Skoda Kylaq

The Skoda Kylaq is offered with one petrol engine producing 114bhp/178Nm and can be had with either a six-speed MT or a six-speed AT, which is what we have for our drive experience. The engine is peppy and especially at city speeds you never feel for wanting more power or tractability. The gearbox is pretty smart and is best if you leave it in the background to do its thing in ensuring that you are always in the right gear. Where we expect the small size of the engine to show is when you have a full-load (people and luggage) and need pulling power especially going up slope.

The ride quality is on the firmer side but Skoda has managed to find a decent balance between handling and comfort. It takes most bumps and imperfections without a struggle and even on the jagged-edged ones the car is quickly able to regain its composure without displacing the occupants. This combined with some very well-done NVH insulation means you can keep the pace constant over good and bad roads without feeling the fatigue, especially if you are covering long distances.

The steering is very responsive at low speeds making easy work of maneuvering the car at city speeds and also for things like U-turns and parallel parking. However, up the speeds and steering becomes lighter than expected but still offers decent feedback. All in all Skoda has done a job with the Kylaq, the Kushaq was already a nice car to drive and this one carries on of “Skoda’s are fun cars to drive” quite well.

Skoda, much like the rest of the VW group, is very good at doing the family look and this one is no different but with a new take on the whole process. The Kylaq is the first car from the Skoda family, in India, to debut its new modern solid design language. Highlights of the face include the new blacked-out grille, new Skoda logo and low-set headlamps.

Move over to the side and you can see the 17-inch wheels, the design of the ORVMs and the design of the C-pillar in terms of keeping this car under four meters. Thankfully this does not look like a cut-down Kushaq and instead had its own identity as Skoda’s smallest car in India. Finally, at the rear, you get square tail lamps, a large Skoda logo and a small spoiler as a part of the design.

The cabin of the Skoda Kylaq is very similar to what is being offered with many of the budget VW and Skoda cars. Elements like the screens on the dashboard, buttons, climate control interface as well as the layout is all very similar to what we can find on the other VW-Skoda models. Space up front is pretty decent with enough headroom, legroom and under-thigh support for both front occupants. The second row is good for two occupants with more than enough headroom and knee room for two occupants. However, bring in a third person and things get really tight due to the lack of shoulder room as well as the AC vents protruding in between the two occupants. In fact, the middle seat’s base is completely different and a little higher than the other in the second row. Some of the major feature highlights include rear AC vents, USB-C charging points, map pockets with a built-in section for a smartphone. Finally, the boot space stands at 446 litres with the second row up and an impressive 1265 litres with the second row folded down. The boot is wide and deep with a low-loading lip.

One of the places that Skoda has put its money is in the Kylaq's feature list. On this top-spec Signature Plus AT model featured in our pictures, you get things like powered front seats with ventilation, sunroof, dual-digital screens, climate control with rear AC vents, connected car technology, LED light package and 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels. All versions get six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control programme, and ISOFIX child seat mounting points. The Kylaq is the first Skoda to score a five-star BNCAP crash test rating. However, while the feature list is impressive, it lacks certain feel-good elements like a 360-degree camera, driver assistance systems, controllable ambient lighting and an optional panoramic sunroof.

Skoda’s got a lot of banking on the Kylaq as its their ticket into the sub-4 segment and consequently, an entry ticket into tier-2 and tier-3 markets, giving them volumes. As a package, it is fun to drive, rides very nicely, spacious for four people and has a decent feature list, especially in the mid-level variants.

However, while the kit list is segment standard, it lacks feel-good features and there is no diversity in powertrains as you only get one petrol engine with two gearbox options. Skoda has hinted that it is open to CNG for India but that will ultimately depend on demand.

The Skoda Kylaq is rival for the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Maruri Brezza, Maruti Fronx, Toyota Taisor, Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV3XO.

Photography : Kapil Angane