[Aaroah]

Originally Posted by 1985Darkkid85

How do you find the transition in the ride quality and handling from a Brio?
I own a 2012 Brio V(MT) too, which has done about 103000 kms thus far.

Also, care to share what sort of rates you got for the Brio? Can D.M me details if you'd like as well.

Hey Bud,

I always felt that Brio's ride quality was very choppy to start with especially around bumps and speed-breakers so Kushaq is a major improvement (Ambition variant with smaller rims will be even better).

NVH levels are also noticeably better than the Brio. You just lose the chuckability of a hatchback (but that's to be expected due to the longer wheelbase) but other than that it's an improvement in every major aspect you can think of.

One thing I am not so happy about is the rattles - My Brio had rattles coming out of the rear doors but in Kushaq the noise comes from the Dashboard. Brio had pretty decent quality interiors viz-a-viz its price, can't say the same for Skoda. Being a beater car the Honda was able to make it through significant abuse throughout the years but I don't see that with Skoda for sure so I am mentally prepared for the additional upkeep.

Having driven a Q3 as my primary car for a few years now I strictly wanted a VAG car as my tertiary vehicle hence I never even stepped near a Hyundai/Kia dealership during my purchase. It was either the Taigun or Kushaq or maybe T-Roc. I would advise you not to commit the same mistake as me. Evaluate the Koreans strongly, they are very competent cars (esp. turbo petrol variants) that come with a lot of goodies and possess better quality interior parts. I feel there exists a big difference between VAG's indigenous and global offerings (hope they don't go the Honda way here onwards)

Regarding my Brio's resale - Skoda gave me 165k + 15k (exchange bonus) making it around 1.8L. Mine was an S(MT) variant with a lot of dents and some electrical issues as well. VW quoted me 1.8L for the car but no bonus. Cars24 gave a quote of around 1.6L as well

[KapilD]

While I was browsing through the spec sheet of Škoda Kushaq engine and transmission, found that the MQ281 for the manual 1.5 TSI is able to handle torque from 200 up to 300 Nm.
Also, I’ve seen videos of 1.5 TSI EVO with stage 3 mod showing 250 HP power.

So this manual engine would be a mod’s delight.

Also, if i’m not mistaken PowerDrift host said that 1.0 TSI motor can go up to 180 Horses.

On a side note, also found out that the ACT (Cylinder Deactivation) is active over an engine speed range between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm and torque outputs between 25 and approx. 100 Nm.

I didn’t find this info on the particular thread and hence thought of sharing.

FYI: I booked a Kushaq Style 1.5 MT and it’s in transit

[promit]

Kushaq seems to be available off the shelf at the moment. Had only enquired for 1.0 Ltr Automatic Ambition and Style though in Gurgaon. A friend of mine loved the Kushaq waited for 45-50 days, cancelled and picked a City not too long ago. What a change of events.

[JishD]

Just for kicks, decided to fill in a tankful of liquid gold ie XP99, in the Kushaq. Didn't expect to see too much of a change considering the 1.0 capacity.

Surprise surprise ! Low end lag is far more controlled , the clatter at low rpm is down and the car is really punching above its weight now. Have a strong suspicion that the 1.0 Kushaq has been tuned for better fuel.

It doesn't appear to be placebo , though I doubt I'll end up repeating this experiment much , given 160 bucks to a liter.

Anyone else tried XP99 on their Kushaq's ? Would love to hear your feedback . If not, you really should try it once

[rrk]

Saw carwale article that Kushaq high variants might get Slavia's digital instrument cluster

https://www.carwale.com/news/skoda-k...ument-cluster/

Not sure if Kushaq will get the roofliner from Slavia yet.

Hopefully, dealers are aware of such improvements.

[Guite]

Originally Posted by JishD

It doesn't appear to be placebo, though I doubt I'll end up repeating this experiment much, given 160 bucks to a litre.

