been helpful in avoiding many scratches and paint chipping due to road debris.


Taken during a recent trip to Jim Corbett


Has been easy one on the pocket, just a tad below Rs 10 per km, with consistently returning about 18+ kmpl throughout these 5 years.

1. Fuel costs about Rs 4+ per km
2. Servicing of about Rs 5+ per km (including insurance (~Rs 2.8 per km) / tyre change / brake pad change / PPF / Ceramic Coating / 5th& 6th year Extended Warranty /5th & 6th year service pack / battery changes / WA&B).

Overall have spent about Rs 7.4 lacs in the run upto 77k kms till now. Expecting the good run to continue.


*Bills & Others mentioned are the EMIs paid & Initial contribution


while mileage has been steady, cost per km going up, thanks to the forces be.

Summary of major works done till now-

1. Front windshield change done as a small stone flew off from a dumper going in front and crack came up. Was changed under Insurance in ASS. Contribution of 2k+tax.
2. Change of Steering mounted scrollers – No breakage/cracking, but became loose and were vibrating. Were changed under warranty without any charges or major followup.
3. Change of AC compressor - Cooling became erratic and started much later slowly. Refrigerant level/pressure was checked for leakage and then diagnosed as compressor failure. Was changed under warranty. No charges

With NGT orders applicable in NCR region, can drive this bull for about next 3-3.5 years and have to either send this bull to our place down south or give up. This is going to set-off a difficult search for a replacement. While 40 months is still a long time away, to start worrying now, finding an equally engaging, safer and frugal one at this price-point of 35-45 lacs (factoring in inflation) is going to be a very hard task. Do not want to go down the preowned path. Maybe Skoda will bring back the diesels or come-up with locally assembled Octavia/Superb equivalent EVs. Fingers crossed, though.

Anyway, many more miles to run, before the day comes.

[Jaisalmeriya]

It is always a great read about a long term update of a car. Kudos for the milestone and wishing many more to come.

[supermax]

That's a sexy beast! I have a 2020 turbo petrol, in the station wagon avataar, though.

[Karvel]

Conclusion

It was a wonderful relationship of 2300 days and was enthralling while it lasted, over 87K Kms. The breakup came all of sudden.

Epilogue

It was all about getting caught in a crossfire.

It was the discussion about replacing the smaller companion, the Grand i10 and while that was the purpose when starting the visit to see the Baleno, landed up in Skoda showroom in the morning, to show the Kodiaq to the family as a future replacement alternative, the virus actually took over. Standing there in the showroom, discussion of giving up both i10 & Octavia and shifting to Kodiaq started and we went to the extent of visiting the yard to see the readily available preferred Graphite Grey and getting into final negotiation, all within an hour.

It was all sounding wrong, in the back of the mind, as the SilverBull was going strong and definitely had many more miles to go before it can sleep. 87K Kms was nothing for the TDI/ DQ 250 combo and for a robust car, well pampered. Almost trouble free (except for the AC compressor change under warranty in the second year) existence with superb fuel efficiency meant, a hope in one little corner of the heart that maybe due to any reason might move out of NCR in next couple of years and can continue the relationship till age catches up. At the same time, NGT surprises and 10 year rule and subsequent drop in resale realisation too played their part in seeing this as an opportunity.

It was this thought that prompted me to take a breather and told family, lets hold and check Tiguan and Q3 as well, as the internals – engine/transmission/power factors are all the same across these. Thought that this will be a diversion and will help in delaying the breakup.

It was the same afternoon, when we landed up into Audi showroom straight out of Skoda dealership. And lo, behold, a Q3 was getting ready for delivery and that’s when the allegiance changed, to my surprise. Younger one was clear, it should be Kodiaq as it had third row seats where she wanted to establish her own kingdom. Wifey and elder one loved the badge and the interiors as they cared little about the gizmos and features. And finally I was put in awkward role of finalising as per my choice, though it was clearly signalled that it should be the Q3. That’s altogether a different story, for another time.

It was thus, the breakup came, out of the blue. After that, all happened in a flash. Cars24/Olx Auto came in, gave some low balled offer, negotiations based on indicative exchange price+bonus offered at Skoda, and finally by the second day Olx Auto nearly matched the price and took away the gleaming Silver Bull.

It was wonderful, till it lasted. Numerous long drives – two five day family trips of 2500 kms each, multiple 3 days trips across north/west/central india and countless weekenders. Never had a hiccup other than the AC compressor which was changed without any second question, all along the service experience complemented the ownership experience. There were niggles like the sunroof noise once in a while, a noisy suspension, a windshield break due to a flying stone, scroll controls mounted on steering getting loose (again, replaced without a second ask). These were no issues considering the sheer driving pleasure and the ride comfort and the confidence of power on tap available and above all the thrifty nature of the, going to be sorely missed, 2.0 TDI.

It was all along a reliable companionship and one which did not ask for much in return. Lifetime average of about 17.5 kmpl, drinking about 4950 liters of oil, just had to change the tyres once at 43k kms, and the existing Pirelli’s looked good for another 10k kms. Stock breakpads change after 75k kms, couple of wiper changes – that’s all SilverBull asked for. Had done full body Ceramic coating and PPF on bumpers, handle wells and these helped a lot in avoiding paint chipping, though it started yellowing slightly. Was maintaining personally and once in a while a pressure wash if it was too muddy. Hand on heart, this is going to be a lost love.

It was with a heavy heart, the keys were handed over on 9th Aug 2023. Hope, SilverBull finds a good homestead.