With the upcoming Skoda Kylaq being teased again ahead of its launch next year, we thought we should take a look at the upcoming compact SUV’s competition.
The Skoda Kylaq has garnered quite a bit of attention, with camouflaged test mules spotted on the roads and the promise of being the most affordable Skoda on the market. We have decided to see what kind of competition the Skoda Kylaq is going to face once it is launched in this competitive segment and what its merits are over the existing cars.
| Powertrain | Skoda Kylaq | Hyundai Venue | Mahindra XUV 3XO | Maruti Suzuki Fronx |
| Type | 1.0-litre turbo-petrol (TSI) | 1.0-litre turbo-petrol (TGDI) | 1.2-litre turbo-petrol (GDI) | 1.0-litre turbo-petrol (DI) |
| Power (hp) | 115 | 120 | 130 | 100 |
| Torque (Nm) | 178 | 172 | 230 | 147.6 |
| Transmissions | 6MT/6AT | 6MT/7DCT | 6MT/6AT | 5MT/6AT |
The Skoda Kylaq is expected to have the same powertrain as the Kushaq 1.0 TSI, which means a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine packing 115 hp and 178 Nm. So we decided to compare it with cars that have similar specs: the Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO and the Maruti Suzuki Fronx. Except for the Mahindra, all of the others have a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol, while the XUV 3XO offers a pair of 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engines, MPFi and GDi, with the latter making more power. Which is why we are picking that one for our comparison.
| Dimensions | Skoda Kylaq | Hyundai Venue | Mahindra XUV 3XO | Maruti Suzuki Fronx |
| Length (mm) | 3990* | 3995 | 3990 | 3995 |
| Width (mm) | 1760* | 1770 | 1821 | 1765 |
| Height (mm) | 1540* | 1617 | 1647 | 1550 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2600* | 2500 | 2600 | 2520 |
| Boot space (litres) | 350* | 350 | 364 | 308 |
| Fuel tank (litres) | 40* | 45 | 42 | 37 |
* all numbers estimated
Considering the Skoda Kylaq specs are yet to be revealed, all the dimensions of the Skoda Kylaq are estimated. It will definitely be a sub-four metre SUV, going up against the aforementioned cars. While it is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform like the Skoda Kushaq, it will be a smaller car and have a smaller cabin for obvious reasons. So far as the other cars are concerned, their lengths are nearly identical, but the XUV 3XO is significantly wider, while the roofline of the Fronx is much lower than the others. The Fronx also offers less cargo space than the competition.
| Features | Skoda Kylaq* | Hyundai Venue | Mahindra XUV 3XO** | Maruti Suzuki Fronx |
| Touchscreen infotainment | 7-inch | 8-inch (S/S+ onwards) | 10.25 inch | 7-inch |
| LED headlamps | Ambition onwards | S+/S(O)/S(O)+ onwards | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic climate control | Ambition onwards | SX onwards | Yes | Yes |
| Rear AC vents | Maybe | S/S+ onwards | Yes | Zeta onwards |
| Reversing camera | Ambition onwards | S+/S(O)/S(O)+ onwards | Yes | Zeta onwards |
| 360° camera | No | No | Yes | Alpha |
| Tilt steering | Maybe | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Height adjustable driver seat | Maybe | S+/S(O)/S(O)+ onwards | Yes | Zeta onwards |
* All estimated. **The TGDi engine is only available in AX5 Luxury and above trims, which is why all equipment is standard
In terms of features, we expect most of the in-demand ones to be available from Ambition trim onwards, with Active trim offering only the necessities, except in terms of safety equipment; an area where Skoda are known to offer the best safety regardless of the trim level. This practice has now become a lot more common throughout the industry, and the rivals offer decent features with similar safety equipment across trim levels as well. One interesting thing to note here is that the SuzukiBoosterjet, being offered only in higher-end Fronx variants, packs most of the essential features as standard, which is not the case with the others; despite the Venue 1.0 Turbo being the top model within its own variants.
| Price | Skoda Kylaq | Hyundai Venue | Mahindra XUV 3XO | Maruti Suzuki Fronx |
| From, ex-showroom | Rs 9 lakh (estimated) | Rs 10 lakh | Rs 11.99 lakh | Rs 9.72 lakh |
On the question of price, due to the Skoda Kylaq complying with the sub-four metre rule and having an engine capacity less than 1.2-litre, we expect it to be substantially more affordable than the Skoda Kushaq, as the latter doesn’t enjoy the government subsidies which will be applicable for the Kylaq. The least expensive car here is the Fronx, which starts at Rs 9.72 lakh for 1.0-litre Turbo variant, whereas the most expensive one is the Mahindra XUV 3XO which starts at Rs 11.99 lakh for the GDI variant, so based on this we expect the Kylaq to be somewhere in the middle of this price range (all ex-showroom). That puts it into the same ballpark as the other cars, though it will be one of only a handful from European manufacturers.
