[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by John316_WRC

Buddy, what's your take on the pricing? I feel the base Active could've been better priced as an introductory offer. Anyways are you sticking with the Active or upgrading to Ambition?

Keep us posted.

I posted it yesterday afternoon (few hours after the launch).

Originally Posted by Latheesh

I had pre-booked Kushaq Active variant in Carbon steel color. Initial plan was to check the price and decide on variant and color.

Update
Variant - Same Active
Color - Changed to Tornado red

Final decision after the test drive next week.

Originally Posted by John316_WRC

Looking at the variants, an upgrade to Style seems better than the Ambition.

Please don't tempt me. I am a simple family man who is happy with current ride itself (basic bicycle). Are you trying to create problems in my peaceful family life? I just checked, Style is 17.5L OTR.

[SchrödingersCar]

Originally Posted by S15

And strangely, some forum members are telling me to cool down, instead of telling him to put his prejudices aside, and check out the car once, in real life, with an open mind. Strange are the ways of life, and lately of this forum.

Originally Posted by S15

Please learn the difference between a suggestion and an advice.

Don't we all have prejudices (read also as "subconscious biases"). Yet, we try to prove that what we "suggest" should be agreed upon by everyone else, barring which, one will blame the forum and the world to be acting in strange and mysterious ways which don't make sense.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by Lowflyer23

My dear friend I never said these cars aren't competitive, there is a reason the Korean twins sell. I think the Diwali phrase made you a bit uneasy but frankly these cars are not to my taste. I prefer safety of my family and mine to features and long list of powertrains and I live to drive, so I always would opt for a dynamically superior and safer car (even if it is so by a slight margin).

And again you seem to either not know how to phrase accurately or genuinely believe that anyone who buys anything but a "superior VAG product" doesn't care for their family.

How is a say Rapid more "dynamically superior" than a say Verna for instance.

Have owned Hyundai and now a Kia now for a combined total of 15+ years and haven't felt "unsafe" to this day.

I understand you might like a particular brand, but what's with the endless insults on those who prefer other brands. The former is your prerogative, the later is not.

[One]

The Kushaq is supposed to be the car that saves Skoda. Can it achieve this now that the details on paper are available (this post is not whether the car suits me or meets some specific requirements):

One way we can model this is to use Creta/ Seltos as a base and see where Kushaq lands. The Creta sold ~7500 units last month whereas the Seltos sold ~4200 (the Venue sold ~4800 and Sonet did ~6600 but we can ignore them for multiple reasons here, primary being that those numbers are less than Seltos which we want to focus on here). Reference

Considering a pessimistic scenario, let's use the Seltos sales numbers as our base.

Monthly Sales (May 21) - 4200
Approximate Petrol Sales at 60% (reference for 60%) - 2520

Around 40-50% of this is 1000-1200 cars a month. Less than this might not be enough to sustain the company. So the questions are:

- Do we think Skoda can do 1000-1200 units a month
- Is that a number which helps Skoda as a manufacturer in the country (also keep in mind India will be used as a base to export this model)

I personally think it can do these numbers.

I don't see absence of 6 air-bags as an issue for the market (if braking issues of a best selling car are not an issue, then this certainly isn't).

I don't see ASS as an issue , atleast initially (Magnite sales as an example).

The only things I see going against it for big numbers are:
- Size and this doesn't refer to it being a 4 seater. It refers to physical attributes, doesn't look like a "baaaadi gaadi" which Creta/Seltos look like and doesn't look butch like an EcoSport.
- Bling like sunroof. This is a feature that announces "arrival" to a certain segment, much like Honda City did years back.

1000-1200 units though should be easy, this segment has enough buyers. If it had been a sedan segment going with this kind of pricing against the best sellers, I would have had a different opinion. But the number of people buying cars in this segment should ensure these numbers.

For me, the only question is, what is the number of units to be sold monthly for Skoda to consider it a hit or even to sustain itself here. And of course, can Skoda improve its ASS, or.....maybe....is DQ200 trouble free

[drumbrakes]

I love the well-written review (5 stars). My Pick from the lot would be 1.5 Manual in a darker shade with the blacked-out grille ONLY if it gets five stars in a safety test like the T-Cross.

