Skoda Kylaq first drive review: Skoda’s new bestseller?

There has never been a more important car for Skoda India than the new Kylaq – even more so than the Kushaq and Slavia twins. The Skoda Kylaq is the brand’s long-awaited rival to the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet and other compact SUVs which includes the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger. And that’s because it has become quite clear that the modern Indian motorist is no longer interested in sedans and hatchbacks. They want SUVs, and they want them now. Fair to say then that the Skoda Kylaq is pretty late to the party, however, this also gives it a slight edge. Skoda have been able to study the competition, understand the patterns, and price the Kylaq accordingly – however, the somewhat left-field entrant, the Kia Syros, may have come as a surprise.

Skoda Kylaq shares Kushaq platform

The Skoda Kylaq is based on a modified version of the Kushaq’s MQB-A0-IN platform. The width and height are both within a few millimetres of each other, with the Kylaq actually edging slightly ahead on both fronts. The Kylaq’s wheelbase is 85mm shorter than the Kushaq, at 2566mm, but is still one of the longest in the compact SUV segment and bested only by the Mahindra XUV 3XO. Fortunately, the shortening of the Kushaq hasn't ruined the proportions of the Kylaq.

Styling of Skoda Kylaq

The Kylaq features Skoda’s Modern Solid design language that we first saw on the Elroq, and even in this scaled-down application, it is quite a handsome-looking thing. There is nothing outlandish or striking about the design – it's just clean, crisp, and very European. The front end gets a split headlamp design with neat DRLs and nicely detailed LED projector headlamps. There are no unnecessary chrome details in sight. The upper grille is finished in gloss black, which – apart from its tendency to pick up scratches – looks quite smart. The bumper is a good mix of painted bits, black plastic, and silver trim, with a neat lower grille featuring a hexagonal pattern.

In profile, the Skoda Kylaq looks fairly conventional – almost overtly so – lacking the Kushaq’s distinctive character lines. However, the shoulder line running along the length of the car is nice and crisp, cutting through the monotony effectively. There are a few neat details, such as the textured plastic cladding and the roof rails, which are purely decorative. The design of the 17-inch wheels is very well-executed, featuring a gunmetal grey finish with a diamond-cut face, and they also fill the wheel arches nicely.

The rear end is similarly free of clutter, with chunky all-LED taillamps that protrude ever so slightly, bridged by a plastic trim element featuring the Skoda lettering. It bucks the trend of featuring a connected tail lamp, and to my eyes, it's all the better for it. Design is subjective, and those looking for a bit of shock and awe may be disappointed. However, the overall design is sure to age quite nicely.

Interiors of Skoda Kylaq

Inside, the Kylaq borrows quite a few elements from its larger sibling – the steering wheel, seats, and HVAC controls being the most obvious ones. The 10-inch infotainment screen and the 8-inch MID are also the same as the Skoda Kushaq, but the infotainment system now features an updated user interface. The usability of all the functions – barring the touch-sensitive HVAC controls – is well thought out, so there are no real complaints there. Where the cabin does fall short slightly is in the fit and finish of the plastics. Sharp edges are quite evident on the door pulls and some parts of the dashboard. Speaking of which, I counted at least seven different textures on the dashboard alone – about three too many for my liking. I understand the need to keep the cabin from looking like a sea of black plastic, but a bit more uniformity would be welcome.

There are a couple of ergonomic anomalies too, such as the armrest that fouls with your elbow when shifting into second, fourth, or sixth gear, and a dead pedal that's only wide enough to rest half your foot. These aren't dealbreakers, though, but the rear seat space just might be for some. Despite having the second-largest wheelbase in the segment, kneeroom is only about adequate for someone of my height (5-foot, 8-inches) to sit behind myself. This is a shame because the seat itself is very comfy, features individual headrests for all passengers, and gets AC vents and USB ports to boot. Part of the challenge of engineering a sub-4-metre car is dividing up the space, and Skoda seems to have prioritised boot space, which is a class-leading 446 litres – ironically, even larger than the Kushaq’s.

