Introduction
This is the all-new Skoda Kylaq and when I say all-new, it is, in fact, all-new because this car has been developed from the ground up to be Skoda India's first-ever compact SUV. Of course, it sits below the Kushaq when it comes to Skoda’s SUV line-up. It is wearing camouflage at the moment because the Kylaq is still some time away from hitting the production stage. You will be able to see this car in all its glory on 6 November, 2024, because that's when Skoda India has scheduled the Kylaq’s global unveil.
Exterior
Measuring 3,995mm in length, with a 2,566mm wheelbase and 189mm ground clearance, the Kylaq has the ideal dimensions and clearance to deal with city streets and bad roads. In terms of design, the biggest highlight of the Kylaq is the fact that it has been designed using Skoda's all-new design language. There is some resemblance to the Kushaq with the way the grille looks but apart from that, the detailing on the Kylaq is fairly new and is as per Skoda's new global design language. So, elements like the split LED headlights, shape of the bumper, and the way the bonnet has been treated when it comes to the cuts and creases are all entirely new.
Like the Kushaq, the Kylaq features minimal overhangs at the rear and the front in order to maximise space efficiency. At the rear, the first thing that catches your attention is the new taillights in keeping with Skoda’s new design language. Overall, it remains to be seen how the Kylaq would look without the camouflage although I have to add that its length, wheelbase, and ground clearance are on par with the competition.
Interior
Like the exterior, the interior of the Kylaq that we drove was entirely under wraps. There isn’t a whole lot that I can share at this point except the fact that the Kylaq will come with a fully digital driver’s display, multimedia system more or less like the one on the Kushaq and a first-in-segment electric adjustment for both driver’s and co-driver’s seat.
Drive Experience
The Kylaq will be offered with a single engine option. It’s the familiar 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, TSI petrol engine which will be available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed torque converter automatic. This direct-injection turbocharged engine makes 115bhp and 178Nm of torque, which are decent figures for the segment. On the track, the Kylaq proved to be surprisingly fun, especially on the short go-kart track. The 1.0-litre engine has that typical three-cylinder thrum, which is all the more noticeable when you are going fast on a race track but the noise isn’t unpleasant in any way. In terms of performance, even though it’s a turbo engine, it’s got a good amount of low-end torque and you don’t have to wait for the turbo to spool up. I found myself keeping the Kylaq in higher gears throughout most of the full circuit which had plenty of slow-speed corners.
The Kylaq is a family car and having it only on a race track wouldn’t help form any verdict on its handling and ride quality. That’s something we can only judge and comment on at a later stage when we get to test the production-ready model on public roads. That said, I did get to drive the Kylaq briefly on a dirt section alongside the track, and across the rutted, corrugated stretch, it remained surprisingly comfortable with the suspension absorbing the irregularities fairly well.
Verdict
Driving a prototype vehicle on a newly built race track isn’t something we do often in this line of work and as odd as this brief experience may have been, my first impressions of the Skoda Kylaq are quite affirmative. It is quite likely to have all the traits of the Kushaq, but in a smaller, more affordable package. Speaking of which, Skoda India has revealed that the brand is looking at competitive pricing for all the variants of the Kylaq. Considering the pricing of other compact SUVs, we are expecting ex-showroom prices between Rs. 8 lakh to Rs. 14 lakh for the new Kylaq although we will have to wait until the first quarter of 2025 for the full picture.
