Skoda Kushaq vs Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos – Will the Czech Emperor dethrone the Korean Kings of the segment?

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has commenced its India 2.0 strategy with the all new Skoda Kushaq, and it is eying on a highly competitive segment to begin with.

Skoda India has finally brought in one of the most awaited car launches in India, the all new Kushaq premium compact SUV. The Skoda Kushaq has been launched as a spearheading model of Skoda-Volkswagen’s India 2.0 plan, which includes a range of made-in-India models lined up for near future. With its quintessential European styling and punchy petrol powertrain options, the Skoda Kushaq has entered into a hotly contested segment, which currently sees Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos as the top favorites. Let’s see how the new Czech player fares against the Korean siblings:

Price

Unlike the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, the Skoda Kushaq has been made available as a petrol-only model. There are two different turbocharged petrol engine options, both of which are being offered with a standard manual gearbox and two different automatic transmissions across three different trim levels – Active, Ambition and Style. The Skoda Kushaq has got the highest entry-level price, however, it matches the other two across the range as well as the top-spec variants of them. The range starts at Rs. 10.50 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs. 17.60 lakh.

Both the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, based on the same platform, shows a lot of similarities in the way their variant lineup has been crafted. Both these Korean SUVs come with one petrol, one diesel and one turbocharged petrol engine options. All these engine options come with separate automatic transmissions, with the manual gearbox too being common in all the variants save for the turbo-petrol Hyundai Creta. While the Hyundai Creta is priced between Rs. 10.00 lakh to Rs. 17.66 lakh, the same for Kia Seltos is Rs. 9.96 lakh to Rs. 17.85 lakh.

(all prices Ex-showroom, Delhi)

(All prices mentioned above are ex-showroom, pan India)

Engine and Performance

As said above, the Skoda Kushaq is a petrol-only model, with two different petrol engine options on offer – a 1.0-liter three cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (115 PS of power and 178 Nm of torque) and a 1.5-liter four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (150 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque). Both these engines come with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a 6-speed torque converter in the 1.0-liter engine and a 7-speed DSG in the 1.5-liter engine offered as options.

Both the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos get the same engine lineup – a 1.5-liter four cylinder petrol engine (115 PS of power and 144 Nm of torque, offered with a 6-speed manual and CVT), a 1.5-liter four cylinder diesel engine (115 PS of power and 250 Nm, offered with a 6-speed manual and 6-speed torque converter) and a 1.4-liter four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (140 PS of power and 242 Nm of torque, offered with a 7-speed DCT). The Kia Seltos, in addition, also offers a 6-speed iMT for the 1.5-liter petrol and a 6-speed manual gearbox for the 1.4-liter turbo petrol engine.

Exterior and Dimension

Dimensionally, the Skoda Kushaq is the smallest of all, but does possesses the longest wheelbase in class, which translates into best in class knee room. However, due to lowest width in segment, the rear cabin of the Kushaq is best for two people at most. The Kia Seltos, being the largest in class when it comes to dimensions, fairs equally good, with best-in-class boot space as well. The Hyundai Creta, meanwhile, finds a decent middle ground between the two other SUVs.

Design and Features

On the outside, all the three SUVs have distinctive designs which are modern and feature packed. All the three SUVs are blessed with full LED headlamps with daytime running LEDs and tail lamps, slim roof rails, body cladding and 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels in their top-spec trims. The fog lamps on Kia Seltos, in addition, are also LED units.

On the inside, all the three SUVs are generously equipped, however, the Korean siblings do take a cake here. All the three SUVs come with touchscreen infotainment systems with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, ambient lighting, paddle shifters (automatic variants), push button start with keyless entry, electric sunroof (bigger panoramic unit in Creta), leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, wireless charger, reverse camera and height adjustable driver seat. The Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, in addition, also get TFT instrument console, drive and traction control modes, air purifier with PM2.5 air filter, powered driver seat and cooled glove box.

Safety Features

In the range topping trims, all the three SUVs come bestowed with front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, rear camera, tire pressure monitoring system, electronic stability control and hill start assist. The Kia Seltos has a couple of extra goodies in the form of heads-up display and 360-degree camera.

Verdict

While both the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos do offer a lot more features, versatility in the form of an additional diesel engine option and better in-cabin space, the Skoda Kushaq manages to offer a better driving experience with its superior petrol engines and better fit and finish levels of European standards in comparison.

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