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Life with my pocket rocket Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI MT: 15000 km update

The car is just shod of 15000 km and this month marks the completion of 1st year of owning this pocket rocket. Having driven this beauty on all kinds of tarmac, one thing I have observed is that, it is a car that can do everything well, and nobody, not even the most ardent critic of cars, could make a practical argument against whatever else you may want to buy. Given how Kushaq has been all over the news with bad publicity it got and saying ‘can do everything well’ always feels not confidence inspiring, but criticism. There are a few, but they are worth mentioning.

The first and foremost thing is the number of campaigns/recalls Kushaq had received. My 1.5 MT is one of the first batches and as expected niggles and issues are the perks of owing from the first production batches. But it doesn't mean you will have to make frequent visits to carry out field campaigns. In total, my car got enrolled in 6 campaigns. Although except for fuel pump related recall, not all are related to critical parts replacement but these numbers aren't really confidence inspiring. I am looking at you Skoda!!

Thankfully, the Skoda ASC experience has improved leaps and bounds from what I have heard before buying Kushaq. Clearly, Zac's magic touch is working and now that he is moving out, only time will tell how much change in dealership experience is gonna remain.

The second major issue which I have been observing is the car alignment has been slightly off right from the beginning of my ownership journey and the car has been drifting towards the left. I usually stick to the schedule of getting WA checked every 5000 km and WB, WA, and WR every 10000 km. But this cropped up right from odo reading at 2000 km. I tried all SOPs like balancing, rotation and alignment at my usual FNG as Skoda ASC is a bit far from the place of living but the problem used to exist. Finally had to get alignment corrected at Tafe, Mangalore. However, I could see this issue cropping up every now and then.

Another issue worth mentioning is the low battery voltage message displayed in the console, whenever I kept her idle for more than 3 days. Assuming I’d left an interior light on or something similarly silly, I jump-started the car and went on my way, but the cycle of the battery holding charge for a little while and then draining was set, and fear of stranding away from home prompted me to get the issue fixed. I started looking for any external device which is connected to the input slots because all these Type-C ports and 12V pins extract the juice out of the battery even when the ignition is switched off. After writing off all options, finally I zeroed in on the dongle which is connected to one of the OBD ports. So for folks who have no plans to use your Kushaq for an extended period of time, then make sure you remove this piece of device.

15000 kms service was carried out at Tafe Access, Kudlu gate, overall service experience has been good.

Mechanically the car has been the same as I didn't want to complicate already complex things. However, did some cosmetic changes to enhance the looks.

Condition of stock Goodyear tires after 1 year, will be needing a replacement in another 5k km.

Apart from minor niggles and campaigns, touchwood, my car ownership journey has been excellent so far. Overall Skoda has provided a practical softy SUV which does almost all things right. Even though the interior quality is a bit of let down and it may not possess a bling factor like Koreans but Kushaq does compensate the enthusiasts in you with a fantastic engine and gearbox combo, superb handling, and ride quality.

The design isn’t radical, but it’s attractive and its ergonomics and usability are first-rate. And that’s where the Kushaq lands its first killer blow: it’s just so comfortable and easy to live with, err except for frequent campaigns by Skoda. The dealer experience has been good so far here in Bangalore. With Zac moving out, it will be a testing time ahead for us as customers. I hope Peter Solc, the man of the moment, will carry and improve on the legacy left behind by Zac.

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