The Skoda Kylaq features the VW Group 1-litre TSI with 114bhp and 178Nm

1-litre TSI engine on the Skoda Kylaq

With all the new bits out of the way, let's talk about everything that's familiar. If you've driven any VW Group product with the 1-litre TSI, then the Kylaq’s performance will come as no surprise. The 3-cylinder turbo is one of the best on the market, and it remains unchanged in this application. At lower revs, the engine note sounds a tad gravelly, smoothening out to a nice thrum at higher revs, but crucially, at no point do vibration or harshness make it into the cabin. Engine outputs are identical to the Kushaq – 114bhp and 178Nm – so you might expect livelier performance in a smaller package, but you'd be wrong. You see, spec for spec, the Kylaq weighs within 10kg of the Kushaq, meaning performance is almost indistinguishable. It certainly isn't underpowered, but it's not going to wow you either.

The transmissions are also straight out of the Kushaq’s parts bin, with a choice of either a 6-speed manual or automatic. The manual is one of the best in the business, featuring well-defined gates, a relatively short throw, and a nice springy shift action. It isn't quite as slick as a Maruti Suzuki or Honda unit, requiring a touch more muscle, but it's a joy to use nonetheless. The automatic is a torque converter unit, unlike the AMT and CVT offered by some of the competition, and while it might not shift as quickly as a DCT, it should prove to be more reliable in the long term.

Dynamics of the Skoda Kylaq

Where the Kylaq differs the most from its stablemates is in terms of dynamics. It gets McPherson struts at the front and a twist beam rear, just like its bigger sibling, but it has been tuned more for comfort. Skoda believes that buyers in this segment are more likely to prioritise ride comfort over outright handling, and the Kylaq certainly delivers on that front. While the overarching firmness typical of a VW Group product remains, the Kylaq feels a lot more supple in the way it is damped. It does a superb job of isolating passengers from smaller bumps, with only sharper jolts making their way into the cabin.

The flip side of this slightly softer setup is that the Kylaq does exhibit more vertical and lateral movement in high-speed corners, particularly when expansion joints are present. Stability remains impressive, mind you, and thankfully, it retains a playful character around tighter bends. The steering weighting is just right, and while it doesn't deliver much feel, it is still one of the best in the segment. The nose is keen to dart into corners, and it will happily lift the inside rear wheel when pushed hard. Grip from the 205-section tyres is similarly impressive. Whether it can dethrone the Mahindra XUV 3XO as the handling benchmark in the segment will require a drive on more familiar roads, but initial impressions are very promising.

The Skoda Kylaq is priced at ₹7.89 lakh

Pricing of Skoda Kylaq

Skoda is placing its hopes of becoming a volume player on the Kylaq's shoulders, and from first impressions, it isn't buckling. The Kylaq has secured the now almost mandatory 5-star safety rating at Bharat-NCAP but went a step further by out-scoring all its ICE-powered rivals. Skoda is making all the right moves too, with plans to expand its network from 260 to 350 touchpoints within the year. The first 33,333 customers are also slated to receive a complimentary 3-year standard maintenance package. Pricing for the Kylaq is aggressive, starting at ₹7.89 lakh and stretching to ₹14.40 lakh, positioning it right in the meat of the segment. At that price point, the Skoda Kylaq will take on the established rivals like the Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue and top end variants may even poach a few customers from the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun.

Is the Skoda Kylaq too little, too late?

Most definitely not. While it may not seem like a groundbreaking product in an already crowded segment, it is a very well-rounded one. Performance is strong, the ride and handling balance is well-sorted, and the feature set is quite comprehensive. Sure, it misses out on a few features that the competition offers – such as a panoramic sunroof and Level-2 ADAS – but it is priced accordingly. If you can live without those features and, more importantly, a slightly cramped back seat, the Kylaq is a very good pick in the segment. Is it the best? A comparison will tell.