[Kaus2002]

Originally Posted by RPM1706

How good is this cover that Skoda offers from their list accessories? Anyone bought it or using it?

Cover is good, fits well, and my dealer gifted free accessories in the year end offer.

Originally Posted by anto1212

Does car cover do more harm than good? I parked my kushaq and put the cover on. Few people said covering it often will result in scratches.

If you have covered parking then for sure you don’t need to cover.. But if it’s open then you better put a cover, it will save your car from dirt and bird faeces ( definitely you don’t want to see that first thing in the morning on your car).

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by vishy76

As long as people try to justify their choice of car blindly without accepting obvious faults, I don't think any company (Skoda especially) would be obliged to find solutions to these issues.

Quite true. That's a point I've emphasised on a earlier post of mine and it's important to speak out if the situation comes to that.

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

And that too, when he deliberately puts an effort to touch it as soft as he can

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Guaranteed he would have heard the creek before shooting then had to touch it softly when shooting video.

Strange man. Strange man, indeed. Objectivity is certainly not one of his strong points.

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

It may be a genuine complaint that the Kushaq has many rattles, squeaks and other sounds while running, but to attribute it to the fact that there are squeaks present when pressing the dash is illogical and nothing other than "Skoda- bashing" IMO.

This also shows how YouTube journalists can make or break the reputation of a brand, by their clever video-editing skills. Even highly experienced folk including members of this esteemed forum, may get swayed, because with clever editing, these journalists can prove any point and they can make people believe anything! Just amplify the volume of the sounds coming and adjust the pressure as you press and you can make the build look as good or as poor as you want. BTW, my Thar squeak test video here is totally unedited.

Gosh! Such kind of responses may deter the minority of car owners (any brand, any make) that suffer from manufacturing issues to stay away from posting about their negative observations in discussion forums. We write/post about what we go through when in a dilemma and I doubt if being condescending/questioning their integrity would help anyone.

Cars may have plastic components that creak if pushed hard - yes of course. Plastics in cars are never designed with the highest tensile rigidity. Fastenings would otherwise fail when the car's driven over various road conditions. But no part of car is ever designed with an allowance to squeak/rattle in the future when driven in real world conditions over time. I presume that I'm not wrong in saying so.

If it has come across in my video that the dashboard rattles I experience are attributed to the very loud creaks I've shown while pushing them, then yes it is. Simply because, in my case, certain areas have become a little too pliant. Much more than it was earlier. This is again expected to a certain degree over usage periods but when it started leading to a build-up of constant rattling while driving over patched roads, things were not kosher any more. Not in just 2.5 months of ownership.

PS. - That point about 'touching up' the audio to deliberately make the noises seem louder than they are - in a way, you're questioning my integrity there. Frankly, I don't get what purpose that would have served me since I wasn't expecting a wave of sympathy that would resolve the issues nor do I harbour aspirations of becoming a auto-vlogger. Well, everyone has a right to their own opinions.

Originally Posted by amey027

Let's one thing out of the way, Kushaq did/does have fitment issues like the door ratting (beading) etc. But people pressing the dashboard hard and complaining it squeaks is pure insanity. It's plastic, what did you expect? My family has had a dozen cars over the last 20 years including Suzuki, Ford & Hyundai and when pressed, the dashboard used to squeak. I remember this because I used to do it for fun as a kid. The dashboard rattling by itself when you are on the highway is definitely an issue, but you can't complain if it makes noise when pressed hard. Hell, even my 50k furniture makes sound if I hard press it at the joints.

Some of the posts are just getting ridiculous now

What is getting ridiculous (and sad) in my opinion is how my detailed post with a video of my personal situation has brought forward various very negative posts about the Kushaq in general. It's like watching a thread implode. What it points to the fact is that the maturity of being being able to call a spade a spade is best kept aside.

Yes, we do have the freedom to air our views on any thread in the forum, but don't we also need restraint when we can see that a thread is losing out on posts that actually help present and future owners to better understand their vehicle? Some of the recent posts are have been brilliant (the one by Vaibhav with the comparison of parts used by VAG over the past decade, for example). But most other have resorted to actual 'Skoda bashing'.

