New Skoda Kylaq Debuts With Competitive Price Tag, Segment-Leading Trunk Space

2 weeks ago - 7 November 2024, autoevolution

Skoda has unveiled its third made-for-India model in the form of the Kylaq. It follows the slightly larger Kushaq crossover utility vehicle and the sedan-bodied Slavia. Similar to its brethren, the Kylaq is underpinned by the Volkswagen Group's MQB A0 IN platform.

As you're well aware, MQB underpins plenty of the German automaker's front-biased passenger vehicles. MQB A0 was developed for subcompacts, while IN stands for India. Not available with all-wheel drive, Kylaq is offered exclusively with a 1.0-liter turbo from the group's EA211 family of three-pot lumps.

In this application, it generates 115 metric ponies and 178 Newton-meters of twist, meaning 114 horsepower and 131 pound-feet. Clearly not something to impress the American motorist. However, the Kylaq isn't meant for Europe or the UK either. It was designed for India and it's produced in India exclusively for India, a market of 1.5 million where over 4.1 million passenger vehicles were sold in 2023.

India also happens to be a hugely competitive and cost-sensitive market, which is why Skoda gifted the Kylaq with segment-first electric front seats with ventilation and best-in-class trunk space. Specifically, the cargo area is rated at 446 liters (15.75 cubic feet) behind the rear seats. Folding them results in 1,265 liters (44.67 cubic feet), which is plenty enough for a small crossover that measures under 4 meters (3,995 millimeters or 157.3 inches) in length.

Something of a rarity for a crossover in the United States and even the European market, the Kylaq comes with a manual by default. Customers are further presented with a torque-converter automatic. Both are good for 188 kilometers per hour (116.8 miles per hour), with the manual accelerating to 100 clicks (62 miles per hour) in a pedestrian 10.5 seconds.

Rivaling the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Breeza, the Hyundai Venue, and Tata's Nexon, this fellow incorporates a variety of elements from what Skoda calls Modern Solid. It's a design language introduced by the Czech automaker in October 2024 with the Czechia-built Elroq, an electric utility vehicle that shares the MEB architecture with the ID.4 from Volkswagen.

Skoda Auto India further waxes lyrical about more than 25 standard active and passive safety, beginning with six airbags. An electronic differential lock also needs to be mentioned, along with motor slip regulation. Also standard are 8.0 inches of digital instrument cluster and 10.1 inches of touchscreen infotainment system, with the latter advertised with cordless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It further supports a wireless charging pad for Qi mobile phones.

The Kylaq was reportedly tested across more than 800,000 kilometers (nearly 500,000 miles) of Indian roads and harsher surfaces, including at 3,000 meters (almost 9,900 feet) above sea level. To be produced at Skoda VW India's assembly plant in Chakan, the Kylaq further boasts a number of sustainable materials, including a bamboo-fiber dash pad.

India's newest sub-4-meter utility vehicle will arrive in dealer showrooms in early 2025. According to Skoda Auto India, prices will kick off at 789,000 rupees, which converts to circa 9,400 dollars or 8,700 euros.