Skoda Kylaq Unveiled: New Sub-4-Meter SUV to Compete in India’s Growing Market

Skoda is all set to hit the sub-4-meter SUV segment with a new model, Skoda Kylaq, which will be its third product under the India 2.0 initiative. This SUV will…

By Ishika Setia

August 23, 2024

3 min read

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Skoda is all set to hit the sub-4-meter SUV segment with a new model, Skoda Kylaq, which will be its third product under the India 2.0 initiative. This SUV will rival the likes of Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Kia Sonet, and Hyundai Venue.

The All New Skoda Kylaq

The new SUV has been named SKODA KYLAQ. “Kylaq” is inspired by the Sanskrit word for crystal and reflects the vehicle’s refined qualities as well as a nod to Mt. Kailash. Skoda had previously conducted a naming contest with ten names shortlisted, eventually narrowing it down to five final options: Kwiq, Kylaq, Kosmiq, Kliq, and Kayaq.

A contest was held asking winners to try their hand at naming the new SUV, using a directive that names should begin with a ‘K’, following on from other Skoda SUVs including the Kushaq and Kodiaq.

Petr Janeba, Brand Director at Škoda Auto India said that they are extremely excited with the response and that 200,000 people took part in ‘Name Your Skoda’ for a name change. The compact SUV Kylaq represents a major milestone for Skoda in India, according to him and there has been shared development between the teams over here, Europe and hence it would be locally manufactured as proposed.

Skoda will likely adopt a similar sporty design, with sharp lighting elements in the headlamp and fog lamp units, creases along body panels to add some muscle while complementing polygonal headlamps/fog-lamp housings as well as the presence of a strong grille. It will feature a tall stance with sporty alloy wheels, thick body cladding, and conventional door handles as well as roof rails.

The Skoda Kylaq will be powered by a 1.0-liter turbo petrol engine under the hood, similar to what’s on offer with the Kushaq and Slavia, making 115 PS and 178 Nm. The car is likely to follow this model and come out with both a 6-speed manual and an automatic transmission. We can look forward to its launch early next year, possibly at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo. It will be interesting to see how the Kylaq, with its striking design lines on a compact canvas, performs in the cut-throat subcompact SUV segment.