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-   -   Skoda Kushaq Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/238363-skoda-kushaq-review-49.html)

Oh so true! Can just imagine how sporty and top class the Kushaq Monte Carlo in red would look like with blacked out exterior badging and de-chromed grill. All this with 17 or at best 18 inch black alloys and all black interiors with black sporty seats from Kamiq Monte Carlo.

Hope they come out with Monte Carlo by Diwali and give 6 airbags and TPMS in this top variant. Ready to pay slightly more as well!! Love it in red!! :)

We do not have display or test drive car with our local dealer yet. They informed me that they received total 75 bookings within 5 hours on the launch day. They have 4-5 dealerships in the state, so 15 bookings each on the launch day is a good number.

The JMD Andheri mumbai branch had around 300 bookings both online and offline combined as on 1st of July. My SA said none were for the Active.

A newly opened Skoda dealer here in Bangalore told me they have 30 bookings even though they don't even have a display car yet. Not vouching for the veracity of that claim.

A thing to notice is that here on TeamBHP in the 9 plus months of its existence, the Hyundai Creta thread has circa 600,000 views & 830 comments. This Kushaq thread has circa 720 comments & 520,000 views in 7 days! Add to it the fact that many comments on Creta thread are regarding ownership & it is a definite inference that the interest in Kushaq - positive or negative :) - is huge! Would be surprising if this fails!

I think problem here is people are judging the car by price only, as the car is not available in showrooms (and most are yet to see), Skoda marketing is not good, everyone already knew how it looks, I am not able to digest why they delayed it and took most stupid decision on airbags.

Camera is not showing the quality of car which we can touch and feel ourself, as my last post, after seeing the car in flesh, and comparing it back to back, I have no doubt on overall quality of the car, Yes there are bits and pieces which are not good but I can live with that, hoping that atleast Skoda has not compromised on structure and platform ofcourse.

I was at the local Skoda dealer by chance, and got to see two Style 1.0TSI MT specimens, both in Honey Orange. Prima face, the car looks really stunning.

The display cars sported Apollo Alnac 4G on the alloys and Good Year Assurance on the spare steel rims.

The OnRoad price for the 1.0TSI MT Style variant in Vadodara was reported to be INR16.2 lacs. This is what I was told, but I didn't re-confirm.

What I liked

* Brilliant fit and finish
* Doors open and shut the solid way
* Beautiful 17" alloy wheels
* Exquisite finish on the dash, and well designed steering wheel
* Great seats, the rear ones cosseting the occupants
* Great legroom for the rear passengers
* Deep boot than can swallow quite a bit of luggage
* 60:40 split folding seats, and a nice lever to pull and lower either to create more boot space
* Intelligent placement of a subwoofer in the spare wheel
* layout of the 1.0 TSI makes the engine bay look roomy
* when I viewed the underside of the car from front to rear, it was clear all the way - I couldn't find any parts jutting out

What I didn't like

* 205/55/R16 spare with a Good Year tyre - will this match the profile of the 205/55R17 regular wheels in the event of an emergency use?
* material on the rear side of the front seats doesn't seem as good as the front
* fifth occupant in the center of the rear seat is unwelcome
* the handle to pull the hatch down looks cheap and isn't practical. People will end up closing the hatch the desi way
* no shield for the engine and transmission

Here are a few pictures

The test drive car in Tornado(?)Red


The dash


Engine bay - 1.0TSI MT


Display car - a 1.0TSI MT Style variant in Honey Orange Metallic

All videos and pictures available till now are of Style variant. There is only one detailed Ambition variant walkaround video available on Youtube. We do not have any pictures or videos of the base Active variant yet. Looks like Active is low priority for Skoda and we may have to wait longer for the delivery just like Rapid rider.

Correct. That tiny 1L engine looks like it is mounted inside a deep pit.

That is strange. Rough road package and engine protection is standard in all variants. I tweeted this to Zac Hollis and he confirmed it.

Public reaction (In Hindi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59afgacbGvg

Profile (number 55 here) would be different for 16” wheel, which would make the total external dia same as 17” wheels. Of course you can use this spare tyre in case of emergency.

This is the trend I am seeing from all manufacturers, kia and Hyundai also shows their top end in the showroom at the start and then slowly introduce 1-2 other variants once delivery starts.

I think Zac said what team-bhp reviews shows only plastic cover on engine.

It could be an additional fitment at dealer level?

Saw a silver test-drive Kushaq today on Worli Seaface, looked impressive and premium especially the 17inch alloy wheels. Had other commitments so couldn’t step into the showroom, but it has surely got the much needed footfalls into Skoda showrooms, the showroom was packed!

I would suggest everyone to take a TD before jumping to conclusions. I took the 1.0 MT for a test drive. And I can vouch for its driving dynamics. It's a breeze to drive. This car is in a league of its own. If you are comparing it with creta/seltos or for any other car in that segment better to go with them. Yes Skoda did some compromises here and there. I found it airy then ecosport and even if it's a 2 seater behind, it is very comfortable. If you are gonna sit 5 adults, then forget about this car. We are a family of 4 so I am not too bothered about the 5th adult. The boot space is enough for the occasional highway trips. The doors have a good thud. Different people have different needs. I owned a top model hyundai with all bells and whistles. After a while except for the music system I hardly use any of the other features. Not even bluetooth. It has a decent music system. I am not a bass person. This car is definitely on my booking list.

How is the clutch and gearbox, did you find any notchiness in gear shifting?

Clutch is neither too soft nor hard, it's in between. It takes a while to get used to it. Skoda has got it right about placements. The gap between between clutch and brake. The dead pedal position. All perfect.The dashboard too feels premium and more importantly you get a good view . No blindspots. Any one can drive this car. No notchiness in gear shifting at all. It's very smooth. Best feel is the steering.

Absolutely! As I read each and every post here, I can only see them as passionate opinions from car lovers, in general, rather than from fanboys of any one brand. After all, that's why we are all here as part of the Team BHP family... for the love of automobiles.

I try to filter the obvious brand love-hate comments and glean the facts. So, best to see and drive and experience ourselves. If you love the way a car looks, drives and just stands on your porch and that can remain unchanged for years, even over a decade, that's all that matters.

As someone who hasn't changed his car for the last almost 12 years, I am in the market for a new car more than most people! Well, it's hard to let go of a much adored, trusted Punto and many here will know what I mean.

I almost bought a Ford EcoSport, toyed with idea of taking the leap to buy the Compass but the pandemic put things on hold. With the Kushaq's announcement, I wanted to wait it out.

I would like my next car also to be European and would love to have a Skoda in my garage. That said, I well realise that a Made for India tag is a euphemism, and like others, knew there would be some evident cost cuts.

More than the lack of a panoramic sunroof or rear discs or a virtual cockpit, it's things like the tacky side aircon vents and the shoddily executed rooftop that hurt. But, hey, those apart, I doubt there's anything much that you really can pick on in the Kushaq, from what I hear. Am okay with the size and stance as I love the way it looks. I wouldn't need the rear seat much, so that's fine. The boots's fine too. The only thing I wish the Kushaq had is a diesel engine but then, there's nothing possible there.

And am not complaining too much about the pricing. Yes, it's on the slightly premium side but nothing to put me off from considering the Kushaq.

So, waiting to do a TD and figure things out for myself. Till then, look forward to the valuable thoughts, perspectives and experiences from members here.