Skoda cars in India (9)

autocar.india

•1h

Pick the Skoda Slavia 1.5 if driving fun matters most. In the city, it feels strongest off the line, pulls cleanly without needing big revs, and the steering and body control make gaps easy. On those rare 600-700 km runs, it sits calmly at speed, rides well, and still gives good mileage. Ground clearance is high enough for nasty speed breakers, so you will not miss the SUV stance.Honda Elevate is likeable and easy in traffic, but its 1.5 petrol feels modest, especially with the automatic and a full load, and there is more body roll than the sedans. City is smoother and very comfortable, but it does not excite the way the Slavia 1.5 does.One honest watch-out with the Slavia 1.5 is the automatic. It is lightning quick when you are pushing, but it can feel a bit jerky in crawling traffic. Alternatively, consider the Slavia 1.0 automatic. For city-heavy use, it has plenty of performance, and its torque converter is smoother in stop-and-go traffic. Coming from a Baleno, you will feel a big step up in power, grip and confidence, without giving up everyday ease.

Skoda Slavia

Honda City

Honda Elevate

autocar.india

•4m

Skip diesel for your short hops and get a turbo petrol automatic. Your 2-3 km stop-start runs are exactly what clog DPFs. A turbo-petrol will get you the torque you like while avoiding DPF issues.Under Rs 12 lakh, the Maruti Suzuki Fronx and Nissan Magnite are good picks. Both turbo-petrols have good low- and mid-range, and smooth automatics (torque converter in the Fronx and CVT in the Magnite). They are light to drive in the city, stable enough on Delhi-NCR runs, and will handle an annual hill trip without fuss.Under Rs 16 lakh, consider the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 and the Honda Elevate. The Kushaq 1.0 with the 6-speed automatic feels torquey, cruises all day, and climbs hills confidently. It’s compact outside but feels tight and secure at speed, which makes highway stints less tiring. One caveat: service reach and costs are higher than the mass brands.If you want an absolute zero-hassle over punch in the bigger bracket, the Honda Elevate automatic is calmer and super easy to live with, just not as eager as the Kushaq.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Nissan Magnite

Skoda Kushaq

Honda Elevate

autocar.india

•2d

As far as your query regarding the Virtus GT or Slavia goes, both cars are mechanically identical, and the difference between their ride quality, if any, is negligible. Pick the one that appeals to you more. For bad city roads, these cars ride better than you’d expect, with enough ground clearance and suspension travel to clear tall speed breakers and swallow most potholes. Also, stability is rock-solid, which inspires great confidence at highway speeds.Volkswagen will be launching the updated Virtus towards the end of this year. It is likely to get some cosmetic enhancements, new features, and, more importantly, an upgraded air-con unit for more effective cooling. If you can, do wait for that.

Volkswagen Virtus

Skoda Slavia

autocar.india

•3d

The Skoda Kylaq 1.0 AT would be our recommendation. Since your father already enjoys driving the Slavia 1.0 MT, the Kylaq will feel instantly familiar. It retains the light steering, solid build quality and confidence-inspiring driving manners that have made him a fan of Skoda cars. The 6-speed torque-converter automatic is smooth, predictable and well suited to city driving, making it an ideal upgrade as he gets older. Its compact dimensions also make it much easier to manoeuvre on narrow two-lane roads.If you're open to an EV and have access to home charging, the Tata Punch EV is another excellent option. The combination of light steering, instant torque and a single-speed transmission makes it one of the easiest cars to drive in city traffic, and its compact size is well suited to your father's usage.

Skoda Kylaq

Skoda Slavia

autocar.india

•4d

There are two good options at your budget and with your requirements, and those are the Skoda Kylaq and Maruti Suzuki Brezza. Both have sunroofs, and both use smooth 6-speed torque-converter automatic gearboxes. The Kylaq has the stronger 1.0 turbo engine, tougher feel, 5-star NCAP rating and more premium feeling interiors. However, the Brezza has lower running costs, including mileage, and is a bit more spacious overall. On balance, we think the Brezza suits your needs better as it is the better all-rounder and isn't all that lacking in performance either. However, if you can wait for a bit, a facelift for the Brezza is due very soon, and it would make sense to wait and see what updates that brings.

