Škoda Auto India pulled off an impressive feat with its new compact SUV, Kylaq. It finished a grueling 19,351-kilometre trek from Pune to Prague. A 70-day odyssey proving car's stamina and Indian manufacturing prowess.
The trip kicked off at the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. plant in Pune,winding through 13 countries before landing in Czech Republic. This route linked the Kylaq's birthplace with Mladá Boleslav, Škoda's historic hub,ending with a grand entrance into Prague.
Dubbed ‘The Grand P2P Tour’,this expedition was a tough test for the vehicle's durability and engineering. On the road,the Kylaq faced everything from 154 metres below sea level to 5,364 metres above. Temperatures swung from a chilly -12°C to a scorching 43°C.
Starting with a deep dive through India,the route hit major cities like Mumbai, Vadodara,Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra, and Lucknow before crossing into Nepal near Gorakhpur. Then it tackled Nepal's mountain roads, the Tibetan Plateau in China, and the historic Silk Road through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,and Kazakhstan.
Continuing,the SUV moved into Georgia and through Türkiye,straddling Asia and Europe. final stretch covered Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary,and Slovakia,before reaching Prague,echoing Škoda’s spirit of exploration.
Ashish Gupta, Brand Director of Škoda Auto India, said journey was more than just a road trip. It validated Indian engineering and manufacturing on a global level . Gupta noted that what began as a symbolic link between Indian plant and brand's home became celebration of industrial heritage and progress.
Gupta stated, "By successfully tackling highly unpredictable driving environments across 19,351 kilometres, the Indian-made Kylaq proved its engineering maturity,strengthening India’s position in Škoda Auto’s international roadmap and validating company’s absolute faith in local production standards."
The Škoda Kylaq is notable as the automaker’s first sub-four-metre SUV designed specifically for the Indian market. Built on the localized MQB-A0-IN platform, it features a 1.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine,delivering 85 kW (114 PS) and 178 Nm of torque. The production variant offers both six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic torque-converter gearbox, with the automatic version powering the entire trip without a hitch.
Besides its long-distance reliability,the Kylaq made waves in competitive racing . It entered the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records for the fastest multi-car relay of single manufacturer on circuit. Racing alongside the Kushaq, Slavia,and Octavia,the Kylaq helped clock a team relay time of 12:30.97, cementing Škoda Auto India’s status as the fastest manufacturer fleet in the country.
