[gopikb]

Oh wow, there is a overwhelming vote for the kushaq against Taigun. As many people pointed out, it finally boils down to the personal preferences in terms of looks. In my case, both wife and kids voted for the Taigun. Wife is not keen on sunroof and I did not prefer the digital instrument cluster. But we were clear that we need the 1.5TSI GT Manual version. Taigun just fit our slot and we booked it. Hopefully taking delivery of our car over the weekend.

[yesyeswe]

The tyre pressure monitoring system is a passive one in Taigun, just gives the warning when the pressure gets low and doesn't show the exact pressure and temperature of each wheel. So it's better to get the after market system which will give you the full information and costs very less too.

On the other hand ventilated seats and sub woofer in the spare tyre can't be fitted in the after market, so feature wise you are better off with Kushaq.

In a few months Skoda is going to launch Montecarlo edition of Kushaq which would get some extra features and different exterior styling as well. So if you can wait you will have that option too.

[mytbhp_turbo]

Originally Posted by Ays7

Hello All, I have been lurking on this forum for years, but my membership only got approved recently and hence this is the first post.

Current Cars in the family:
1) Maruti Ciao Zeta MT - 2017 November Model, 29000 Kms on the ODO - Mostly used by my brother.
2) Volkswagen Vento 1.2 TSI DSG - 2018 Model 16000 Kms on the ODO. - Currently used by me.

I would suggest to go for Kushaq, mainly since you already use Vento and Kushaq will feel lot more feeling of new car. Suspension of Kushaq is better balanced. Knowing how VW group operate, parts/maintenance cost for Kushaq will be little lower than Taigun. I remember vento parts used to cost more than rapid unless things are changed now.

[Ays7]

Thanks a lot for your replies every one. I am definitely leaning towards the Kushaq, while the missus prefers the interiors of Taigun, if the seat covers can be installed on them.

Personally, I was told that there was less than a week's waiting on Kushaq, while VW SA was insistent that I book the car immediately as there is a 4 month waiting period on the car.

The lease on my exiting Vento expires only in late April 2022, so I will hold on to the Vento till then and then buy back the same paying the Residual 3.40 L, given it has such low mileage on it.

Wifey rejected the Koreans twins outright after taking short TD's, despite them having better features. Guess driving a Vento rubbed off on her. MG Astor felt lethargic in gear shifts as well.

So it will boil down to the VW/Skoda twins, and I will pick one of them unless Slavia manages to somehow wow us completely, but as of now we are leaning between these two.

I will take a few more test drives of both cars in 2022, see if the 2022 models have any updated or improved feature list (Skoda SA mentioned that 2022 models are expected to have improved roof-liners.)

We had a similar conundrum when we bought Vento as well. We were looking at Rapid as well, but at that time Rapid came with a Torque Converter and I wanted to try the DSG and that swayed the decision for us.

However, at that time, the SA was very friendly for VW, and he wasn't hostile to Skoda., But this time, VW has assigned us an SA who is way too pushy, has openly derided Skoda, claimed that Taigun has a way better engine than Kushaq. Also made fun of Skoda for their EPC recall. I can understand a hard pushy sale, but come on - the cars have exactly the same engines and deliver same power.

Hopefully we do get some clarity in next couple of months, otherwise it will be just a toss of a coin with wifey.

[Kumaran93R]

Don't bother too much about the SA. At the end of the day, they are just sales people looking to close the sale and move on. Your car's experience starts after you get it out of the showroom. So get long test drives on both the cars and then decide. Try the car from another showroom too. Don't let the sales experience sway you away from the product that you're buying.

[tsi_niks1989]

Originally Posted by Ays7

Would love to hear thoughts and suggestions on what we should go for.

I would pick the Taigun over Kushaq, the analog dials from the Jetta look much better than the ones in Kushaq atleast to me. For GT+, it does misses out on ventilated seats which has been mentioned as noisy by reviewers and users across.

My 10 years of ownership of Polo (1.6L+ kms done) has been fuss free and I never had any issues with the dealership till now. I am waiting for a GT+ manual to be launched by VW before I put my money on the Taigun.

[Hemant_Joshi]

I would go for Kushaq.
The big rear light setup in Taigun is a big no for me,
I have done 2 test drives of Kushaq,, never bothered about Taigun, can't comment on this aspect,.

