Choosing between the Skoda Kushaq and Kia Seltos

He is a retired government officer and wants a good fun to drive manual petrol crossover which is also decently feature loaded.

BHPian city2491 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A family friend is in the market for a new crossover and his budget is 16-17L OTR (Jaipur). He is a retired government officer and wants a good fun to drive manual petrol crossover which is also decently feature loaded.

He had already booked the Kia Seltos HTX but they are unable to deliver the car since 2 months because of a shortage of stock. Therefore he is considering to cancel the booking and buy the new Kushaq which is available for delivery within a week's time.

However, the Kia dealership is also ready to deliver a lower model which does not satisfy his feature list.

Please provide your expert opinion. Should he wait for the Seltos to come back in stock or go ahead with the Kushaq? Any other model suggestions are also welcome. The only fixed criteria is Petrol, Manual and decently feature loaded.

Here's what BHPian akash_v12 had to say on the matter:

I think this criteria is enough to hand your money over to the Kushaq. Going by T-BHP's official review, the Kushaq is much better to drive and possibly miles ahead of the rest of the competition in the FTD Criteria. The Taigun is also coming in soon and if he can, he might want to wait for it too.

Here's what BHPian throttlehead had to say on the matter:

I test drove the Kushaq 1.5 Manual and the DSG, the manual was certainly fun to drive. I haven't driven the Seltos so can't compare but if it's pure driving dynamics, the general perception is Europeans have it better sorted than the Korean twins. From the inside, the Kushaq will certainly feel like it's scantily clad vs the Seltos but it offers most of what is needed in a modern car (and some more). Kia after sales is an enigma and they haven't been in the market long enough yet to pass final judgements, Skoda is a known affair so you're friend will know what to expect (and could be pleasantly surprised as well). Members on this forum have also complimented the Hyundai Creta's sorted manners and ride but the waiting period could be a turnoff.

I am assuming the Taigun like to like will be more expensive so all things considered, I'd say go ahead with the Kushaq.

Here's what BHPian 07CR had to say on the matter:

In his budget of the two options, he has Kushaq 1.0 Style MT (16.5L) and Seltos HTX (15.5L). Both prices before discounts, OTR Jaipur. If he can stretch to Seltos GTX (O) (17.5L), he may have immediate delivery of the car, get much better performance and a more loaded car.

If he can't stretch, I would suggest waiting for the Seltos incase his mind is set on it. A two month wait, for a car that he will be using for years, is definitely worth it.

Both Kushaq and Seltos are FTD cars, only back to back test drives can help your friend confirm, which suits him better. On other parameters like space, ASS, reliability, features, the Seltos should fare better. On the flipside, Kushaq should offer a little more handling prowess and better build quality. These things can only be judged by your friend by a thorough physical inspection of both cars.

Other options I can think of:

• Upcoming MG Astor, 161 PS motor sounds fun!
• VW Taigun
• Renault Duster (lacks the equipment, but is sure fun)

Here's what BHPian SatJordan had to say on the matter:

We have had the KIA Seltos GTX Plus for quite some time now and I think I would be able to answer this to an extent.

When I test drove the new Skoda Kushaq, I felt the "fun to drive" or the "performance" factor is missing majorly in KIA Seltos. Even though it is a 1.5-liter diesel, it somewhat lacks the feel-good factor that we can find in other cars of the like. Kushaq on the other hand is definitely a car where one would enjoy the power of the latest 1.0 TSI or 1.5 TSI.

While Kushaq lacks a lot of tech-savvy features, Seltos would never disappoint one at this end. 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, remote engine start and the list goes on. If your family friend is looking for a fun-to-drive manual and a car with sufficiently loaded features, I would definitely vote for the all-new Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI.

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