My Skoda Kushaq Ambition AT: Buying & ownership experience

As I floored it, I was thrown back into my seat. The only other car that gave me this feeling was the Jeep Compass diesel.

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I normally buy cars in their second iteration. I don't buy cars in Nov/Dec. I prefer cars which have a wide service network and cheaper maintenance. I did totally the opposite while purchasing my car this time around. Took delivery of Skoda Kushaq 1.0 Ambition Automatic on 3rd Dec 21. Apologies for the delay in posting this review as I wanted to capture the long-distance experience of this car.

Wildcard - why do I say that? Because it never was on my shortlist at all. What changed? Read on.

About a decade back I had purchased an SX4 Petrol ZXI (2010). This was my ownership report back then. It served me quite well with 1.87 lakh km on the odo, I never had any issues with the engine, but the plastics were giving away and I knew it was time to change. I think I extracted the maximum this car had to offer.

Below is the pic as of Nov 2021 before it was sold.

I have been on the fence to buy a car since 2019 but frankly, there are a lot of options in the 15 to 25 lakh bracket and yet there isn't. As I was looking at new cars, used cars, I realized that the value quotient gets so very skewed that it becomes hard to make a decision.

Jeep Compass

The diesel manual is the one I have been test-driving since the BS4 era, BS6 and 2021 models. It's my all-time favorite. I loved everything about the car, from the handling to the ride comfort. The wife was very happy with the comfort and the size. It was perfect. I was almost on the verge of booking the 2021 sports diesel manual but a couple of things changed which I will detail later down in the post.

Tata Harrier

I loved the looks of the Harrier. When I test drove the manual version, my left knee kept hitting the console which wasn't an issue once they launched the automatic variant. A couple of things went against the Harrier. First, the test drive vehicle had interior deteriorating and the engine sounded like a truck. The SA was telling me, Sir, the new vehicle will not have such issues and is very quiet and I was like in my mind saying, "Dude, you just gave me a preview of what my car would sound like 5 years down the line". I couldn't quite get why the sound was bad in the Harrier but in the Compass it was bliss. That's when the SA who got the Compass told me about the dampening used in the Compass. Anyways, my wife didn't like the size, sound and almost everything about it. I knew it didn't stand a chance and, moreover, I think Tata is focused on improving the Safari and has practically done nothing to the Harrier post-2020 which solved most of the niggles of the 2019 models but is still a half baked product.

Seltos

I loved the looks and test drove both petrol and diesel automatics. I loved the diesel automatic and I was very sure this is the car for me till the crash ratings of 3 flushed all my dreams down the toilet.

Creta

I never liked the looks of the Creta and very reluctantly I took the test drive. I quickly understood why it's the segment leader. Once you get inside the Creta it's heaven. The interiors, ride quality - it's like sitting on a Lazy Boy chair. Very upmarket and they have understood the Indian consumer so well giving the right mix of features. I was like hell with the looks let me get a hassle-free car with a great service network. Went to book it but got a very lacklustre response from the dealer. It was like they weren't interested as they had a good order backlog.

So here I was all confused about which one to go for. The Jeep for its overall good looks, amazing driving dynamics, comfort with a very powerful engine but poor service network or the Creta which had decent value proposition, you get a top-end variant which is a lack cheaper than the base variant of the Compass with all the bells and whistles and creature comforts. Oh boy, what a dilemma and I tell you I was at it for 1.5 years. Both of which, I was almost ready to book, but something or the other prevented me from going ahead.

In the meantime, I was also exploring the used car market with a budget of 15 lakhs. I soon realised in Bangalore there isn't much value you get with the used car as they are pricier. Let me give you a few examples. There is a 2020 Compass but has clocked 40k on the odo. That too in Covid time with asking price of 17L. Or a 2017 Limited Compass with an asking price of 18L with 30k on the odo, a diesel Tucson 2018 automatic with 70k on the odo and an asking price of 17L. I was like if I have to shell north of 15L as well as go for a new car as I keep my cars long and not too worried about the segment of the car. Anyways I didn't come across any good deals at the moment.