That said,
The Rear seat shoulder room in either of the two is almost a deal breaker for Me..
I hope You factor this, both are 4 seater cars,

[Ays7]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Firstly, keeping the Vento at 3.4L for a 2018 vehicle is a no brainer. If you can extend the warranty do so. That being said, I'm not too convinced on getting a CNG tank on the Ciaz - especially if your running is low (which seems to be) - it's not worth the headache.

Thanks, Yeah, we will keep the Vento, and my brother will use it as his leisure car. However he has now started using Ciaz extensively (10000 Kms in last one year alone and now is chauffeur driven. So wants to convert that to CNG and use it just for his office trips (around 1500 Kms a month, which he earlier used a bike for).

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

In a few months Skoda is going to launch Montecarlo edition of Kushaq which would get some extra features and different exterior styling as well. So if you can wait you will have that option too.

Has there been any timeline for this Monte Carlo version? I technically do not have to book a car till Mid-April, if its Kushaq, as it is readily available. So I can wait if it is expected in next 3-4 months.

Originally Posted by mytbhp_turbo

I would suggest to go for Kushaq, mainly since you already use Vento and Kushaq will feel lot more feeling of new car. Suspension of Kushaq is better balanced. Knowing how VW group operate, parts/maintenance cost for Kushaq will be little lower than Taigun. I remember vento parts used to cost more than rapid unless things are changed now.

Yes, on one hand owning a Vento gives us a sense of familiarity, but psychologically Skoda feels like a change, even if they are the same cars underneath.

Originally Posted by Hemant_Joshi

That said,
The Rear seat shoulder room in either of the two is almost a deal breaker for Me..
I hope You factor this, both are 4 seater cars,

Yes, this car would primarily be used by 2 adults and 1 infant, so being a strict four seater car isn't a deal breaker for me. Even on our family trips, we are a family of 8 including the infant and hence would take our second car anyways.

[Turbojet]

Being an owner of Skoda rapid 2012-14 model, I can tell you that Kushaq is only 60% of original Skoda in terms of build quality, interiors and plastics. However the ride quality, handling is typical Skoda like and TSI engine is a gem.

I took test drive of both 1.0 and 1.5 L AT and the only key issue I could recognise was turbo lag at lower rpms in city traffic especially in 1.0 L. The car (not SUV) has one of the most comfortable seats in its segment.

IMHO Kushaq looks better than its VW twin although there are few differences in features between comparable models.

Here is the summary of my bad experience with Skoda

SHORT TERM


1. The dealer refused to acknowledge up and down bubbling of car during high speeds, but after escalation they agreed to replace all the tires.

2. Car was pulling towards left which they were not able to rectify even after 2 visits and finally they were able to rectify

U] LONG TERM [/u]

The coolant bottle leaked due to a crack for unknown reasons during the 5th year of ownership which left me stranded in the middle of road,l. That was a horrifying experience

Other than this no bad experiences so far with Skoda

[pkrish]

Originally Posted by Turbojet

Hi,

I took the test drive of Skoda Kushaq AT 1.0L and 1.5 L over the weekend. Although its a driver's car, at lower rpm there was a considerable lag which infact might be an issue in hilly terrain.

Did you observe that? Also Kushaq doesnt have and Electronic Brake Assist?

Thanks

Can anyone confirm above point of EBA being absent in Kushaq? Would it make much of a difference from safety point of view between Kushaq and Taigun.

[anirudhbb]

AYS7 - Which car did you finally book?

Have started exploring cars in this segment myself - Kushaq, Creta is what I am primarily looking.

[Ays7]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

AYS7 - Which car did you finally book?

Have started exploring cars in this segment myself - Kushaq, Creta is what I am primarily looking.

Hi,

I had booked a Kushaq 1.5 DSG but after the whole ORVM Fiasco, family put the foot down and decided against it so we had to cancel the booking. Once again we were in a market, this time only options left were the Korean Twins and Astor, given we primarily wanted an SUVish stance, given that we already have two Sedans in our garage.

Ended up booking Creta 1.4 SX (O) DCT Petrol in Feb, but yet seems the delivery part is unclear and involves huge waiting. The tricky part is that Creta Facelift is also round the corner though none of the dealers know when it will be launched.

