Need advice: Mahindra XUV300 petrol vs Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI

Initially I decided on the Polo. I went to the dealer but was informed by the dealership that the Polo is not getting produced now.

BHPian buzzlightyear recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi everyone,

Need advice in buying my next car.

My requirements:

• Fun to drive petrol turbo-manual.
• Good handling and driving dynamics.
• Comfortable and safe.
• Budget: 10-15 lakhs. Good after sales service experience.

Initially I decided on the Polo. I went to the dealer but was informed by the dealership that the Polo is not getting produced now. And they have no idea if it’s going to resume anymore.

So I started looking at the XUV300, Kushaq and Taigun.

The VW dealer was more interested in selling me an automatic version and even couldn’t arrange the manual for test drive. However I drove both, the Taigun and Kushaq on the same day. I felt the Taigun’s suspension is more sportier than the other sibling. And in my budget , only the mid variant of both the cars were possible. And frankly, the Kushaq mid variant has lot more usable features than the Taigun mid variant.

The XUV300 is good overall. I have a couple of doubts on the  XUV300. One being how good the car is to drive after 4-5 years. Is there any decrement in performance and comfort? How’s the after sales service? Second being how good is it if compared with the Kushaq on the basis of electronic safety features such as EDS, XDS , MSR, ARP etc.

Please help me decide.

Here’ what BHPian Raghu M had to say on the matter:

If you want to compare the 3OO with Skoda and VW brands, it will definitely be a fun to drive car after 4 to 5 years. M&M is miles ahead in terms of service and after sales. I own the 3OO top trim and trust me, it’s a superbly refined vehicle. The interiors are premium and it has a good list of features. Go for it.

Here’s what BHPian sunikkat had to say on the matter:

If in your place I would go for the Kushaq:

• Fun to drive Petrol turbo-manual – Kushaq.
• Good handling and driving dynamics – Kushaq.
• Comfortable and safe – Both should be safe.
• Budget: 10-15 lakhs.
• Good after sales service experience – Mahindra mostly (though I am super happy with Skoda after sales experience in Bangalore).

Here’s what BHPian akash_v12 had to say on the matter:

I’ll list down my recommendations using your requirements:

• Both engines are good to drive, but IMO no one gets it better than VAG especially with respect to turbo-petrols. So, the Kushaq and Taigun win here.
• Again, all 3 are good. But, from my observations as well as the Team BHP reviews, the Taigun wins here.
• The XUV3OO is nothing but a shortened Ssangyong Tivoli and so to meet the sub-4m category, space is obviously at a premium. The Kushaq and Taigun being 4.2m long get the win here as well.
• This depends on your dealer. For example, here in Pune, I’ve never had a problem with my VW dealer. Great guys to work with and they get the job done. But, from what I’ve heard, the Skoda dealers have run into problems every once in a while. This time, it’s the XUV3OO that takes the crown.

So, the basic difference between the XUV3OO and the VAGs is space and the after sales. It’s upto you as to which you’d prefer. If it was me in your position, I’d probably would have gone for the Taigun (but that might be slightly biased considering we own a Vento).

Here’s what BHPian Akshay 6988 had to say on the matter:

I feel we should not label any VAG car (rather any other car) as “safe” unless and until it is crash tested by any authority. Time and again I’ve seen this notion that VAG cars are safe, but never saw any NCAP crash rating reports for the VAG cars which are made for Indian market or made in India ! Till there are no crash test results I’d rate all non tested cars as same, as simply there’s no proof how these cars would fare in a mishap ! Sure the build is solid and there’s this famous “thud” associated with VAG cars but there’s no crash ratings

Coming to OPs query, if you are fine with little to nill boot space and can live without it, definitely go for the XUV300, it is a hoot to drive. The  Kushaq is a competent car but when the Skoda is showing tantrums, I don’t think it’s worth it.

Keyword: Need advice: Mahindra XUV300 petrol vs Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI