Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Official New Car Reviews (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/)

-   -   Skoda Kushaq Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/238363-skoda-kushaq-review-241.html)

Answering in the que:
- Torque converter is better suited for city drives and offers a comparatively smoother experience. Lomg term reliability of DSGs takes a hit if the car is driven in traffic and that too Pune. So you should go for 1.0 AT.

- Red highlights are a personal perspective varying from person to person. What you should focus on is that whether it'll rattle or not rl:

- This too depends on individual driving styles. Expect higher single digit numbers in the city from both the variants.

- Since the cushioning is not soft but hard and supportive, long drives shouldn't be a concern. The seat are well bolstered for 2 people. Adding a third passenger will invite annoying seat change requests from the middle passenger.

- Kushaq has a stiff suspension setup as compared to rivals. So motion sickness shouldn't be a bother.

- Torque converter is smoother but slower. And when driven enthusiastically, it occasionally gets caught off-guard while demanding a quick downshift. But these instances are far and few in between.

DSG is the exact vice versa. Get's caught off-guard in heavy traffic scenarios but its quick to shift and barely disappoints when the road opens up. As such there have been fewer complaints about the DSG in SAVW 2.0 Cars. So that's some respite.

The 1.0L TC will be the best bet if you don't want that extra grunt of 1.5L DSG and want a smooth operator. Torque converter being the simpler one is gonna be more reliable of the two. The Kushaq has one of the best ride and handling balance in its class. The slightly firm set up is gonna make the ride flatter over variety of road surfaces which will result in less body roll. However, these are my own views but you should take test drives back to back (1.0AT and 1.5 DSG) inorder to have proper answer to your questions. Regards!

I was informed by the sales exec. that MC variant was more expensive but they have ample stocks of MC variant which they need to clear before the launch of the new car coming year and have thus reduced the pricing after rebadging the whole lineup.


My family suffers from the same. And that's why seat comfort, large glass area and visibility out of the windows is one major criteria for us for selecting a car. She was comfortable at the back seat during our highway trip (roads were straight and on plains).

I have driven only about 500kms with one highway trip done. Kept the car around 100KMPH and had to use the paddleshifter only once to downshift for overtaking. I am a sedate driver.

Only dislike I has with 1.0 L AT is that the crawl speed and reverse is a little too aggressive for city use. Have to keep alert to brake at any moment as the car lunges forward or backward suddenly sometimes. Better to keep a small distance between vehicles while driving. A light foot on the brake while the car crawls works - a minor dislike but a dislike nonetheless. We did not feel this amount of aggression in the test vehicle and are not sure if this will tone down, if that is even possible.

Hey people,

Vehcile in question: Skoda Kushaq 1.5 DSG
Kms: 8700
One year old.


So I just got my first service done on completion of 1 year. As I have availed SMP so the regular stuff was changed.

Now I asked the service advisor to get my throttle body cleant. I know it was too early and maybe not necessary; but I have OCD and that makes me have doubts about cleaning the throttle body!

However, my SA point blank refused! Told me it is not done on these new skoda cars! I was a little aghast but nonetheless to keep him happy told him to get my oil and filters changed.

Now I am moreso of a DIY guy! I have gone through the repair manuals for Skoda Kushaq but nowhere does it mention about throttle body cleaning! Wanted to know if any of you people have got this done and possibly a route to approach the throttle body as I couldn’t locate it! Maybe removal of air intake box is required.

If someone can please guide me on this please.

