Team-BHP - Skoda Kushaq Review

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Skoda Kushaq, VW Taigun score 5 stars under new GNCAP testing protocol.

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP, said that both the models were voluntarily offered by their makers for testing.

The two SUVs are the first to be tested under the new GNCAP protocols that also tests for side impact protection and requires ESC as standard.

Quote:

Frontal impact: the protection offered to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck was good. Driver’s chest showed adequate protection and passenger’s chest showed good protection. Driver’s and passenger’s knees showed good protection. Driver’s tibias showed marginal and adequate protection and passenger’s tibias showed good protrection. Footwell area was rated as stable. The bodyshell was rated as stable and it is capable of withstanding further loadings.
Side impact: head, abdomen and pelvis protection was good while chest protection was marginal.
Side pole impact: curtain airbags meet the fitment requirements and pole impact test was performed in a version with side head protection airbags showing good protection to the head and pelvis, adequate protection to the abdomen and marginal protection to the chest.
ESC: meets the fitment rate requirements and the performance shown in the test was acceptable according to Global NCAP’s latest requirements

Quote:

Frontal impact: the child seat for the 3 year old was installed rearward facing using the i-Size anchorages and a support leg and it was able to prevent head exposure during the frontal impact offering full protection. The child seat for the 18 month old was installed rearward facing using the i-Size anchorages and a support leg and it was able to prevent head exposure during the frontal impact offering full protection.
Side impact: both CRS’s offered full side impact protection.
The car offers 3 point belts in all seating positions as standard in all versions. It does not offer the possibility to disconnect the passenger airbag in case a rearward facing CRS will be installed in this position. The CRS installation passed for all assessed CRS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8iG...nel=GlobalNCAP

Source: Global NCAP

Kushaq scores 5 stars in NCAP

Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun become the first cars to be tested by Global Ncap under the new protocol and both manage to score 5 Stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8iG...nel=GlobalNCAP

Wow this is great news ahead of festive season for Skoda and VW. To be sure before I celebrate and pat myself for choosing the Kushaq, was the test done on Indian unit sold and not the export model? I hope the answer is Yes. I myself have bashed Skoda and VW for smugness but this is sweet and I am relieved. Hope the sales folks have a selling point on the ground against Creta and Seltos combo to revive the sagging sales. And to Skoda - don't delete any safety features under margin pressure.

The only cars in the segment to score 5-Stars...hopefully, more people buy this over the tin-can like Creta and Seltos now.

Wow 5 stars, wasn't expecting this. Pleasantly surprised!
Makes the buy a lot more satisfying :)

Wow. Never expected this. I thought it would get 4 stars. Feeling so proud today of making an perfect decision.

The way Kushaq turns and handles forces without letting the driver sway is a testament to its 5 star rating and superior build quality.
:Cheering:

Here comes Skoda India updating the saftey ratings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ridehard (Post 5421167)

Wow 5 stars, wasn't expecting this. Pleasantly surprised!
Makes the buy a lot more satisfying :)

While it is a happy news, which lays down all the speculations of those who felt an India specific model which might have compromised build, it is not a surprise for me.

Things like the passenger shell, body in white cannot be re-engineered from the MQB platform. That is because they will not be able to justify the development costs v/s volumes. Maruti/Hyundai and the likes can do that with their larger volumes
The same car is built for the export markets as well. So they should keep the differences minimal between local product and export product to keep their supply chain effiicient
So the cost savings which might come as a result of some compromise in sheet metal might not be much
The same car would be graded for the LATAM markets as well. So doesnt work well for them to achieve bad ratings since for those markets it is a part of homologation

Anyway, good to know that the ratings are high even in the new protocol.

8 October 2021, the Sales Advisor at Brite Skoda confidently told me "Sir it will score 5 Stars in NCAP, you need not worry".

14 October 2022, what he said became the reality.

Feeling proud of making the right decision

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Piyush_ (Post 5421217)

8 October 2021, the Sales Advisor at Brite Skoda confidently told me "Sir it will score 5 Stars in NCAP, you need not worry".

Even Zac Hollis had commented that they have built it to be better than what the crash tests demanded. But he was not specific to which crash test he referred to IIRC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioholic (Post 5421231)

Even Zac Hollis had commented that they have built it to be better than what the crash tests demanded. But he was not specific to which crash test he referred to IIRC.

Mr. Hollis commented that they were ready for any testing of the MQB A0-IN build cars. Further he posted on different tweets that with highest level of active and passive safety features present in the car makes it the safest car in its segment.

Just got back from the showroom, I went to collect my Rapid and I was showing monte Carlo Kushaq to my mom and we both loved the red colour. And then we heard the news of 5 star in GNCAP, it indeed is a good feeling that Skoda has not cut corners in Safety.

Quote:

Originally Posted by volkman10 (Post 5421134)

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP, said that both the models were voluntarily offered by their makers for testing.
Source: Global NCAP

If I don my devil's advocate hat, that word "voluntarily offered" - is it the same as the GNCAP agency simply buying a random example from a showroom and testing it ? Could VAG have lined up a few custom-job models specifically to send to GNCAP ? The reason I have my doubts is because the same company got caught red handed w.r.t the emission cheating scandal, and sent a scapegoat executive to jail, whilst the real bosses escaped. So I am not in anyway expecting "ethical righteousness" from any auto company.

If someone can clearly make us laymen understand what exactly is the difference between MQB-A0 and MQB-A0-IN (why another platform, in the first place, the MQB itself was envisaged as something that can accommodate different engines, different boot styles, different wheelbases etc) , I will sleep happier.