At 50% more expensive than normal petrol, that would be like the occasional dinner out at a 5 star hotel restaurant. So give yourself and your car the occasional treat

Originally Posted by rrk

Saw carwale article that Kushaq high variants might get Slavia's digital instrument ccluste.

The exact phrase that they have used is "...we expect...". They are just expressing their opinion. Its not as if some internal source told them. So, in my opinion, they are just making up their own news to get eyeballs.

[amey027]

Has anyone taken delivery of the Kushaq recently? I am planning to book the 1.0 TSI MT (Honey Orange). I mainly wanted to understand if the issues that were seen in the earlier batches (EPC, Roof liner etc) have been sorted in the newer batches. The dealer told me I'll get delivery before December end for sure if I order within the next 2 weeks or so. Generally, the last batch of 2021 would be manufactured in December 1st week as production closes for the year later. If I book in the 2nd week or later, I'll only get the delivery in January end.

From my understanding, Kushaq shares a lot its components with Slavia, so it's almost an obligation for Skoda to solve all the issues before they start delivering Slavia. This by extension would improve Kushaq as well.

[KAA]

Originally Posted by amey027

Has anyone taken delivery of the Kushaq recently? I am planning to book the 1.0 TSI MT (Honey Orange). I mainly wanted to understand if the issues that were seen in the earlier batches (EPC, Roof liner etc) have been sorted in the newer batches. The dealer told me I'll get delivery before December end for sure if I order within the next 2 weeks or so. Generally, the last batch of 2021 would be manufactured in December 1st week as production closes for the year later. If I book in the 2nd week or later, I'll only get the delivery in January end.

From my understanding, Kushaq shares a lot its components with Slavia, so it's almost an obligation for Skoda to solve all the issues before they start delivering Slavia. This by extension would improve Kushaq as well.

I have just booked the car and assured same thing by the dealer that all issues are sorted.

[ashutoshb]

I got the delivery of my Kushaq 1.0 Ambition AT on Oct 26th. I am close to completing 2000 kms, no problems faced till now.

[msnarain]

TLDR: Booked the Kushaq Style 1.0AT (Carbon steel)

It looks like our search for a new car is finally coming to an end. We have driven (and loved) the Brio VMT for a long, long time (me for 9 years and wife for 6 years). We felt the need for a bigger car back in 2018. Back then, we test drove the old Creta, the new Verna, VW Vento and the Jeep Compass. We didn't really feel the emotional connection with the Hyundais and the Vento. We loved the way the Jeep drove, and wanted to book it, but the interiors felt underwhelming and the whole package, a little overpriced.

We booked the Kia Seltos (GTX 1.4M) in 2020 mid-pandemic, but we moved to Chennai from Mumbai once it became apparent that we would be working remote. The Kia never happened.

We test drove the Compass facelift again in Chennai, but a 35L OTR for the automatic with 6 airbags felt like a LOT of money. We both love the Compass and it's a shame we will not be able to buy it. Maybe a pre-owned one in a couple of years.

I was keenly looking at the Harrier and Safari - it was hard to convince the wife. Plus the Safari stories and allegedly unresponsive management were hard to swallow.

We also paid the Korean showrooms a visit - super long waiting period (Creta, Seltos, Sonet) was hard to digest. Plus we didn't feel any emotional connection with the Hyundais though the interiors were super luxurious!

We had an open budget and were also willing to move segments. We test drove the X3 and GLA a couple of months back. Both drove fantastic and was a MASSIVE upgrade from our humble Brio, but the overall package felt underwhelming - I guess it's either X5/GLC or nothing. The 3 was beautiful, but a sedan was out of the picture because one of the reasons we want to get a CSUV/crossover was because parents were struggling with ingress and egress in the Brio.

The Brio has been struggling a lot over the last few days - the iVtec is still a gem, but the car will be a decade old next October. So no point extending the misery - we still plan to retain the Brio for grocery runs and the occasional cross-city breakfast drives. We knew we had to find a middle ground - buy a car that didn't feel overpriced and we were okay to skimp on a few creature comfort features.