But does this mean that those of us in the minority (with the minor/major issues) should stay silent to avoid being ridiculed as OCDs or have their genuine concerns get labeled as 'trivial'?

Anyways, me speaking up to get heard by Skoda has borne good results. I waited for a week since I got my Kushaq back from the SVC after they'd rectified the niggles I'd reported on. And I thought it warranted a feedback video. I am extremely happy with how SGA cars, Coimbatore has done a good job this time around and I have no qualms in giving credits where it's due in my video.

So here it is (audio/video unedited similar as my first one; without any malice meant to Skoda as a brand) :P

Skoda Kushaq: Issues solved by the dealership

The use of headphones/earphones is recommended as before and I'm really hoping the fixes done by SGA hold in the times ahead.

Now if you'll excuse me, folks....I have a rattle free car to get into and drive over to the hills in a while! Cheers everyone!

[MayurS]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Majority of these changes started taking place since 2014 when the car received it's first major facelift. Components like the suspension (dampers especially), steering rack and the likes were victims. Sometime later, the brake system also bore the brunt and other interior and exterior components were localised too within the next 2-3 years.

I have been told that VW has switched to Monroe dampers in 2021. Additionally, the Kushaq/Taigun twins also get ZF dampers. Hopefully, atleast the mechanicals are upto the mark in the newer products.

Can you elaborate more info on Monroe dampers as I own MY21 Polo.
Thank you .

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by MayurS

Can you elaborate more info on Monroe dampers as I own MY21 Polo.
Thank you .

Monroe has a fairly good reputation in the Aftermarket spare parts scene. They do make dampers for a lot of cars.

Having said that, as a supplier of OE components to VW, only time will tell if these hold up. An OE supplier's quality can vary depending on the margins given to them. Initial impressions though are that these are better dampers since most who have driven the latest Polos say they ride and handle slightly better than the previous iterations.

[VEA]

I am one of the Kushaq owners who had heard the dashboard squeak from day 1. But it doesn’t bother me too much and never visited the SVC to get it checked. I plan to get it checked during the first service. Some of the members here seems to have bothersome rattles for sure, but I feel it’s being generalised and blown out of proportion. Every car I owned had these squeaks to some degree. The silent the cabin is, the more bothersome it becomes.

[ramsudhir]

Originally Posted by rideon74

Anyways, me speaking up to get heard by Skoda has borne good results. I waited for a week since I got my Kushaq back from the SVC after they'd rectified the niggles I'd reported on. And I thought it warranted a feedback video. I am extremely happy with how SGA cars, Coimbatore has done a good job this time around and I have no qualms in giving credits where it's due in my video.

Congratulations! Good to hear that all the issues in your car are fixed. I hope it stays that way and wish you a wonderful ownership experience in future. Nice to see Skoda promptly responding to complaints. I understood that they fixed some tape to solve the door beading issues but do you know what was done to solve the dashboard rattle. It will be helpful to other owners facing similar issues in getting them fixed. Root cause might be different but I feel a general idea will help.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by VEA

I am one of the Kushaq owners who had heard the dashboard squeak from day 1. But it doesn’t bother me too much and never visited the SVC to get it checked. I plan to get it checked during the first service. Some of the members here seems to have bothersome rattles for sure, but I feel it’s being generalised and blown out of proportion. Every car I owned had these squeaks to some degree. The silent the cabin is, the more bothersome it becomes.

I had this issue in my Innova. Had a can of Wurth Silicon spray and used its piped nozzle to spray into the gaps in the panels and the squeaks went away for good. I had warranty and could have left it at the hands of the ASC. But they might experiment with removing the panels, refitting them, doing trial and error and stuff. Instead I chose this ten minute job and its relieving to experience the results. Why spoil an ownership experience with such an issue. If someone wants to fight it out with Skoda, I have no issue. Just suggesting an alternative.

[amey027]

Originally Posted by anto1212

Does car cover do more harm than good? I parked my kushaq and put the cover on. Few people said covering it often will result in scratches.

I live on a sharing basis, so my dedicated parking is already taken up by my flatmate. That means, I always park in the open with the cover ON. The cover works well in the dry, protects against UV rays, bird droppings, usual dust and mud etc. Problem is when it rains, allows water to seep in.