I feel no one should book or reject a model based on the reviews. Journalist & writers can only present facts and share their 'personal' opinion. It's just food for thought. We should book/reject a car only after multiple test drives. It can't be an impulsive decision when you are buying something for your family.

Coming back to the Kushaq, T-Roc is ₹ 5 Lakh more expensive than top-end automatic (On-Road Price, Delhi) for the extra money we get: A Wider car with Five stars on Euro NCAP, Fatter Tyres, 4 Extra airbags, rear disc brakes, TPMS, Two-zone climate control, Front parking sensors, Panoramic Sunroof, Digital Cockpit and a few more goodies.
If it isn't a stretch and you get good discounts T-roc makes more sense to me personally at around 3 lakhs more.

I think that this will change the days for Skoda/VW in India and for the better, I believe.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Not at all the case with me. I have cancelled my Kushaq booking and booked a Sonet GTX plus Diesel AT, which costs 16 Lacs on road in Gurgaon - it is not a cheap car! I would have happily paid even 18Lacs for the Kushaq style 1.0 Tsi At version, had it got the 6 airbags. But paying 18 lacs and not getting six airbags even at that price is atrocious. It is just poor variant planning on Skoda's part. Had they even launched a higher Style+ variant with 6 airbags and even a Digital driver display I would have even paid 1 lac more for that. And I am saying this having owned two Skoda's (Yeti) and even a Laura (even now). Budget wise I can even afford the new Octavia, but I am not keen to spend 33 Lacs on that car as it no longer represents good value for money, which was supposed to be Skoda's brand promise. Also their claim of safety on the Kushaq is still to be proven and reducing airbags on the vehicle does not reinforce their claim in any way.

I told you once to not get the Jawa bike, but you did - see how that turned out
I am now telling you to not buy the Sonet - however good that, it is at least 2 segments below the car you are replacing. It’s a massive downgrade!

Here’s a wildcat₹ - since budget is not the restraining factor for you, consider the Superb Sportline maybe. While Octavia is poor VFM, Superb is actually great VFM. You already have diesel car - do you really need another one? Alternatively, wait for the Taigun price reveal, it’ll likely be better value than Kushaq is my guess. Just don’t buy Sonny to replace Laura!!

[Trex5151]

Disclaimer: A long rant.
After the initial reviews and price reveal most of the Bhpians seem to be disappointed with the car not meeting their expectations and you can add me to that group too. I was really looking forward to this car as a candidate to replace my Dad's 7 year old Elite i20.
With the compromises Skoda has made with the car I don't think they can justify pricing it on par with the Korean twins.

1. It is noticeably smaller than both the Creta and Seltos. We can argue that it's got a better build and safety. Ok so no points lost here.
2. If the reviews are anything to go by, the interior quality is not up to the mark. Especially when the twins have their biggest advantage here. Few say these can be fixed in the aftermarket. But should they? Just like how GTO says factory horses are factory horses, factory fit is factory fit.
3. Doesn't match the twins on features offered.
4. GTO says a reliable source claims a 4* GNCAP. That is not enough. It has to be a 5* rated car day in and day out. If Tata can make a 4* car for 7 lakhs and 5* rated cars for 10 lakhs what's stopping a global powerhouse like VAG to offer a 5* rated car at 20 lakhs especially when their own decade old cars(Polo, Vento and Rapid) are already 4* rated at half the price. Yes we can bring up Seltos's disaster rating but just because the bar is low it doesn't mean being one step over it is enough.
5. Skoda's infamous ASS.

