[audioholic]

Any real world feedback on the LED headlights of the Kushaq? I guess there is no way to even swap bulbs due to its nature or upgrade the unit itself since this is an India specific car.

Originally Posted by thesilentone

I am used to the dynamic guidelines in my 2015 model year Creta and is the single biggest reason for me to not even test drive the Kushaq though I am ok with the rest of the package. .

Now thats something I had never considered when I would look out for a car.

[abhi_ank]

Request those kushaq users who have a high usage to post an ownership review as soon as their car crosses 10,000 km. Really smitten by the kushaq but need to have some assurance over its long term durability and issues, if any, that I need to look out for.
Thank you

[EmpyreanKnight]

Originally Posted by K.grg

AutoCar magazine has published a scoop that Kushaq headliner would be changed to a better quality one.

How old is this scoop? I am planning to visit to showroom today, to check my would be car. I had earlier gone and booked different cars and then changed due to different reason, below is the quick view of that.

Kushaq> Rapid>Ciaz>Hector>Seltos>Taigun>Seltos>Alcazar>Use d jeep compass>Kushaq. (reasons i will give during my ownership review)

Since Kushaq 1.0 Style AT is readily available, I have made the booking, started the loan procedure and will go today to do the PDI.

Hope they have already started delivering the updated headliner

[abhi_ank]

Originally Posted by EmpyreanKnight

How old is this scoop? I am planning to visit to showroom today, to check my would be car. I had earlier gone and booked different cars and then changed due to different reason, below is the quick view of that.

Kushaq> Rapid>Ciaz>Hector>Seltos>Taigun>Seltos>Alcazar>Use d jeep compass>Kushaq. (reasons i will give during my ownership review)

Since Kushaq 1.0 Style AT is readily available, I have made the booking, started the loan procedure and will go today to do the PDI.

Hope they have already started delivering the updated headliner

Just confirmed with a SA in Kolkata that this is indeed happening. However, cars with the updated roofliner are yet to arrive(in Kolkata at least).

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by EmpyreanKnight

How old is this scoop? I am planning to visit to showroom today, to check my would be car. I had earlier gone and booked different cars and then changed due to different reason, below is the quick view of that.

This was also highlighted in one of the reviews in Evo by Sirish Chandran. I guess its the review where they were comparing Kushaq vs Taigun. As per him the changes will be rolled out from the beginning of 2022

[K.grg]

Originally Posted by EmpyreanKnight

How old is this scoop? I am planning to visit to showroom today, to check my would be car.

Hope they have already started delivering the updated headliner

This was published in November edition of Autocar magazine, which I guess was out in stands somewhere during last week of October.

But, I think that this updated roof-liner cars have not been delivered to the dealerships yet. Else, it would have been all over the news and it never would have been a 'secret scoop' for Autocar. In all probability, these cars should enter dealerships in the next 1-2 months.

[JishD]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Any real world feedback on the LED headlights of the Kushaq? I guess there is no way to even swap bulbs due to its nature or upgrade the unit itself since this is an India specific car.

The LED headlights of the Kushaq offer probably the best real world visibility in the segment. Great throw and reach. Most importantly, you can still see the lit road ahead when you have high beam maniacs on the opposite side.

[K.grg]

Originally Posted by roadlover1705

Is it expected to be updated / re-fitted for existing owners of the Kushaq?

Refitting sounds a far fetched idea IMHO, though updating in fresh set of cars seems to be a sure-shot possibility.

[arunramaswamy]

Originally Posted by K.grg

AutoCar magazine has published a scoop that Kushaq headliner would be changed to a better quality one.

Along with this, they should also provide better wipers. The current one used is rubbish. It is noisy when wiping the windshield and is irritating. Should not be used in C1 segment, let alone in a 20 lakh car.

[VEA]

I have an issue with the clock in my Kushaq. It loses a minute every 2 days. I adjust it to show the same time as my phone, but after a week the car clock is slower by 3 or 4 minutes. It’s very irritating. Anyone else experiencing this issue?

I also get a pinging sound frequently from the car while driving around. Something like a warning chime similar to a seatbelt reminder, but just a single ping. I think it’s played through the audio system as the music pauses for a fraction of a second to let the warning ping come through. The volume is also dependent on the entertainment system volume. It occurs randomly and is not associated with any vehicle feature. Any idea what it is and how it can be turned off?

