Key highlights
- Skoda Kylaq being considered for Europe debut
- Made-in-India Kylaq is likely to be exported
- European Kylaq to possibly feature the 1.5L TSI engine
In a recent media interaction with Autocar, Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer said that Kylaq could be a strong contender for the European market. The brand is considering whether it could sell the Kylaq in Europe. However, he also mentioned that there are a lot of barriers and a lot of homologation requirements that need to be cleared before export begins.
Skoda introduced the Kylaq in India in late 2024. This new compact SUV changed the fate of the brand in India, which was previously struggling to sell its Slavia sedan and Kushaq SUV. The Kylaq not only topped the C-SUV sales charts, but also became the best-selling Skoda car in India. The success of the Kylaq has established it as a strong, compact, practical, and fun-to-drive SUV in the Indian market, which has additionally led to a positive image of the car among international buyers, including European customers.
Meanwhile, the Indian-spec Kylaq comes with the 1.0 TSI engine, which does the job well. However, it is not Euro 7 emission norms compliant, which makes it difficult to be used for the European model. The logical choice here is to use the 1.5L TSI from the Kushaq, which is already Euro 7 compliant. This engine is also more powerful and torque-rich. The report hints at two states of tune for the European market: 115 bhp and 148 bhp.
With that said, Skoda is considering offering the Kylaq as a replacement model for the Fabia hatchback. The latter is also nearing the end of its lifecycle, and it will require a major overhaul soon. Hence, introducing a pre-established car of similar potential is a better choice for Skoda. As of now, the decision to export the Kylaq is pending. Skoda is sorting the roadblocks before it proceeds with the decision.
Also read: New Kia Seltos Hybrid spotted testing, launch expected in 2027