If we are to look over these drawbacks(especially ASS), Kushaq has to offer something way above the Korean twins to justify it's positioning.
Some might say it has better driving dynamics. But the twins aren't far back. In fact they are very very close. So what is its redeeming feature?
And how deep are the changes to have an Indian market specific chassis code?
What's actually Indianized? Trim/plastic quality? Suspension and drivetrain tuning? Or any structural changes like the Korean twins? Why can't we have a truly global crossover at this price when the previous gen global Octavia was offered for not a lot more that this.
I have no love for the Koreans after their poor rating at GNCAP but after waiting for about a year I have no love for the Kushaq too.
End of rant.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

I told you once to not get the Jawa bike, but you did - see how that turned out
I am now telling you to not buy the Sonet - however good that, it is at least 2 segments below the car you are replacing. It’s a massive downgrade!

Here’s a wildcat₹ - since budget is not the restraining factor for you, consider the Superb Sportline maybe. While Octavia is poor VFM, Superb is actually great VFM. You already have diesel car - do you really need another one? Alternatively, wait for the Taigun price reveal, it’ll likely be better value than Kushaq is my guess. Just don’t buy Sonny to replace Laura!!

While I do appreciate your honest feedback, I don't really have too much of a choice! My office is now at Noida and I live in Gurgaon and that leads to 100+ km of driving everyday. So my choice has to be Diesel Auto for one. Secondly while I do love the Superb Sportline (and would have bought it if it were diesel) I do agree that is currently is much better value than the Octavia . Especially at the rates at which some people got it till last year, it was an absolute steal. But prices seem to have jumped almost 25% since the past 6 months (could be a temporary trend due to covid supply chain disruptions).
Well the Sonet Delivery is expected to take 19-20 weeks as per the official booking documents and in that period if I get a better option meeting my requirements I will still consider. If only somebody could knock some sense into Skoda to give 6 airbags on Style AT variant - I even tweeted to Zac, but got no response.

[manpreetsj]

Skoda has such a small portfolio of cars, still manage to screw up either pricing or product on offer.

Since I don't want to buy Korean twins due to safety issues and not that interested in Harrier and Hector for their bloated looks. Also, decent variant of diesel Compass is way beyond my 20 Lakhs budget. Hence, I have been waiting for Kushaq from last 6 months. I feared of this day when Skoda will let us down and it came true.

The pricing could be justified and I would have paid this price for a smaller compact car in its segment, if:
1) Skoda had not given inferior quality interiors
2) offered 6 airbags + TPMS in top trim
3) Offered digital instrument cluster (current looks like the one I have on my 2017 elite i20)
4) LED head and tail lights instead of halogen bulbs
5) Pan "glass" roof, like one offered in Kamiq Monte Carlo
6) Better cushioning in seats and good fit seat covers
7) Front parking sensors and 360 camera (O)
8) Electric Parking brake, electric seats, Remote on /off, sporty seats, better alloys with thick tire profile, etc (not important, can live without these)

I doubt Skoda will address any of these in next facelift (which includes wait time of 12months) or Monte Carlo variant (indefinite wait). They had all the time during Covid to work on their make of break product. Still they chose to cut down on quality and leave this car with zero USP, something also highlighted by reviewers.

To Skoda - If I am shelling out 20 Lakhs, sir please offer thats worth it. Don't take people for granted that if they don't want Maruti or Korean tincans, they will buy anything you offer in name of VAG quality brand image! I wanted this car to succeed. But now I'm at square one of finding next car for an upgrade. The journey starts again, just like many others.

[Carz77]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

If only somebody could knock some sense into Skoda to give 6 airbags on Style AT variant - I even tweeted to Zac, but got no response.

Zac is not responding to any of the tweets related to pricing and missing 6 airbags in Style AT. There are numerous tweets on this. Not sure if there are some thoughts going on or he has no answers and hence chooses to ignore.

[07CR]

In a sea of criticism for Kushaq, I would like to point one positive feature (safety feature), that deserves more mention.