We test-drove the Taigun and Kushaq on Sunday - 1.0 auto. The Kushaq was marginally better inside purely thanks to the digital cockpit, but the Kushaq felt were more inviting for some reason. Kushaq also scored better on looks and some additional goodies.

Here are some observations from the test drives.

1. Both showrooms let us drive randomly with no pre-defined route - the only other such experience was with the big Germans. Surprising as many showrooms had a prefixed route. Is this common these days?
2. Both sales people acknowledged and addressed my wife equally - a super rare occurrence - our experiences with Kia, BMW and Merc left a lot to be desired in this department. They would literally ignore her presence as if she was invisible. It is also refreshing to see women sales reps (VW and Merc both had knowledgeable and passionate women sales reps)
3. The 1.0 auto was super punchy and fun to drive - I have never driven the TSI before and was expecting a little more than sedate driving experience much similar to the Creta 1.5 CVT. But this little motor was a joy to floor!
4. Some sore spots like the exposed sunroof mechanicals. I hadn't noticed that in other cars, so was a little surprised. Is that a regular thing?
5. Both had a couple of cars in stock - Skoda has the 6 airbags version in stock too, only two colours though. (I wonder how/why though)
6. The dealer claimed there is going to be no Montecarlo version coming out for the made in India cars. Pinch of salt - he probably wanted to close the sale. I didn't mind. I wouldn't have any regrets if there were a facelift or a higher variant in the next few months - the only improvements it could possibly have would be a panoramic sunroof and the digital cockpit from Taigun/Slavia. I can live without either.
7. They offered a cash discount of 20k for the 2 airbag version, but absolutely no discounts on the 6 airbag version since it was less than a month old. Understandable.
8. They did offer a discount on insurance add-ons - economy (b2b, consumables etc) and elite (return to invoice) - seems like a decent offer. Haven't read through the fine print yet. Any thoughts on this?
9. There is a discount on service pack too (16k against 25k) for the month of Nov.

Dealer has promised delivery within three days of making the payment. He assured me I could visit the yard for PDI before they send the car for registration.

We mentioned the A.S.S horror stories and the dealer was open about it - he said there were issues in the past, and they have come as long way in terms of service pricing transparency and training. It was probably part of Skoda 2.0 training script, but the honestly was refreshing.

The service packs and extended warranty makes the giant leap of faith to the Skoda brand a little easier to justify.

We are looking to wrap up financing in the next few days - negotiating with Kotak and HDFC. We are hoping to drive out a brand new carbon silver Skoda Kushaq next week!

Will keep you guys posted.

[vagman]

Originally Posted by ramgkulkarni

2. I find the gear switches to be a little notchy, it isnt as smooth as our Rapid. Spoke to the dealer and he has asked me to complete a few more kilometers and report back if it doesnt get smooth. Anyone else have the same issue?

I have test driven the Kushaq 1.0 on two separate occasions (2 different cars), both times felt the gear shift to be a bit notchy and scratchy - especially for the second gear. My dad felt the same thing.

The notchy gear shifter was not felt on Taigun which we test drove after Kushaq.

One thing to point out was the Taigun odometer read 300km, while the Kushaqs were over 1500km's at the time of our test drives.

[VEA]

My Kushaq 1.5 AT has done nearly 4000 kms. I was using a Corolla Altis AT before this car. Its so refreshing to drive the Kushaq after the boring NA CVT Corolla. I have been enjoying driving this car including a 1000 kms highway run which I would never have done in my Corolla.

Initially, I was slightly underwhelmed with the interior quality, but now I feel its par with the segment and doesn’t bother me. I now realise that this was due to me driving my brother’s brand new Jeep Compass for around 300 kms on the same day prior to taking delivery of the Kushaq.