Finally this weekend, had a look at Alcazar, purely as a 4 seater car with larger boot, and it ticked most of our boxes, so booked that one as well in 6 seater captain seats version. The dealer had a Signature (O) Petrol AT in Grey DT ready in stock but wifey insisted on Starry Night colour. The dealer has promised an allotment next month so it is wait and watch as of now.

I had my heart set on Kushaq, but after looking at that huge Sunroof in Creta, there was no going back to it. So had to give in to their wishes. So there we are, waiting on an Alcazar now after being tired of waiting for Creta's allotment.

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by Ays7

Hi,

Ended up booking Creta 1.4 SX (O) DCT Petrol in Feb, but yet seems the delivery part is unclear and involves huge waiting. The tricky part is that Creta Facelift is also round the corner though none of the dealers know when it will be launched.

Finally this weekend, had a look at Alcazar, purely as a 4 seater car with larger boot, and it ticked most of our boxes, so booked that one as well in 6 seater captain seats version. The dealer had a Signature (O) Petrol AT in Grey DT ready in stock but wifey insisted on Starry Night colour. The dealer has promised an allotment next month so it is wait and watch as of now.

I had my heart set on Kushaq, but after looking at that huge Sunroof in Creta, there was no going back to it. So had to give in to their wishes. So there we are, waiting on an Alcazar now after being tired of waiting for Creta's allotment.

Interestingly, last week I visited 6-7 dealers in Bangalore for Creta, and everyone was eventually pushing me to Alcazar, for some reason. Then I saw an article where it seems it's happening across all dealers.

Yes, the Sunroof in Creta is absolutely a delight compared to others and I myself will be making the booking this week, even though waiting is dicey. Might as well wait as Car is a once in 5-7 years decision, so I dont want to hurry up.

Alcazar I am not keen for 3 reasons - (1) Bigger engine and hence mileage will below. (2) Length is big and therefore parking etc will be an issue. (3) Extra by 2-3 lacs, so higher EMI.

Good luck on your Car, will look forward to hearing from about your experience.

[Ays7]

I think most of the dealers are now indirectly asking people to wait for the New Creta as the Facelift is imminent over next few months and it would be a more feature loaded car especially at top-end.

So if you can wait for a car, yeah waiting for it makes sense. I had not even thought of Alcazar earlier, but I did not want to wait too long for Creta and the six seater top end Alcazar ticked most boxes for us except for Turbo Engine part so went ahead and booked it. My running is negligible - my Vento completed 4 years with 16K on the Odometer, and prior to that my Verna also had the same. Most of the times, my cars are just used for that weekly mall run or on outstation trips, so mileage difference/savings aren't really a factor for me.

I do have stilt parking, so length of the car isnt an issue, though I must admit the 360 view camera will definitely help.

[thirdmainroad]

I test drove the Kushaq 1.5 DSG two days back and fell in love with it. Was almost making the booking when a friend called and asked me to check out the Taigun.

Took the Taigun out on a test, and personally thought it to be the better car.

Here’s why:

Both the Kushaq and Taigun have the same specs now, with ventilated seats, digital speedo cluster etc. I personally liked the design of the Kushaq a tad bit better - save the odd standing out music Head unit inside. The Taiguns head unit sits inside the front cluster and looks better.

The Kushaq has a soft suspension - much like the Hyundais. The Taigun GT TSI has a harder suspension and this affords much better driving dynamics. It feels firmer at high speeds, has better braking and generally feels better to drive.

The Kushaq on the other hand takes bumps much better at low speeds. It’s almost like you are floating on air. But while driving, the car is a bit more wobbly.

I drive myself, and drive long distances on the highway - 600-700 one way non stop trips are something I do very frequently. With this in mind, it’s definitely the Taigun for me! I’d rather be with VW than with Skoda at the end of the day for after sales. Doing a quick online service cost calculation- it seemed that the Taigun is going to work out cheaper for service and spare parts. Also, I am worried that the large grill of the Skoda will act like a whale shark eating dust on Indian roads.

Note the Taigun costs over 75k more than the Kushaq. I am referring to the Kushaq 1.5 DSG with ventilated seats VS the Taigun 1.5 DSG with ventilated seats. The Monte Carlo version of the Skoda is slightly cheaper VS the Taigun GT ply, but I think has awful interiors.

Verdict - if you want to have fun driving - it’s the Taigun. If you get driven, or drive placidly and want a soft ride, go for Kushaq.