The Skoda Kylaq has been unveiled as a Fiat Grande Panda rival for the Indian market, with prices starting from the equivalent of £7,300.
With a length of 3.99 meters, a height of 1.62 meters and a width of 1.78 meters, this is the smallest SUV of the Czech brand to date. It is underpinned by a variant of Volkswagen Group’s India-targeted MQB platform, which is said to prioritize comfort, build quality and safety.
The Kylaq features a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that sends 113 hp and 131 Nm to the front wheels through a six-speed manual or torque converter automatic gearbox. With the manual gearbox it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 187 km/h.
The crossover adopts the brand’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, with a prominent mustache-style grille, sleek LED daytime running lights and chunky plastic bumpers.
Inside, it offers space for five people and a boot space of 360 liters under the parcel shelf – or 1265 liters with the rear seats folded down. It also gets a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity, as well as an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster.
Select versions of the Kylaq will have an electric sunroof and ventilated seats will be offered as an option, in response to the demand from the Indian market.
The Kylaq will be priced from 789,000 rupees (equivalent to £7,300) when deliveries begin in India early next year.
Skoda has not yet announced whether it will be offered in Britain, but that is unlikely as the brand’s previous cars developed for India – the Kushaq SUV and the Slavia sedan – are not.