During the first 700-800 kms I felt the engine was not revving freely or pulling proper for some reason. The car opened up after that period and now it feels like a proper TSI/DSG. The FE also improved and I consistently get around 11 kmpl in the city and 15-17 kmpl on the highway.

I find the brakes excellent. Great bite and stopping power.

Music system is good enough for me. I usually spend on aftermarket system and I find this on par with a spending of Rs.1.5 to 2 lakhs. Sound staging is good, but depth is not the best. No real sub bass, but goes deep enough for most music without any unwanted vibes on any panels. The tweeter is a bit bright for my liking.

Headlights throws wide and long, but intensity is just satisfactory. I think most people wont be complaining.

Seating position is very good for me. Seats have excellent support and I didn’t find it tiring even after 10 hours of driving on highways.

Suspension on most part is satisfactory. It handles road undulations and bumps reasonably well. But it will crash with a loud thud even on medium sized potholes.

Air conditioning is very effective. Its better at cooling the rear seat better than the Corolla which doesn’t have any rear AC vents.

Stock wipers were bad and jumpy. Dealer offered to change it for me, but I bought an aftermarket one considering the paperwork and time taken at the dealer.

Door seals are creaky when the body is stressed. I hope some lubrication will solve it.

Car clock runs slow. It loses one minute every 2 days. Very annoying and I don’t know what the solution is.

Cabin light switches are pathetic. There is no feedback and I am always confused if its on or off.

There is no warning light to indicate low beam function. I would have liked one to know when the auto lights turn on and off.

Overall I feel the car is a spacious and tall hatchback which is exactly how I like it. Skoda/VW has successfully managed to sell a repackaged Polo for 20 odd lakhs. I feel that the car is good buy for someone who values the fun to drive aspect. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to a friend/relative.

[raghav1936]

Hello Everyone..this is going to be my first post on team-bhp.

I had to travel from Pune to Bareilly on 19-20 Nov due to some emergency and I chose to travel via road in my new Skoda Kushaq 1 L MT. I did some research on which route to take and finally decided to take pune-nashik-agra-bareilly(never travelled through this route though) route as it was shorter by 300 km than pune-vadodara-udaipur-jaipur-delhi-bareilly route. I was travelling with my wife and kid(3.5 years old).
BTW, I did have some apprehensions on EPC issue occuring mid way, but I had to try it someday.

I am writing this blog as I am aware that a lot of people are looking for good long distance drive reviews of Skoda Kushaq(especially the 1l engine) and how it behaves on highways considering it's a small 3 cylinder engine.

Unfortunately, we were not in the best of mood to take pictures along the way, so I will just give quick written review of road and more importantly Kushaq and it's performance.

Current Road Conditions:
Day1: 620 km, Trip Start: 6:30 am, Trip End: 7:30 pm
- Road between Pune(Wagholi) to Nashik via Pune-Chakan-Nashik highway is good. Do not take short cut between Sinnar -Chandwad as suggested by google maps, rather take the bypass just before Nashik.

- Road between Nashik-Indore is good. You can easily cruise and ~90-100 and beyond. I don't drive too fast and always keep it under 100.You just need to watch out for rumblers. At one point there are a lot of them at very short distances.

Day2: 850 km, Trip Start: 5:30 am , Trip End: 11:00 pm

- Road between Indore - Guna-Gwalior is excellent. You will find some rough patch at Guna(maybe 10-15 kms ), but overall the road is very good and you can easily cruise at high 3 digit speeds. On this route you would find more trucks than passenger vehicles.

- You will find it challenging to cross Gwalior . I bypassed it via "Mom Ke Hanumanji - Reshampura" road. Initial 2 kms or so is bad patch and rest is new road(from wrong side though, no traffic here). I initially went via google maps option which takes you from within the city which was very crowded, so I took U turn and took above bypass.