All this while I never once looked at Skoda, VW due to the horror stories I read about their after-sales services and high maintenance cost. Marutis didn't have anything new and was still on old tech with their engines and auto gearboxes. Honda had nothing great in the compact SUV space and Toyotas just had rebadged Marutis.

In all this confusion and frustration I reached out to Vid6639 with my dilemma and he suggested why don't I wait for Kushaq and check it out. I was like ok let's see and then when it launched and a couple of months later I saw a lot of EPC issues and car stalling stories cropping up on social media. I just stayed away from Kushaq.

In the meantime, on Nov 19 2021 we went to Hyderabad. This was the time when there were floods all over Andhra. The SX4 did quite well on the highway but in the city, as we were negotiating the heavy traffic in Jubliee Hills, a painful fact hit me. I was getting old and my knee was not able to take the abuse it could take a few years back. With painful realization, I realised I had to let go of the Compass from my shortlist as auto was way out of my budget. That left the Creta. Once I came back I thought why not test drive the Kushaq.

The Skoda Kushaq Story

I called up TAFE in HSR with half a heart of expecting a response. They picked up, took the details and said someone will call up. No one did and I was like yeah that's expected from Skoda. Right from the start, I was very pessimistic and critical of Skoda and Kushaq. On the third day, I get a call and we quickly fix an appointment for a test drive at my home. I was staying in the outskirts of Bangalore and I thought he will refuse like the Creta and Seltos sales rep. To my surprise, he said he will come. I told him I wanted to test drive 1.0L auto. Once he arrived, my wife and I took it out for a test drive with SA in the back seat. I actually had no intention of buying SKODA and in my skepticism I told him I wanted to try this on bad roads. Just the other day it had rained with a lot of slush and broken roads where I stay.

I had read about things like no insulation under the bonnet and no underbody protection and I was like why would they do that. I read somewhere that the underbody insulation was not provided as turbo petrols run hot and this would hamper heat dissipation. I am not sure whether this theory is correct.

I frankly didn't have much expectation from the 1.0L engine. I was like what will this puny engine deliver. It's sure to be underpowered. Anyways as soon I started the engine I could hear the rumble of the 3 cylinder motor. After about 40 secs it dropped to about 750 rpm and a pleasant hmm. We took the turn outside the layout toward the bad road. I warned the SA that this is the road I plan to take, are you sure and he was like no problem sir. Take it wherever you like. I took down the path expecting the car to bottom out, slide and in fact even stall or get stuck. To my astonishment, nothing of that happened. It just sailed through. After that, I took it to the highway. As I floored it I was thrown back on my seat. The only other car which gave that feel was the diesel Compass. I was blown away by what this engine was capable of. By the end of the test drive, I was super impressed with the Kushaq.

Buying Decision

I realized the top variant of Kushaq was expensive for the features it offered. The 1.5L being an imported engine and DSG which has a history of failure kept me away from even considering that as an option.

I realized that the Ambition 1.0L torque converter was the most VFM variant not only in the Skoda lineup but across the competition. Creta SX petrol or diesel auto was hitting 20L OTR in Bangalore. The other thing lingering around was on service and support. I was like let me derisk by taking a 1.0L which is 98% localized and the reliable torque converter which has worked well in most of the cars in Indian condition. To add to it there was an offer for a 4-year maintenance package priced at 26k for 16k and 5th and 6th extended warranty which I don't think any other manufacturer is offering. So if I put all these together Kushaq became an option too hard to resist.

Buying Experience

Once I was clear about the model, it was a huge relief knowing that my 2 years of dilemma was finally going to end.

Some pics from the PDI. I was able to check everything from the T-BHP checklist except driving the car.

I got my vehicle within a week, on 3 Dec 2021. The only modification I did was change the seats to Napa leather or Art leather as I like my interiors to be bright.