[AutoConsultant]

I had recently helped someone in the family make a decision on buying a mid-size SUV and they went ahead with Kushaq 1.0 L MT Style (Top variant) and I had a chance to spend some time with it. As I also had bought my 5th Gen City Petrol ZX MT earlier in this year, I just wanted to compare the two offerings.

Current On-road Delhi prices are :
Kushaq 1.0 L MT Style : 16.76 Lacs
City Petrol ZX MT : 15.57 Lacs (I bought it in Jan @ Rs 14.7 lacs)

A. Things I found better in Kushaq :

Dashboard Design and Quality
Although I like the minimalistic design of the City, I was really impressed by the type and quality of materials used in the Kushaq. Dark textured elements with matte finish and with minor chrome inserts give a very rich and classy feel to the cabin.



Infotainment System
You can actually compare Honda’s ICE system with any modern car and you will find it to be very dated with limited functionality. On the other hand, Skoda’s display and theme is crisp and has a lot of functions which can be controlled via the ICE. Add to that the Wireless CarPlay and AA and it makes life so much easier.



B. Things which are at par or can be subjective between the two :

Exteriors/Stance
I find Kushaq’s design to be somewhere in the middle of the quirkiness of Creta and Taigun (rear styling) and the conventional designs of Seltos and Astor and one which would be acceptable to a large number of consumers. However, it does look a little compact from the outside compared to its rivals.
City on the other hand is looong! The low stance does stand out in the crowd of CSUVs. The LED Headlights look sharp and brilliant but the large front chrome looks a bit overdone. There should have been a break between the bonnet and chrome like there is in the Civic. The rear looks good with the LED tail lights. Overall, I prefer City’s design over the Kushaq but this is very subjective.

I liked the alloys on both the cars and felt they were enhancing the looks of the respective cars.





Cabin space and Seat comfort
Kushaq’s stance does not give away the ample amount of interior space it offers. It has the longest wheelbase in the segment and that shows, especially at the rear. The front seats are pretty supportive and the sitting posture and seat incline angles are very comfortable at the rear. Not a big fan of the fabric texture/color combinations though, could have been a bit more sportier with darker shades in sync with the rest of the cabin. Also, the dark theme does take away the feeling of roominess from the cabin.

City’s cabin with beige leather seats and large windows definitely feels much more roomier. I rate City’s front seats higher than Kushaq’s although my wife felt the other way around. You get more thigh support in City’s rear bench with a lower seating position which would be the more comfortable one out of the two for long journeys.

Build Quality/Fit and Finish
Honestly, I didn’t feel much difference between the “Door thuds” of both the cars. I had spent a lot of time in a 2011 Polo and I can easily say that the Polo had a much much better feel which closing the doors. The dashboard fit and finish is definitely better in Kushaq but panel gaps are easily evident at a few places in both cars. City’s rear wheel arches lack any sort of insulation and the Kushaq does not have any insulating material inside the front hood. Overall, I did not get a distinct feeling to confidently say that one car is better put together than the other.

Engine Performance
When I first drove the Kushaq, I felt as if the hand brake was on. Performance before the turbo kicks in is absolutely miserable. Yes, it does take some time to get used to a small Turbo engine coming from a larger NA engine but even after driving around for some time, I would take the NA i-Vtec any day. 90% of the times I like to keep a light foot on the accelerator and enjoy City’s linear power delivery. In the TSI you have to rev it up each time to get decent performance which can be very irritating during city traffic driving. The TSI would be much more enjoyable on the highways but I would spend at least 95% of my time in the car in city traffic only and hence the NA engine makes more sense. I know the TSI smashes the i-Vtec in drag races but the latter is a much better all rounder and sounds much better also. I am no expert and hence have put this in this section although I know which one I like.

C. Things I find better in the City

Air Con Controls and Performance
Throughout my drive I couldn’t get used to the touch panel controls, had to ask the co-passenger. Touch panels just do not work for me, thank god Honda made the change to physical controls for 5th gen. It is so much easier to adjust the temperature without even looking at the controls. Love the tactile feel of the knobs in the City. And its not like you will get used to the touch controls in some time (like you do with the indicator and wiper paddles inter changed), it will always remain a little irritating experience.

The air con performance was also not that impressive. Even with cooled seats, it took a lot of time to cool the cabin that too during the mild winter weather in Oct here in Delhi. Also, didn’t feel the actual cabin temperature and the one set in the controls were in sync, it wasn’t feeling like it was 22 degrees as indicated. It is almost the other way around in the City, it feels much colder than the 28 degrees it is indicating. The cooling performance is pretty solid, although it has the “Max Cool” feature but I have never had to use it even in peak summers. Set it at 25 and it will max take 4-5 min to chill the cabin. The air through is powerful and nicely spread due to the large AC vents.