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•4d

Go for the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI, preferably the manual. Your usage is light, so the smaller turbo petrol keeps costs sensible, gives better city mileage, and still has enough pull for a full family on that monthly highway run. The Kushaq is comfortable over rough roads, and its 5-star safety adds peace of mind on long trips.For low to average maintenance, stick with the 1.0. Routine service once a year is typical, parts are now more reasonable than they used to be, and fuel costs stay in check if you drive smoothly. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic, the automatic is easy to live with, but it will cost more upfront and use a bit more fuel.One thing to be aware of: Skoda’s service network is smaller than Maruti or Hyundai, and costs won't be quite as affordable either. If you often drive fully loaded on highways or climb hills, the 1.5 TSI is stronger, but for 2-3 short trips a week and one family trip a month, the 1.0 fits better.

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•5d

No, we wouldn't consider the Kushaq 1.0 TSI 8AT a risky purchase from a reliability standpoint. The new gearbox isn't an all-new, unproven transmission. It replaces the earlier Aisin-sourced 6-speed torque converter (AQ250) with a newer Aisin 8-speed torque converter (AQ300). So Skoda has stuck with a proven supplier and transmission type rather than moving to something more complex.In fact, the new 8-speed brings some tangible improvements. It helps improve fuel efficiency and emissions, the low-speed creep behaviour is better controlled than before and the shifts are smoother and more seamless. It is also noticeably quicker, with our testing showing a 0-100kph time of 11.57 seconds, compared to 13.16 seconds for the old 6-speed automatic. The gearbox even feels surprisingly responsive in manual mode, with quick paddle-shift responses that give it a slightly sportier character than most torque-converter automatics.

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•13h

Pick the Innova HyCross ZX(O). For a hard Rs. 40 lakh cap it fits cleanly, it is the most comfortable and spacious for family, and it is far easier to live with daily. The smooth hybrid makes city drives effortless and quiet, and on broken roads, it just takes the abuse without rattling everyone. Your 20 percent off-road sounds like rough trails rather than rock crawling, and the HyCross will handle that sort of bad-road stuff better than you expect. But, the Innova isn't particularly fun to drive.If you really crave driver fun, the Kodiaq is the one that puts a smile on your face. The 2-litre turbo petrol and AWD make it genuinely enjoyable on highways and hills and the cabin feels richer. Two catches, though. It likely stretches past Rs. 40 lakh on-road in most cities, and its third row is tighter, and you have to be a bit careful off the beaten path.The Fortuner petrol is the most capable off-road, but for 80 per cent on-road use, it feels heavy and bouncy, the steering is not friendly in town, and it guzzles fuel.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Toyota Fortuner

Skoda Kodiaq

autocar.india

•1w

The Hyundai Creta N Line is a sportier-looking derivative of the Creta. It gets revised front-end styling, red detailing, larger 18-inch wheels, a rear spoiler and dual tip exhausts on the outside. The interior gets an all-black look with red detailing, which does give the cabin a sporty flavour. Unique to the Creta N Line is the option of a manual gearbox with the turbo-petrol engine. The steering has also been redone for more weight.The larger wheels and tweaks to the steering do make the Creta N Line feel slightly sportier to drive. However, the dual tip exhausts sound no different to the standard Creta's, and that's a downer. Further, the move to larger wheels comes with a firmer ride, which can get uncomfortable. Also, the 6-speed manual gearbox isn't the slickest or most enjoyable. We'd stick to the DCT.In a nutshell, while the N Line does look distinctive and attractive, it isn't the best Creta you can buy. The standard model feels comfier, and its lower price also makes it a better deal. If you want an enjoyable driving experience above all else, the Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG or VW Taigun 1.5 TSI DSG will satisfy you more.

Hyundai Creta

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•5d

Given your low monthly running, we would recommend a petrol car over a diesel. The fuel-efficiency advantage of a diesel only starts to make strong financial sense when you're covering substantially higher distances. Since you're already driving a 2022 Creta Diesel, moving to a petrol for your next car would also help you avoid concerns around DPFs and future diesel regulations.We also wouldn't let ethanol-blending concerns drive your purchase decision. While India could move towards E27 or even E30 fuel in the future, there is currently no official roadmap confirming this. Most modern E20-compliant petrol cars have been engineered with a margin of tolerance and should be able to handle somewhat higher ethanol blends without any immediate issues. At worst, some rubber components may wear slightly faster over many years, but these are typically inexpensive parts to replace. The bigger impact is likely to be a small reduction in fuel efficiency rather than any major reliability concern.For a Rs.10 lakh CSD budget, we would suggest looking at the Hyundai Venue 1.0 Turbo Petrol or the Skoda Kylaq. The Venue's turbo-petrol engine feels punchy and refined, offers a premium cabin and is very well suited to everyday use. The Kylaq, meanwhile, feels more substantial, offers excellent safety credentials and has one of the most enjoyable turbo-petrol engine and automatic gearbox combinations in the segment.

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai Creta