Delivery experience was smooth and very good. The number of follow-ups I got from SKODA from the showroom and SKODA itself was truly amazing. I felt they are doing quite a lot to change their past image. It was also quite amazing to see their brand director Zac Hollis be so active on social media addressing issues and taking feedback and then implementing it.

The SA was very helpful in making the overall experience pleasant. I opted for the mini-kit which came with all the liquids, freshener, mats and sunblinds in the rear and cushions.

Ownership Experience

I started doing small distances here and there but somewhere in the back of my mind I always had the doubt of how will it do on highways and long-distance journeys.

The same month my friend from Hyderabad visited us and we hatched a plan to do the 5 Pancha Bhuta temples. Bangalore - Kalahasthi (Air) temple - Kanchipuram (Earth) - Thiruvanamalai (Fire) temple - Chidambaram (Space) temple - Trichy (Water) Temple. After that go to Palani - Coimbatore and then back to Bangalore. We covered 2000 kms in 10 days.

Observations

• No issues whatsoever. No EPC, no stalling on the road nothing. I thought with a mix of normal fuel and speed I would have issues but didn't have any problems. As a precaution, I used to fill petrol once it dropped between and half and quarter.
• When you start the engine you will hear and feel the vibrations and the engine rpm is around 1.5k. I now wait 40 secs till the rpm comes down to 750 before I move the car. By then the vibrations come down and is silent.
• It was fun to ride with fuel efficiency hovering around 17-18kmpl. In City it's around 11-13 kmpl.
• The headlights have a widespread white light. It was truly amazing driving at night.
• I didn't know that features like cornering fog lamps, auto ORVMs and ambient lighting was part of this mid-spec variant.
• It was a surprise to us that on bad roads we could feel the bumps inside the cabin. That was something my wife has been complaining about. On enquiry, I learnt that Skoda vehicle suspensions are on the firmer side. I still have to figure out whether a change in tyres or lowering the tyre pressure would make the ride better. Currently, the tyre pressure is 33 PSI as mentioned in the specs.
• Horn is mild and meek. Sounds pleasant but people hardly move or give way.
• Reverse Camera is of poor quality. Manageable.
• Tyres are from Goodyear with 16'' rim size and the spare wheel is of 15''. One thing unusual is you need a calliper which they provide to remove the plastic nut caps before you can unscrew the bolts of the wheel.
• Automatic and Turbos are new to me and I am still trying to figure out the best way to drive them. Spirited driving drops the FE to single digits as mentioned in the TBHP reviews.
• This car's creep function is aggressive. I would say it lurches ahead instead of creeping. It's good in bumper to bumper traffic but gets a bit annoying when you are trying to park in tight spots.
• This engine is eager to go unlike the Creta and the Seltos.
• For rear drum brakes the braking is quite good. I thought since it didn't have disc brakes at the back braking would be poor like my SX4 but I was pleasantly surprised.
• Loved the black cladding and fog lamp placement. That way room for damage is minimum.
• Steering can be adjusted both for height and reach.
• I noticed that once you activate cruise control and you press the increase key the car at times will surge ahead non linearly. It caught me off guard the first time around. Now I have got used to it.
• The A/C initially I thought was weak. But I realized that if I set it 2 degrees lower than what I need I get the desired effect. For e.g., If I need the temp to be 21 degrees, I will set it to 19. I know it's weird but that's how it's working for me.
• When driving on the highway you get a single beep after 80km and then regular beeps after 120kms. The seat belt warning is there for both driver and passenger and the beep changes frequency as the duration get longer. This wasn't there in my earlier car. Thanks to this feature my wife now is forced to put on the seat belt.
• Extremely stable at high speeds and overtaking is not an issue. For a turbo automatic they have masked the turbo lag quite well.

I still have to get a first-hand view of the service experience. Didn't land up with any issues that would warrant a visit to the service center. As advised in TBHP reviews I did take the maintenance and extended warranty package. I also love the fact that it has a 15k service interval, unlike the Harrier which is 7.5k.

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