THIRD TIME'S A CHARM

With the Kylaq, Skoda has entered its India 3.0 phase. Does the car live up to the hype?

- Kurt Morris

Skoda and India have had a relationship spanning nearly 25 years. It's been a journey filled with highs and lows, with certain defining moments that have cemented Skoda's presence in the Indian market. Its entry into India began with the launch of the iconic Skoda Octavia, a car that redefined what a reliable, long-lasting, and premium sedan could be. The Octavia was Skoda's first major success in India and was key in establishing the brand. However, as the years went on, what initially held it back was the inconsistency of its dealer network and service experience. To their credit, Skoda has worked tirelessly to rectify these issues, particularly with its India 2.0 strategy, which brought us cars like the Slavia and the Kushaq. These models signalled a clear intent from Skoda to turn their fortunes around.

Now, as it enters what can be called its India 3.0 phase, Skoda is setting its sights on achieving massmarket success. The Kylaq is its latest effort in this direction, a car designed to cater to a wider audience while maintaining the brand's signature qualities. This compact, sub-4 metre SUV represents a bold step forward, with aggressive pricing, thoughtful engineering, and a focus on what Indian consumers want in this competitive segment. It's clear that Skoda is serious about increasing its market share, and it says it has developed the Kylaq to do this. To put the car to the test, we headed to Goa (yet again). In January, the weather was perfect as we got behind the wheel, but instead of heading to Goa's iconic beaches, we took a different route to an industrial area with empty roads, giving us a better environment to assess the Kylaq's on-road (and some of its off-road) capabilities.