Kia Seltos DCT vs Volkswagen Taigun DCT vs Skoda Kushaq DCT: Real-world Performance Comparison

Modified On Nov 27, 2023 11:46 AM By Shreyash for Kia Seltos

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Can the German duo match the performance of the slightly more powerful Kia Seltos? Let’s find out…

Volkswagen Taigun, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq

The Kia Seltos got a midlife refresh in July 2023, and with that, it also received the new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, replacing its previously available 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit. Since the Seltos has now become the most powerful SUV in its segment, we decided to put it against the other two performance-oriented compact SUVs – the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq – to see how each of them fare in a real-world performance test.

Disclaimer: We are only comparing the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol DCT variants of all three models here.

Powertrains

Specifications	Kia Seltos	Volkswagen Taigun	Skoda Kushaq
Engine	1.5 Turbo-petrol	1.5 Turbo-petrol	1.5 Turbo-petrol
Power	160 PS	150 PS	150 PS
Torque	253 Nm	250 Nm	250 Nm
Transmission	7-speed DCT	7-speed DCT	7-speed DCT

Kia Seltos

The above table clearly shows that the Kia Seltos, equipped with its new turbo-petrol engine, is 10 PS more powerful than the compact SUV duo from VW and Skoda. Although the torque figures are nearly the same, the Seltos edges the Germans by 3 Nm. Notably, all three SUVs feature a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) paired with their turbo-petrol engine.

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Acceleration Test

Tests	Kia Seltos 1.5 Turbo-petrol DCT	Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 Turbo-petrol DCT	Skoda Kushaq 1.5 Turbo-petrol DCT (Wet)
0-100 kmph	9.24 seconds	10.08 seconds	9.38 seconds
Quarter Mile	17.19 seconds at 135.15 kmph	17.37 seconds at 134.75 kmph	17 seconds at 137.56 kmph
Kickdown (20-80 kmph)	5.18 seconds	6.08 seconds	5.49 seconds

Volkswagen Taigun

In terms of the acceleration tests, all SUVs performed very closely, with less than a 1-second difference between each of them. The Seltos emerges as the quickest in the 0-100 kmph run, boasting a marginal lead of under 1 second each over the Taigun and the Kushaq. The Kushaq outpaced the others, completing a quarter mile around 0.5 seconds faster. It's worth noting that the Skoda Kushaq was tested in wet conditions, unlike the other two SUVs.

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Braking Test

Tests	Kia Seltos 1.5 Turbo-petrol DCT	Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 Turbo-petrol DCT	Skoda Kushaq 1.5 Turbo-petrol DCT (Wet)
100-0 kmph	39.67 metres	38.80 metres	42.56 metres
80-0 kmph	23.92 metres	24.35 metres	22.37 metres

SKoda Kushaq

The Volkswagen Taigun demonstrated the best braking performance in the 0 to 100 kmph test, achieving a stopping distance of 38.80 metres, which is almost the same as the Seltos but nearly 4 metres less than the Kushaq's stopping distance. However, in the 0 to 80 kmph braking test, the Kushaq outperformed the other two SUVs with a stopping distance of 22.37 metres.

The Kia Seltos in its top-spec trim gets 215/55 R18 alloy wheels, while both Taigun and Kushaq come with smaller 205/55 R17 alloy wheels.

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Price Comparison

Kia Seltos	Volkswagen Taigun	Skoda Kushaq
Rs 19.18 lakh onwards	Rs 16.99 lakh onwards	Rs 16.98 lakh onwards

The 1.5-litre DCT variants of the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq are more affordable by almost Rs 2 lakh than those of the Kia Seltos. Which turbo-petrol DCT model would you choose between them? Let us know in the comments section below. You can also check out our comparison page for all three SUVs mentioned here for more details.

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