[GTO]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Don't go with the FE numbers shown on reviews or test drives. Cars are usually driven hard. Better to wait for FE numbers reported by owners .

Well said! And also idled a lot. In many of our photoshoots, the car is kept idling for 3, 4...even 5 hours. One, because it's too hot to shoot the cabin without the a/c on most days. Second, if the car needs to be continuously moved for exterior shots & angles, better to keep the engine running than stop / restart all the time.

Owner reviews are the most reliable source. Manufacturers pay money to the car rags to inflate FE numbers as the FE number is all too important in India.

Originally Posted by maverickNerd

Seems like there are lot of mistakes in brochure

Why is the guy in charge of the brochure not fired yet? It is absolutely inexplicable to have such errors in the official brochure of a company that will be doing thousands of crores of business with this car. Heck, it seems like the Team-BHP Official Review was proofread more by us than the brochure by Skoda

[kushagra452]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

It is almost 10 days since the launch and local dealer (tier 2 city) don't even have display car with them.

Display car/test drive car not available
No proper sales outlet
No service center
Overpriced
No proper follow ups

Really surprised to see Skoda botch up the launch of the supposedly "most important car" in it's Indian portfolio. I guess it's time for anyone who was waiting for the Kushaq to simply walk over to the nearest Maruti Suzuki showroom and book a S-Cross. The hassle free experience, timely delivery and the no-nonsense after sales service and parts availability will ensure peace of mind for any prospective buyer.

[maverickNerd]

Originally Posted by GTO

Why is the guy in charge of the brochure not fired yet? It is absolutely inexplicable to have such errors in the official brochure of a company that will be doing thousands of crores of business with this car. Heck, it seems like the Team-BHP Official Review was proofread more by us than the brochure by Skoda

Brochure has AQ instead of AT and style variant shows Hill hold Assist as common feature. How can a company release the most important document without reviewing it.

[porsche_guy]

Originally Posted by GTO

Why is the guy in charge of the brochure not fired yet? It is absolutely inexplicable to have such errors in the official brochure of a company that will be doing thousands of crores of business with this car. Heck, it seems like the Team-BHP Official Review was proofread more by us than the brochure by Skoda

It's not just the brochure, even the Infotainment system even when locked has a spelling error. Don't know if anybody noticed it earlier. How hard is it to spell "Oops" correctly?

[RPM1706]

Originally Posted by maverickNerd

Seems like there are lot of mistakes in brochure

Brochure mentions Hill hold Assist for style variant with nothing as AT or MT.

This is unacceptable. Here's a manufacturer betting big on this one product to revive its fortunes in a market that's super competitive. And then, the amount of time they got to prep up, keeping us all waiting, was more than usual.

Just when we thought we were done with getting information piece meal, here's more to contend with! Dropping key features like 6 air bags (on the AT and now hill hold on the top end variant (this time on the MT) and not bothering to come clean on these in brochures and even through the many reviews we have seen in media... just not done, Skoda!!

And, obviously, it's not just the casual, haphazard communication standards that's off-putting. Just what logic can there be for a top end to be stripped off of such features defies logic. It's not even like the pricing is aggressive to shave off these key features. Assuming a potential buyer of your top end variant is okay shelling out a neat sum yet is fine without absolutely essential features, especially at that price, is insensitive.

I was really looking forward to the 1.0 MT and have been more or less okay with other compromises because, otherwise, I do think this is a good enough car. But, Skoda, you need to do better than this. If your primary style of communication dissemination is the brand director's casual (if mostly unfailing) responses to tweets, this is just not on!

[imp!]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Kushaq is competition to cars like S-cross, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon etc. and definitely not with likes of Creta or Seltos. Those are bigger cars. From side it looks quite similar S-cross. It definitely don't have SUV looks which is very disappointing.

I can completely understand that you are disappointed with the looks of a vehicle, but, I would like to point out there is more to a car than dimensions on paper. The Kushaq actually has the most legroom and most comfortable seats amongst the cars you have mentioned.

Originally Posted by vishnurp99

The Kushaq 1 litre MT will get compared against the S-cross and Creta NA petrols. In terms of interior room, Kushaq is below Scross & Creta. The build is not significantly better for Kushaq either.

A buyer will need to decide if he would prefer to have 1 litre turbo petrol or 1.5 L NA petrol with similar power figures.

The vehicle is just too overpriced and there are too many skoda horror stories that will dissuade most folks from paying a premium for 1 litre version. I am not even talking about the 1.5L here.

In a country where we cross shop across segments and vehicle types, I am sure that the Kishaq will face stiff competition from a Baleno to a Tiguan and everything in-between.

Incidentally, I would recommend most people to ignore the 1 Litre offerings. One needs a bit of grunt to safely navigate our treacherous road conditions. I don't particularly think that the 1.5 is adequately powered by modern standards either. Acceptable perhaps but certainly not adequate.

When seen objectively in person, the Kushaq is the most comfortable car when you look at the S Cross and Creta. 3 years down the road, the Creta will look old and dated, while the Kushaq will look just as dated as the day you drive off the lot. Let me be clear, the Kushaq already looks dated, the S Cross more so.

Skoda A.S.S is what it is. No point dwelling on it, other than to point out to a potential buyer who hasn't done their homework that Skoda service can be a nightmare, but actually, only if something goes catastrophically wrong with the vehicle. Atleast that is what I and many other multiple VAG car owners will tell you.

The sad truth of the matter is that all of these cars have significant compromises. Unfortunately, they are not compromises that one expects in a car that costs 20-22 Lakhs OTR. I'd rather vote with my wallet and tell all the companies to go home with their current price structure and value offered regardless of segment. Sadly, that is an ideal world, and we don't live in a situation where such a scenario is possible. Skoda is making a fool of you by saying that 6 airbags can't be offered in the DSG variants at their current prices points. The use of cost cutting measure in ALL their cars is nothing but a testament to their arrogance, but, if you are on a tight budget or are unable/unwilling to get a BMW/Mercedes, what else is there? The Koreans offerings just aren't comfortable enough over long distances, or, the design philosophy is not everyones cuppa. The big Japanese players have given up on the Indian market, or are resting on decade old laurels. Isuzu is trying hard, but, like their brethren, their price structure leaves much to be desired.

So, What Else is There? Subaru would be a great fit for the Indian environment, but we have not even had a whiff of an interest or promise other than a rebadged Chevy that I would love to get my hands on. The Scorpio launch is just getting delayed, the Thar is fantastic but the lack of a couple of doors work against it. Tata are, as ever, so close and yet so far from being a force to be reckoned with.

[AVash]

Originally Posted by maverickNerd

Brochure has AQ instead of AT

This is not a mistake AQ is the name Skoda uses for their TC Gearbox as in ambition DSG Is not available which uses the acronym DQ.

[TheGearBox]

According to the brochure, the base variant doesn't get a dead pedal! Really, Skoda!?

Also, it is mentioned that all variants supposedly get a foldable remote key. If that is the case, then what is the point of the Push-button Start in the Style variant?

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by TheGearBox

Also, it is mentioned that all variants supposedly get a foldable remote key. If that is the case, then what is the point of the Push-button Start in the Style variant?

To unlock or lock the car in case the battery fails using the physical key, almost all cars with keyless go have it, just that they hide it well.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Kushaq is competition to cars like S-cross, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon etc. and definitely not with likes of Creta or Seltos. Those are bigger cars. From side it looks quite similar S-cross. It definitely don't have SUV looks which is very disappointing.

If you have gone through the first page of this review thread (or any other reviews), the segment where Kushaq fall in is quite clear. By the definition of just dimensions defining a segment, the Compass and Nexon also probably can be tagged together.

[driven646]

I'm in the market for a new car in this segment and awaiting the Taigun launch - I just prefer the VW design language over Skoda.

Since the Kushaq is basically what the Taigun will be - anyone has feedback over the engine/gearbox combo? Is the 1.0 liter engine with the TC automatic better than the 1.5 liter engine with the DSG as some reviewers are suggesting?
Wouldn't a DSG always be better than a Torque Converter?

I already own two VW automatics - a 2011 Passat with a 6 speed DSG and a 2017 Tiguan with a 7 speed DSG and am highly satisfied with both. Also my use is for the hills, where quick acceleration without lag, rubber band effect is needed.

Any advice is appreciated.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by driven646

I'm in the market for a new car in this segment and awaiting the Taigun launch - I just prefer the VW design language over Skoda.

Since the Kushaq is basically what the Taigun will be - anyone has feedback over the engine/gearbox combo? Is the 1.0 liter engine with the TC automatic better than the 1.5 liter engine with the DSG as some reviewers are suggesting?
Wouldn't a DSG always be better than a Torque Converter?

I already own two VW automatics - a 2011 Passat with a 6 speed DSG and a 2017 Tiguan with a 7 speed DSG and am highly satisfied with both. Also my use is for the hills, where quick acceleration without lag, rubber band effect is needed.

Any advice is appreciated.

I would suggest you opt for the TC. DSGs are very quick shifting gearboxes in general but they tend to be ever so slightly slow in the first 2 gears. There's an initial lag though very negligible.

More importantly, driving on hilly terrains in what I would assume would be slow speeds sometimes down to crawling and climbing inclines, the TC will be far better than the DSG and more robust. The DQ200 is anyways known to burn it's clutch packs out quite early on plains itself.

My suggestion to you would be to opt for the 1.0 TC.

[driven646]

Originally Posted by vishy76

I would suggest you opt for the TC. DSGs are very quick shifting gearboxes in general but they tend to be ever so slightly slow in the first 2 gears. There's an initial lag though very negligible.

More importantly, driving on hilly terrains in what I would assume would be slow speeds sometimes down to crawling and climbing inclines, the TC will be far better than the DSG and more robust. The DQ200 is anyways known to burn it's clutch packs out quite early on plains itself.

My suggestion to you would be to opt for the 1.0 TC.

I'm not doing off roading where slow speeds and crawling are required, just normal runs on state and national highways, some of which are good, some are poor - but nothing a higher GC can't handle.

It's when overtaking that one needs a quick and instant kick down of power, as one needs to complete the overtake before the next blind corner arrives.

I find my cousin's automatic new gen automatic TC Fortuner to have a lot of lag compared to my DSG's - hence my confusion.

Climbing inclines has never been a problem in my VWs as both have auto hold.

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by driven646

.

It's when overtaking that one needs a quick and instant kick down of power, as one needs to complete the overtake before the next blind corner arrives.

Climbing inclines has never been a problem in my VWs as both have auto hold.

You'll be much happier with the 1.5 TSI. Considering my experience with the 1.2 TSI, smaller capacity turbo petrols get really lethargic while climbing hills especially when loaded, and the higher altitudes of Himachal will just exacerbate that effect! Regarding the DSG, it should run fine in the cooler climate but yes, as Vishy76 said, your clutch will wear out sooner.

[maverickNerd]

He has corrected himself again, now hill hold Assist is available ��