It gets the Auto Dimming Orvm functionality, which is a boon in India, where everyone wants to drive on high beam 24*7. I hope more manufacturers in this segment implement this rather than the fancy air purifier or wireless charger.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Financial express article on Kushaq's pricing - https://www.financialexpress.com/aut...rices/2279785/

Has Skoda outpriced itself in India with the overpriced Kushaq?
...
In addition, the Skoda Kushaq is smaller than the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. Indians love big vehicles and that is also one of the reasons why buyers prefer SUVs so it’s hard to understand how a platform developed specifically for India failed to yield a size matching the key rivals. Even if one were to avoid the size debate there’s the unavoidable lack of features.
...
Still, when I drove the Skoda Kushaq I was willing to accept that the Kushaq can become a success story in India. I thought so because I felt that the opportunity for the Kushaq lies in not rivaling the Creta and Seltos but in being positioned as an upgrade from Venue and Sonet while sitting a little below the larger Koreans.
...
The Skoda Kushaq in reality is an overpriced vehicle, especially in top trims.

Originally Posted by 07CR

It gets the Auto Dimming Orvm functionality, which is a boon in India, where everyone wants to drive on high beam 24*7. I hope more manufacturers in this segment implement this rather than the fancy air purifier or wireless charger.

Isn't it a common feature at the price point? Even Kushaq gets the feature only on the top-end Style variant, which is similar to other cars in it's class. The Koreans just call it electrochromic mirror (ECM) instead.

But yes - I wish someone had taken the initiative to offer this feature across the range.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by Stribog

I understand you might like a particular brand, but what's with the endless insults on those who prefer other brands. The former is your prerogative, the later is not.

This whole "Pro-safety" thing is starting to be annoying IMO. Especially outside of Teambhp. If I say that my ex-car(Tigor) had an lame engine, someone immediately says it has 4 star safety and others cars are faster only because of poor safety.

Give us a break guys, not everyone is paranoid about crash test results all the time, we all use our cars differently and have different ways to look at safety, case in point being my 4star rated Tigor AMT and My 121bhp Figo AT. Tigor always used to put me in sticky situations on single lane highways with its poor top end acceleration, Figo on the other hand, accelerates cleanly and safely, dynamically its superior.

Overall I would rate Figo's safety two notches above my Tigor, hope no "pro-safety" guy reads my post and calls me an idiot who doesn't care for his family let people enjoy things.

[headbanger]

Originally Posted by Carz77

Zac is not responding to any of the tweets related to pricing and missing 6 airbags in Style AT. There are numerous tweets on this. Not sure if there are some thoughts going on or he has no answers and hence chooses to ignore.

Skoda has played its cards now. What exactly do you expect as a reply from Zac? It's quite clear that the real top trim in AT hasn't been launched and will be done in near future as an effort to address these shortcomings. The idea would have been to not give a sticker shock by going above 20L ex showroom.

[volkman10]

Even the Czechs. believe that Kushaq is a bit overpriced.

Kushaq model, a sub-compact SUV that has the same wheelbase (2,651 millimeters) as the Kamiq, compared to which it is also a hair shorter (4,221 mm versus 4,241 mm). Škoda also used the specific MQB A0 platform and largely involved local suppliers

One would logically expect, therefore, that if one wants to succeed with him as much as he claims, he will bring the price down to a truly affordable level. However, this happened and did not happen, as Kushaq starts at 1,049,000 rupees (approximately 302,000 CZK).

In general, this is not much, with us you can't even buy a basic Fabia for this amount (CZK 329,900), moreover, it is much less than with a Škoda Kamiq (CZK 417,900). However, it should be noted that the average wage in India is INR 31,900 (CZK 9,200). So we have 3.8 times lower income, but only a quarter lower price. So the average Indian has to save for Kushaq for almost thirty-three months, almost three years. In contrast, in the case of Hyundai Creta, which starts at 999,990 INR (288,250 CZK), it will tighten its belt for a slightly shorter time.

So we are curious about how the news will turn out. Especially when the Indians can buy a Rapid next to it, for example, which will allow them to take up to 460 liters of cargo for 779,000 INR (224 thousand CZK). So Kushaq is handsome and has received relatively modern architecture, but it does not fit into the possibilities of Indian customers. Especially when in full fire it can come up to 1,759,000 INR (507 thousand crowns), which is already a high sum even for Czech conditions.

Only time will tell how much it will cost in this market.

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