As for scratches, I generally only put the cover ON after washing the car. Basically, if I were on a trip, I would only use the cover once I get the car washed, else leave the car open. Also, rather than dragging it along the body, raise & pull it which ensures minimal contact with the panels.

[amey027]

Originally Posted by rideon74

Gosh! Such kind of responses may deter the minority of car owners (any brand, any make) that suffer from manufacturing issues to stay away from posting about their negative observations in discussion forums. We write/post about what we go through when in a dilemma and I doubt if being condescending/questioning their integrity would help anyone.

I wasn't attacking you in any way. Your issue seemed genuine and I am glad it's solved now. The problem is where people are posting random stuff in the name of issues.

I have seen countless posts where the user saw the "EPC icon" when the car was just switched ON and straight went to social media to complain. Then there's the fiasco of auto ORVMs, which I honestly think Skoda should have handled better, but it was blown out of proportion. There's not even a single OEM that didn't remove features due to chip shortage, additionally prices have gone up in general across OEMs and segments like it does every year but Skoda was specifically trolled.

What people seem to forget is any new product has bugs. Other cars in the segment unfortunately for VAG have been in the market for a couple of years, so their bugs have been taken care of.

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by ramsudhir

but do you know what was done to solve the dashboard rattle. It will be helpful to other owners facing similar issues in getting them fixed. Root cause might be different but I feel a general idea will help.

Hi there Ram. Thanks for enquiring about this point. What the SVC manager had frankly informed me about before the car went in to get the dash rattle sorted out was that the only way they could try was to remove and re-fix the dash panel + if possible, provide some damping material of the thinnest gauge. We discussed about the pros & cons about this and I decided to let them have a go. It seems to have worked out well.

Originally Posted by amey027

I wasn't attacking you in any way. Your issue seemed genuine and I am glad it's solved now. The problem is where people are posting random stuff in the name of issues.

My bad if I misunderstood your words. Sorry about that. And I agree with you on your point about random stuff being posted as negatives without much precedence.

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I had this issue in my Innova. Had a can of Wurth Silicon spray and used its piped nozzle to spray into the gaps in the panels and the squeaks went away for good.... I chose this ten minute job and its relieving to experience the results... Just suggesting an alternative.

Thanks for the heads up about the silicone spray. This option has been recommended a few times before as well by other members. I was pretty miffed and felt that Skoda must not be allowed to get away with such niggles. And besides, as I've mentioned earlier, the SVC out here are real good at their job. So I took a chance and went ahead with giving them a chance to get the dash rattle issues sorted out. But if the issue starts to come back later, I'll try the DIY with a can of Wurth silicone spray as suggested.

[KuvamBansal]

Hello Everyone.

We are looking to buy a new car and seriously looking at Skoda Kushaq as our next ride. Requesting views of the current owners on it. Below are the details on our requirements and reasons (and apprehensions) for zeroing on Kushaq.

About us: Ours is a 3 member family with me being the youngest at 29 years old, staying with my parents. We have previously owned a Maruti 800 (1992, 1999) and Maruti Zen (2004). Currently we own a Nissan Sunny XL Diesel (2012). The car has served us really well with no complaints. It has run 78,000 Kms with no fuss. Since we stay in Ghaziabad (Delhi-NCR), we need to replace it soon since it completes 10 years in May'22 and becomes obsolete. We would have loved to hold on to our car for a couple of more years if not for the stupid NGT regulation

Requirements & Constraints: We are looking for petrol MT car in the range of ~15 Lakhs on road (with hard cutoff of ~16 Lakhs). We are very sedate drivers and never cross speed limits. Even on highways, we generally drive at 90-100 KMPH only. We are open to considering all body shapes but Sunny's boot space has spoiled us, so hatchbacks have been ruled out. We generally keep our cars for 10+ years. Also, not ready to take the pre-owned route. Since we have been driving a sedan for 10 years, we have always been conscious about speed-breakers and big potholes. The car has scrapped underbelly occasionally but nothing major. Thus a higher GC will be most welcome. We began TDing the cars last weekend and below is the list of cars considered:

Shortlist

Honda City
City has been our aspirational car from the word go. Even when we brought the Sunny in 2012, City was the top contender and lost out only because it didn't have a diesel mill. Coming back to the 5th gen City, we really loved its elegant design when it was launched last year. Visited the showroom this month to see the car in flesh for the first time. Really loved the car's exterior and interior. However, the headroom felt a little inadequate. Sunny offers much better headroom and City made us feel claustrophobic. Also, GC felt inadequate and thus we didn't even opt for a test drive.