Boot Space
Kushaq’s 385 Litres to City’s 506 Litres – there’s nothing much to say here, but I will. I have a Baleno with 340 L boot space on paper and I felt Kushaq’s boot was may be just a few inches higher but that’s it. When I am buying a 17 lac car I would not want to ever think about lack of luggage storage space. It might be sufficient for weekend trips with a couple of bags but if you plan to travel with 4 travels for a week, It wont be able to take all the luggage. I went for a 10 day long trip with 4 adults and City’s boot was easily able to take 4 mid-size luggage bags along with 2 smaller ones. City’s boot is properly wide and deep and designed well to make almost all the space usable.



Steering Wheel and Fog Lamps
The two-spook Skoda steering wheel felt a little small and light on the hand. Lacks the chunk of City’s wheel. The music and cruise control buttons are also a bit small although you can control volume using the chrome knob (City’s knob can only be used to operate the digital instrument cluster). Also, Skoda has given halogen bulbs for fog lights which ruins the front lighting as it does not go well with the white projector headlights. Love the all-white front lighting set up in the City.



Conclusion
If I had to buy a CSUV today, I would still go with the Kushaq as it offers a good overall package (assuming all the niggles have been sorted out by now). The Korean twins have a big safety related question mark on them and the Astor is a fresh product from MG, the brand I do not fully trust right now. I would rather make the gamble with Skoda.

If I could buy any car, I would wait for Slavia and choose one between City and Slavia. I do not like the high seating position of CSUVs and the sedans are actually offering better value for money in today’s times. If the bulk of your driving is within city limits on decently built roads, a sedan makes more sense

[pratyaksh]

Having bought the City ZX CVT after rejecting the Skoda Kushaq upon hearing about the EPC issues et. al. I was still wondering if it was the right decision to let go of that TSI+DSG combo for a NA. Your post definitely adds a +1 to my decision of buying the dynamic City. Thank you.

[KAA]

Hi all this is my first post on the forum. I am looking at either of the VAG twins in the 1.5 MT. I test drove both and there is no real difference. I am torn between the additional features the kushaq offers versus the taigun for a small premium. Question for people who bought the kushaq - is there really a material difference between the two cars and is it worth going for the the taigun for the perceived better quality of VW service versus the better features the kushaq offers. Any help will be great.

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by AutoConsultant

I had a chance to spend some time with it. As I also had bought my 5th Gen City Petrol ZX MT earlier in this year, I just wanted to compare the two offerings.

If I had to buy a CSUV today, I would still go with the Kushaq as it offers a good overall package (assuming all the niggles have been sorted out by now). The Korean twins have a big safety related question mark on them and the Astor is a fresh product from MG, the brand I do not fully trust right now. I would rather make the gamble with Skoda.

If I could buy any car, I would wait for Slavia and choose one between City and Slavia. I do not like the high seating position of CSUVs and the sedans are actually offering better value for money in today’s times. If the bulk of your driving is within city limits on decently built roads, a sedan makes more sense

Thanks for making a great effort to write-up an excellent comparison as well as giving your perspective on both the cars.
It will certainly be of great help to prospective buyers of both the cars.

Now as to my views on both the cars, having bought Honda City and using it for past one month I will say that I agree with all of your conclusions about both the cars and I am satisfied with my purchase of Honda City as City meets my requirements more than Kushaq.
I feel only advantage a CSUV like Kushaq has over City is compactness which makes driving & parking a little easier in Delhi traffic.

[rideon74]

An excellent, detailed comparison. Having extensively test driven both the cars of the same specs as you'd mentioned, I completely agree with your inferences.

Just an extra point I'd like to add is regarding the rear headroom height. My son, who's around 6ft.1in. couldn't sit at the back without having to slouch. This point worked against the brilliant 5th gen City for us. We went ahead with the Kushaq Style 1.0L MT variant instead.

But between the three contenders I'd test driven - the City, the Kushaq and the Taigun (very long test drives, thrice each!) - it's Honda City 5th Gen MT that stole my heart from driver's perspective. Yes, the family had felt the interiors to be rather dated but honestly, I just couldn't care less - I did not want to give i-VTec back to the sales team every time I'd driven it!