My Skoda Kushaq: Booking, delivery & initial impressions

I am happy to report that just after a few km of driving the Kushaq through multiple road/traffic conditions, I felt reassured of my buying decision.

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My Skoda Kushaq delivery experience video. It captures all the excitement from the delivery/collection day of my Skoda Kushaq. It also includes a quick walkaround discussing the exterior/interior, platform, engine/gearbox, tyres etc. & also explains my buying decision.

Buying Decision/Booking

This car was booked without checking her out in the showroom & without a test drive. In fact, the first time I saw/experienced a Kushaq was in my own Kushaq on the day of the PDI. Special thanks & credit goes to TEAM-BHP Official Review which helped me go ahead with this choice without having the need to go check her out physically or requiring a test drive.

Dealership Experience

I had 2 dealers (JMD & Mody) in mind & I had given both of them the opportunity. JMD was not really interested to sell & at the same time, I had got to know that one of their dealerships in New Mumbai had recently shut down, hence, it was not really confidence-inspiring for me to put my money at JMD, hence, naturally I picked Mody as it was a newer (opened in early 2021) & more responsive dealership.

The Corporate Manager at Mody Skoda was very professional and kept most communication via email & always available over the phone, too. Mody Skoda did not charge me any extra money for things like vehicle handling charges or compulsory accessory kits, etc. Insurance, too, was very high at first as per Skoda Insurance but they matched my quote and also allowed self-registration without unnecessary arguments but did verify data/facts to seek official permission. Extended Warranty Payment is still pending & as per Mody Skoda, I will receive a link to pay the extended warranty amount online (other Kushaq owners may want to confirm this).

Overall, my experience with Mody Skoda right from the booking to PDI and to the delivery process was very satisfactory.

Driving Experience

Car delivery/collection days are always filled with excitement but for the Kushaq, it was a bit more exhilarating as it was the 1st time I was driving the Kushaq & I am happy to report that just after a few km of driving the Kushaq through multiple road/traffic conditions, I felt reassured of my buying decision.

The 1L TSI engine with 115 HP & 178 Nm felt good enough for Mumbai traffic & local highways with enough overtaking power to maintain a healthy pace. Haven't really pushed the engine so far as obviously would like to adhere to the running-in guidelines as much as possible.

The Aisin (AQ250) gearbox, too, was smooth enough for bumper to bumper traffic again reassuring my decision to not go for a DSG (Dual Clutches don’t like traffic scenarios) as this car will be used mostly in City/Traffic Conditions, for short distance runs. I am aware of the unfortunate EPC issues faced by many Kushaq owners, hoping for trouble-free ownership of my car & also hoping Skoda India resolve this for everyone.

Overall, the place where the Kushaq really shines is the ride quality. The ride was really good for a newly delivered car. I do not confirm if the PDI team had reduced tyre pressures to normal levels post transit, however, wasn't sure how to check the TPMS (or maybe it’s missing) hence, I can’t confirm what the pressures were.

Braking is adequate (still running-in) for the 1L TSI upfront. I will reserve my comments on the handling performance as I’m yet to really experience good corners or mountain roads (plus the tyres are also very new). The new 2-spoke steering wheel is extremely well designed and finished, hope I could say this about the whole interior.

Miscellaneous Observations

• Love the way the Skoda Kushaq looks. The front is aggressive, at the same time, athletic-looking. The side profile is clean & sticks to the European roots of the brand which I love. The rear feels upright thanks to the positioning of the taillights & gets a sense of being wide with the S K O D A lettering spaced out.
• Infotainment is not the most friendly system I've used, but the touch sensitivity is good & lag-free.
• Digital cluster would have been welcomed, probably Skoda India has reserved that for the facelift.
• 17" Atlas Rims look striking in-person & were my main reason to pick the Style variant.
• Being a newcomer, the Kushaq is attracting eyeballs & has a good street presence.
• Missing out on the rear disc brakes in favour of the drums is visually disturbing.
• The creep function in the D Mode is a bit too aggressive/eager for my liking.
• Paddle Shifters have been given, which is nice. (Miss them in my 1.4 Seltos).
• Yet to use the My Skoda App, so will reserve my comments on that.
• Camera quality is above average & I miss the 360-deg. camera.
• Ambient lighting needed more colours (gets only white).
• Power window operation/sound is noisy & feels cheap.
• Don’t really miss the driving modes (Sport, Eco, etc).
• The horn has a non-German tone, a bad move/miss.
• Music system (7 speakers) does sound good.
• The glovebox is large & very accommodative.
• 6 airbags for M/T & only 2 for A/T, Why?
• Would have preferred 215 mm wide tyres.
• Boot space is surprisingly good.
• Rear seat space is good, not great.
• Powered seats are missed.

This is my preliminary review/report with a few days of ownership. I shall surely start a new thread soon with a full-blown ownership review once I have processed all my thoughts. Thank you all for reading.

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