Maruti XL-6
First car we test drove in our search. The main intention was to see the comfort of captain seats since parents are growing old. The interiors felt rudimentary. The NVH levels also didn't seem par and overall it was a pretty poor experience. However, will take a pause to applaud Nexa dealership. The car was vacuum cleaned before the test drive and dealership was very professional and courteous.

Kia Seltos (HTX 1.5L MT)
Immediately after driving the XL-6, we entered into Kia showroom. Initially, it was ruled out due to questionable safety rating, however since the showroom was just next to Nexa, we went in. Again a very courteous staff and were offered a test drive straight away. We were very impressed by the interiors, airy feel of the cabin and NVH levels. HTX model was decided and we were almost convinced of booking the car.

Tata Nexon
Next day, we thought of exploring the Nexon since everyone talks so positively about the vehicle. Entered the showroom and it was a mela out there (Sunday). However, staff was courteous and TD was offered. We didn't like the car since the TD vehicle was poorly maintained. Door-pad had cracks and the text on the push button had faded off. Also, the car felt a segment lower when compared to Seltos, thus we decided the drop the car from the list.

MG Astor
Since we were in Patpargang, wherein we have all car showrooms within 500 mtrs, we decide to check out the Astor as well. Again very friendly staff. We liked the car with nice interiors and pano sunroof. However, post the TD, felt that the roof-lining is very thin and car (with pano suroof) will be a hot chamber in peak Delhi summers. Thus it was decided that only variant without sunroof will be considered. Only concerns seem to be MG being a new and relatively unknown brand.

Skoda Kushaq (1L TSI MT)
Skoda was ruled out due to horror stories on the forum and issues faced by Kushaq owner's when it was launched last year. Casually walked into the showroom with no intention of taking the test drive. After taking a look at the car, the SA tricked us into taking a TD. We told him that we'll take TD only if he allows us to take it to the highway to check its performance. He promptly agreed and this was probably the mistake we made. We took it to the Hindon Elevated road - a more than 10 Kms access controlled road with sparse traffic. Even at higher speeds it was rock solid. We were might impressed. Only downer were the hard plastics, slightly smaller cabin and dark theme which makes it look even smaller.

Just to be sure, we went back to Kia again and TDed Seltos on the same roads again at similar speeds and difference was clearly visible.

We have been impressed with Kushaq and I request fellow members to guide if we should go-ahead with Kushaq or stick to the likes of Cretas and Seltos'. Our main concerns mentioned below:
- Skoda ASS horror stories in terms of both cost and reliability. In our 3 decades of ownership, we have faced Nil breakdowns (we are not even sure how will we react if our car breaks down in middle of a trip )
- EPC issues, Rattles and other minor irritants being reported on the forum and fellow members complaining that the car is not of the usual Skoda quality (although we are moving from a Japanese brand and driving Skoda for the first time, thus have been pretty impressed)

Pls also let us know if we have missed any car that we should be considering.

Thanks a lot everyone for going through this detailed post. Looking forward to your valuable suggestions.

[soumbane]

Niggles and other minor issues can be sorted but not the Driving Dynamics. if you loved driving the Kushaq, go for it.

[sid3091]

Originally Posted by KuvamBansal

Hello Everyone.



Pls also let us know if we have missed any car that we should be considering.

Thanks a lot everyone for going through this detailed post. Looking forward to your valuable suggestions.

I'd advise you to have a look at the Taigun as well. It's 1.0 topline MT might just fit your budget (16l hard limit) after some haggling. I personally found it's cabin to be better appointed than the kushaq. Again, you, can't go wrong with either of these 2 at 16l.