Skoda Kylaq Review: Driver's Delight

We drove the camouflaged car last year and gave you a small glimpse of what it’ll be. And then we gave you a full tour of the car but without any driving impressions. So it’s only logical that we combine the two and bring you an extensive report on what the Kylaq is all about. 

Skoda Kylaq Review: Design

We’ve talked about the design in our first look video but let’s just quickly glance over what makes the baby Kushaq, umm I mean Kylaq, unique.

Overall the Kylaq has an understated look to it, it’s not in your face like the XUV 3XO or Sonet. The 17-inch alloy wheels on the top-end variant do look quite good, they fill the wheel arches really well. It still is the face of the Kushaq, but the headlamps now are lower down and the DRLs right up, so slight differentiation. 

You can’t avoid the fact that it does still look like a hatchback on stilts, and to be honest, that isn’t a deal breaker.  Now looking at the rear, you won’t be wrong to think it is the next-gen Fabia or Polo, especially because of these small square taillamps. And if you were expecting a connected LED light between the 2 taillamps, well, that’s not there, it’s just this black strip.

Skoda Kylaq Review: Interior

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room if it can even fit in three. The biggest problem with the Kylaq is the rear seat, it’s too cramped. I’m 5’11” and the driving seat is set to my position, I barely have any knee room. And that’s despite the wheelbase being 2566 mm. so where has the space gone? Skoda has optimised it in the boot space.

Frankly, Skoda could have given the Kylaq a slightly smaller boot, what would you do with a 466-litre boot if you rear passengers can’t really fit in the car? Ideally, a smaller boot and more space in the cabin is what the Kylaq needs to be a better car. 

Like the exterior, the cabin too has an understated and clean design. Again, quite similar to the Kushaq in terms of how the AC vents are designed and it too has a dual-layer layout. The Kylaq is quite comfortable in the front, but it kind of lacks its own identity inside, that shouldn’t have been the case though. 

So all that tech you see, the 10-inch touchscreen, the 8-inch virtual cluster, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is only available on the top two Signature Plus and Prestige trims. The Signature has a smaller 7-inch unit with wired smartphone connectivity and the base Classic doesn’t even get either of the screens. 

Skoda Kylaq Review: Safety

While all that tech may not be standard on the Kylaq, what is standard is the safety on offer. Six airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and three-point seatbelts with reminders are all there right from the base variant. It’s a shame that it doesn’t come with ADAS but that point is redeemed by the superb Bharat NCAP safety rating it recently got. 5 stars for both adult and child occupant protection. It even outdid its rivals in terms of the points it earned. The Kylaq is the highest-scoring subcompact SUV followed by the Nexon and the XUV 3XO. Others are yet to be tested.

Skoda Kylaq Review: Performance

The subcompact segment right now is quite hot. There are tons of options – you have the XUV 3XO, Nexon, Sonet, Venue, Brezza and even the Syros, and all but the Brezza get a diesel engine. Unfortunately for Skoda, it’s not on that list. There’s only a single 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, but that hails from the TSI family. 

Another place the Kylaq redeems itself is how it drives. The engine is peppy, there’s enough grunt for any overtakes you would want do. The clutch is a little heavy and has a long travel. The 6-speed gearbox is great and the shifts are quite precise. The 6-speed torque converter is a great gearbox no doubt, its responsive and shifts aren’t as slow as you’d expect. 

But honestly, Skoda should have considered giving the Kylaq a dual-clutch, mated to that sweet 1.5 TSI. That in the Kylaq would be a hoot to drive. What if Skoda is reserving that for a Kylaq RS version? I’m probably asking for too much, or am I? Skoda hints it might be on the way, not coming before mid-2026. 

Skoda Kylaq Review: Ride & Handling

Despite the Kylaq being nose-heavy, it handles really well. The steering has a point-and-shoot kinda feel to it, and the ride is good too. There’s little-to-no body roll but then the downside is, that the ride is slightly on the firmer side. It’s not too bad though. 

The Kylaq is then for those who love driving. Those who don’t prefer to sit in the back. If you intend to be chauffeured, this one ain’t for you.

Skoda Kylaq Review: Price & Variants

The Kylaq gets four trims I’ve already told you before. It’s only the Classic that doesn’t get an automatic though, and Skoda has priced the Kylaq pretty well. The Classic variant is ₹5000 cheaper than its closest rival. But that’s not the case at the top-end. The Venue and Brezza are more affordable by up to ₹88,000 but the Venue also gets ADAS. All the other rivals, the Nexon, XUV 3XO and Sonet are more expensive up to ₹1.30 lakh.

Skoda Kylaq Review: Verdict

The segment is getting hot, there’s so much demand here. So Skoda really needed to up its game entering the market this late. And it also needs to improve its sales. It recorded a downfall of nearly 27% in sales in 2024, so could the Kylaq help? It could, if people only care about driving dynamics and safety but not rear seat space or an extensive features list.