Skoda Kushaq is its carmaker’s make-or-break product that has entered the fiercely competitive compact SUV market which has strong contenders like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos
Skoda India recently launched the Kushaq, a compact SUV that goes on to rival the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. We’ve already told you about the pros and cons of the new model but if you still ask us for your views, we can very clearly say that the Kushaq is an excellent model that’s definitely quite pricey but will surely reward you with an excellent driving experience. Well, this is something that we’ve seen in most Skoda models – all of them make for great cars but are often quite expensive when compared to the rivals. Case in the point here is the Octavia as well as the Kushaq, with both of them looking like less VFM propositions than the immediate rivals. Yet another factor that often works against these vehicles is the below-par experience at the dealerships and service centres. Well, it’s true that the carmaker has tried pretty hard to work on these issues but it looks like there’s still some way to go before things get sorted.
Also Read: Price and Space Major Reasons For Skoda Kushaq Booking Cancellations
Also Read: Zac Hollis Confident of High NCAP Rating For Skoda Kushaq
At least this is what seems to be the case if you look at some of the recent testimonials of prospective Skoda Kushaq buyers. In one of the recent cases, one Mihir Patel from Ahmedabad, has reported of a ‘not so good’ experience from the Skoda dealer. Along with the image of the price list, Mihir has stated that the dealer insists that buying the insurance and service package are ‘compulsory’ if one wishes to book the Kushaq. He has also stated that one needs to buy the ‘Essential Kit’, which is, basically, a set of official accessories, in case he wishes to purchase the car. Needless to say, all these bump up the prices significantly.
In yet another case, one Narasimha Gupta from Vijayawada. has made some similar complaints. Even he says that the Skoda dealer in his city denies the sale of a car unless accessories and insurance are bought from him. Apparently, he’s charging 50% higher for the same. Also, he reports that the dealership staff looks untrained as none of them could explain him about the differences between the variants. The two incidents clearly reflect that Skoda India needs to continue working on its sales and after-sales network in order to gain trust of Indian car buyers.
Also read: Kushaq vs Taigun – Key Similarities and Differences!
A saving grace, however, came in the form of a prompt response to Zac Hollis, Director, Sales, Service & Marketing, Skoda Auto India. The executive asked the aggrieved car buyer to drop him a mail with his contact details and assured him that someone from his team would contact hi for redressal of the issues. This clearly shows the top management’s eagerness to resolve such issues at the earliest. That said, it does look like the dealership network of the carmaker must be asked to pull up the socks and get their act together if they really wish to outclass established rivals at their own game.
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