When the Kushaq was first launched, a lot of customers faced EPC or Electronic Power Control issues. The issue was resolved when Skoda decided to change the fuel pumps of the Kushaqs. However, here is Twitter user Arjun Singh who faced the EPC issue while he was near the last village before Siachen.
Find me a worse place to get #EPC error on #SkodaKushaq
This happened somewhere near the last village before #Siachen basecamp. And FYI, my car was fitted with the so-called robust fuel pump.#Skoda #SkodaIndia #MonteCarlo #Kushaq@SkodaIndia @SkodaIndia pic.twitter.com/S5wqUhplGg— Arjun Singh (@arjunchauhan24) May 10, 2022
Arjun has also shared the video of the Kushaq in which we can see the EPC warning light in the instrument cluster. He can be seen driving through the mountains. His Twitter post also says that his Kushaq is already fitted with the “robust” fuel pump.
It seems like the issue is not the bad quality of petrol because Arjun is using Speed 97 from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. Moreover, a Mahindra XUV300 and Hyundai Creta also filled their fuel tanks with regular petrol at the same petrol pump and they are running just fine.
So, it seems like the issue is something else. Skoda says that the EPC light in the instrument cluster can turn on due to software glitches, engine management issues, rat bites and because of bad quality of fuel. Moreover, the EPC issue is only found on the 1.0 TSI engine. The first EPC issues were caused because of the varied fuel quality that we get in our country.
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The EPC light in the instrument cluster continued to stay on for 12 entire days while Arjun was on his trip and there was no service centre near him. He already tried turning off and turning on the car multiple times. He also lets his engine run for 10 to 15 minutes when he does his cold start in the morning. He does this because he is from Jammu and Kashmir, where temperatures are low and engines take more time to heat up.
Skoda launched Kushaq Monte Carlo
Skoda’s most recent launch in the Indian market was the Monte Carlo version of the Kushaq. It is the new top-end variant of the Kushaq. It is offered with both engine options and both gearboxes. It came with quite a bit of cosmetic changes.
The Monte Carlo 1.0 TSI is priced at Rs. 15.99 lakhs, the 1.0 AT TSI costs Rs. 17.69 lakhs. The 1.5 TSI costs Rs. 17.89 lakhs and the 1.5 DSG TSI is priced at Rs. 19.49 lakhs. All the prices are ex-showroom.
Kushaq’s new variants
Skoda also introduced two new variants of the Kushaq. There is the Active Peace variant and Ambition Classic variant. They are introduced because of the semiconductor issue that our country is currently facing.
The Active Peace variant was limited to just 600 units and it is already sold out. It was priced at Rs. 9.99 lakhs ex-showroom. It missed out on the touchscreen infotainment system and USB ports.
Then there is the Ambition Classic. It is also a limited edition variant and was priced at Rs. 12.69 lakhs ex-shwroom for the manual gearbox whereas the AT was priced at RS. 14.09 lakhs ex-showroom.
The Ambition Classic variant missed out on automatic climate control and the dual-tone fabric seats are replaced with black suede seat covers. There are some cosmetic changes. For instance, chrome elements on the interior as well as exterior. Skoda did not remove the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system from the Ambition Classic variant.