Regards,
Mihir

Upgrade from 1l MT Ambition to 1.5l Monte Carlo DSG
Fellow Team-BHPians, I have been a happy owner of a Kushaq 1.0l MT Ambition model that I purchased in March 2022. It has been 2.5 years of nearly fuss free ownership and I have covered almost 18,500 kms, with 50% being in Bangalore and 50% outside on the highways. Now, since I am also aging :coldsweat, I am contemplating an automatic crossover for roughly the same ratio of city and highway usage. It seems there are good discounts on Monte Carlo cars for the 1.5L DSG. We already have a Hyundai Verna at home and are a small family, so large SUVs are automatically ruled out.
Question is will the AT (1.0) or the DSG (1.5) be a worthwhile upgrade from my Kushaq 1.0 MT? The riding dynamics and handling, I believe ,will almost be the same. But the convenience of an automatic and the additional features apart from the power will be very good indeed. The test drives of both were very good and the 1.5 DSG felt smoother. I test drove only in the city and I am sure the larger engine will sing on the highway!
The competitors like Seltos, Creta, Elevate, Hyryder (this is one I am keen on especially the Strong hybrid if an alternative) do not seem to have that riding dynamics of the Kushaq/Taigun crossovers, though they are better in many other aspects including space, features, road presence, etc.
Has anyone had this question or already gone ahead and made the upgrade? I may have to pay an additional 12,00,000 Rupees after selling, if I decide to go ahead. Any thoughts or suggestions will be welcome.

No offense, but I would have got the Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG or 1.0 TSI AT instead of the 1.0 TSI MT in the first place. More than age, it’s the convenience & smoothness of the DCT that you have experienced in the Verna which is probably making you consider changing the car. Your 2.5 years old Kushaq has hardly run 19k kms. The 1.5 TSI & the DSG combo will blow you away for sure (I own a Slavia 1.5 DSG). Selling the current Kushaq & spending an additional 12 lakhs doesn’t sound like a wise decision financially. You have mentioned that you have the new Verna too (assuming it is the 1.5 Turbo DCT). If I were you then I would not replace either of these cars with any other car for the next few years. If you are even considering Hyryder then do a thorough test drive. After owning 2 turbo petrols, I don’t think Hyryder will satisfy you in anyway other than providing better FE.

If switching over from MT to AT is unavoidable then I would go for a used pre-worshipped Polo GT (preferably the 1.2 TSI) & remap it to replace the Kushaq, minimise the loss without additional investment & also extract the same amount of joy out of the car.

Just my 2 cents. Again this is my personal opinion & need not be in sync with your thoughts.

You are right. I should have gone for an AT, but its that moment of madness when you think manual is still fun to drive and then hey the reality, read as Bangalore traffic hits you! Yes, I own the 1.5 DCT Verna and it is a huge influence on my decision to change, for sure, as I have experienced how easy it is to handle both in traffic and on expressways! The 1L on the highway is no slouch either on the highway, though its not as potent as a DSG/DCT 1.5, but its on the infamous Bangalore start stop traffic that it feels cumbersome to drive with constant gear changes required!

A good thing about the 1l is the mileage; It is even possible to extract 18-20 kmpl if driven sedately around 100 km speed. Thanks for the words of prudent financial advice, will wait and see now if heart wins or the head. :cool:

If driven at 100 km/hr speed & keep the RPM under 2k, the 1.5 TSI easily gives the FE that you have mentioned due to the Active Cylinder Tech. I am claiming this from my experience. Bangalore -Mysore - Bangalore has given me 20+ FE when speed is maintained between 90-100 & RPM between 1850 - 2000 with cruise control & AC ON. ACT is real & a boon. My car has run more on highways than in the city. It’s almost a 65:35 ratio.

I saw this pic in the ad today. If you look closely at the pic there is 360* camera on the car. The alloys look a bit different as well. Update.

Coming soon?

Thanks for sharing your experience with the new accessories. I had also seen the metal pedals at the time of delivery and instantly decided to go for them.

I have a few queries regarding the dashcam.

1. Did you purchase it from the service centre? Please provide details on the variant, price and performance.
2. Have they done a good job with the installation?

Thanks.

Hi All,
Has anyone changed their tyres to Bridgestone Turanza 6i which come with the stock size recommended for Taigun/Kushaq?
Is it now a better choice rather than changing the tyre profile to get access to premium brands?

1. I bought 70mai 500s from outside. The service center installed it with charges, and gave me an invoice for it as well.
2. They did a decent job. Not the best, but hey, so much for not voiding warranties.

To anyone who has bought Kushaq recently, either 1.0L or 1.5L, are the engines E20 fuel compatible ? How did you verify that ?
https://www.skoda-auto.co.in/news/ne...-e20-compliant
This press release from Skoda India was just last month. I am in a bit of a conundrum, the 1.0L is E20 fuel compatible but the 1.5L is expected to achieve E20 compliance by Q4 2024. I have the budget for 1.5L engine. Can someone please help ? What does the owner’s manual say ?

Update

Had completed 32000 kms on my Kushaq 1.5 TSI MT.

The MRF Street Tyres 🛞 had become hard and worn out with about 1 mm left to the wear indicator. You can see the tread markers highlighted in yellow and the outer tread in red.



It was activating TCS and ABS most of the times during rainy season. I could get the wheels spinning in 2nd gear 🫣 (quick pick up from 1st). I knew I had to change them, and needed a better and wider contact to put the 150 horses on road but more importantly that 250 NM of torque.

The tyre vendor didn’t have Michelin. So I settled for Continental CSC5. They are with reinforced walls. The tyre is rated as 225 50 R17 98W XL. MFG 1824.

Cost me ₹ 51,200 for a set of 4 of which ₹ 11,200 was just tax :Shockked: It’s taxed at 28%!!!

Here is the photo comparing MRF when new (top) and Conti after upgrade (below)



The clearance remains the same as the circumference very close to old one. The width of course has increased and a few mms are outside the mud flap. I fear it’s going to spill more water and mud to the lower body as well as the car behind.

Here is the photo of the rear tyre. You can see the tyre info and the tread pattern.



Rode around 15 kms after installing the new set of tyres. The first impressions are as follows:

1. Much quieter ride than the MRF
2. Handling has improved greatly.
3. The steering feels lighter and precise. It changes direction much faster than MRF
4. Rolling resistance is low. Picks up with min accelerator input and coasts further when let go of the accelerator.

Will post an update once they are run in.

I TD’d the Kushaq 1.0L MT and 1L AT side by side. I had a few questions. I am a newbie driver and have only been used to driving a Swift Diesel from 2010.

1. I have observed this in VAG cars, their clutch travel is long compared to Hyundai, MS and Honda and the biting point is also in the last stages of travel. I TD’d the Kushaq 1L MT in peak traffic on an incline and right before I took a u-turn at a traffic signal and boy did I stall the car twice. Also, I found using MT in B2B traffic was very painful because of long clutch travel. Elevate MT or Verna Turbo MT didn’t feel that way. VAG clutches were a bit hard to operate, gear shifts were more clunky when compared to Hyundai which was much smoother. I drove the Verna Turbo MT through some really narrow roads in 1/2nd gear on very slight inclines and I faced no issues in gear changes. Is this observation about VAG clutches true for new cars or maybe these were Demo vehicles that went through a lot of abuse. The Kushaq I was driving was actually rear ended and the showroom didn’t fix it.

2. Can the biting point be changed by the ASC after delivery? Noob question I know and the answer is probably no. Is this something that one gets used to ? This is my very first car so I have no idea. I am also hearing about lot of clutch failures in Kushaq MT. I checked the FB group for Kushaq owners and also X.

3. Are EPC issues still prevalent in newly manufactured vehicles?

3. I have driven Swift Diesel , NA Honda Elevate and the Verna Turbo. I had the most trouble with stalling with the TSI engines only especially in stop and go traffic and also with even slight inclines. How do you prevent the Turbo engine from stalling on inclines ? At what rpm does Kushaq Turbo kick in ?

I am a newbie driver and I agree I would have made mistakes in releasing the clutch but I am just trying to discern if the long clutch travel and high biting point is something that one can get used to ?