- From Gwalior to agra , road is ok, you might not be able to go over 70 kmph due to chaotic driving/rush all around. You will also notice a sudden dip in road discilpline on this patch and beyond.
- Agra(bypass)-Tundla-Etah-Kasganj-badaun(bypass)-Bareilly stretch is very good. The road between Tundla and Etah is two way so driving at night can be a chellenge.

Overall the road condition is good. I would say 7/10.


How did the Kushaq perform?


- Since it's a new vehicle(registered on 30th Oct 2021) and was just driven 500 kms before going on this trip, I did not want to rev it harder for initial 1500 or so kms. So, kept it mostly under 3000 rpms and speed within 100. When cruising at 100kmph on 6th gear , it's at 1900 rpm and feels relaxed.

- First and foremost, I thoroughly enjoyed the drive. It's ride quality, performance and handling is great. Its planted well on the road and gives you confidence to switch lanes or go at faster speeds. On one patch I did go to higher 3 digit speeds for a short span and never felt that the engine is exhausted.

- I have seen many reviews about it's steering being lite at higher speeds. Let me tell you that it does weigh up sufficiently to give you confidence and I found it very balanced.Steering feedback is also very good.

- Body roll is minimum while cornering at high speeds.

- During overtakes, you will sometimes have to shift down and rev harder. I sometimes felt, wish it had little more power/torque. It could possibly be due to me not revving harder enough. Will update on this on my return trip.

- At speed on very bad roads or high bumps you will find noise entering the cabin, but suspension tuning is good and you will still be planted and not thrown here and there.

- Brakes are awesome. Does not nose dive due to small engine.

- For the entire trip of ~1500 kms, the mileage was 18.9 kmpl. I did get ~ 23kmpl on some stretches where I was cruising at 100/6th gear for a longer period. In city traffic mileage will drop down to 10-13 kmpl depending on the traffic density. From Pune to Indore stretch I used Shell normal petrol and between Indore - Bareilly I used HP power.


Issues:

- I too faced the cabin noise due to door rattle on bad patches from the very next day of getting the vehicle. I had applied fellow BHPian d_himan's fix (link below) and the rattle did reduce drastically(I would say >95 %). Thanks to him for this amazing solution. I did try silicone lube spray from 3M, but it did not work.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...r-rattles.html (DIY - VW Polo/Vento: Getting rid of Door Rattles)

- Android Auto was also disconnecting very frequently. My phone is not compatible for wireless android auto connection, so I used cables. I am not sure if it disconnects due to phone, wire, car or AA itself. Anyhelp, on this would be appreciated.

Attaching the only pic I took on the trip... Enjoy!

[balajiisworking]

I took delivery of my Kushaq on 24th Nov. from Gurudev in Chennai.

Having my eyes stuck to this thread, I have to say it wasn’t the most assuring thing having booked this car.

But hey, you live only once so what the hell. So dove head first and bought her home. I must say that it’s indeed super fun experience driving the car around.

Somewhat sedan like road manners, intuitive controls, power on tap, and a pleasant cabin (someone coming from an Ignis) is making this a great package.

I am looking forward to a long, fun filled and memorable ownership experience.

I will be remiss if I didn’t thank everyone here in helping me make this choice.

[ridehard]

Originally Posted by balajiisworking

I took delivery of my Kushaq on 24th Nov. from Gurudev in Chennai.

Having my eyes stuck to this thread, I have to say it wasn’t the most assuring thing having booked this car.

But hey, you live only once so what the hell. So dove head first and bought her home. I must say that it’s indeed super fun experience driving the car around.

Somewhat sedan like road manners, intuitive controls, power on tap, and a pleasant cabin (someone coming from an Ignis) is making this a great package.

I am looking forward to a long, fun filled and memorable ownership experience.

I will be remiss if I didn’t thank everyone here in helping me make this choice.

Congrats! Keep us updated with your experience.
Btw, which one? 1.0 or 1.5 MT/AT?