- Škoda Auto's Made-in-India compact SUV completes a 19,351 km drive from India to the Czech Republic
- Kylaq covers two continents, 13 countries and some of the world's most diverse roads over 70 days
- Drive links the birthplace of the Kylaq in Pune with the birthplace of Škoda Auto in Mladá Boleslav, before culminating in Prague
- Journey spans altitudes of -154 metres to 5,364 metres and temperatures ranging from -12°C to 43°C
- Drive highlights the Kylaq's engineering, durability and dependability across an extraordinary range of road, terrain and climatic conditions
Škoda Auto India has completed one of the longest overland drives ever undertaken by a Made-in-India passenger vehicle, with the Kylaq travelling 19,351 km from Pune to Prague over 70 days. Beginning at the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. manufacturing facility in Pune, the journey concluded in Prague, symbolically connecting the birth country of Škoda Auto India's newest SUV with the home country of the global brand.
Commenting on the expedition, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India, said, “The Pune to Prague expedition is much more than the completion of an extraordinary journey. It is a powerful demonstration of what Indian engineering and manufacturing can achieve on the global stage. What began as a symbolic journey connecting our manufacturing facility in India to the home of the brand in the Czech Republic, evolved into a celebration of progress, purpose and shared heritage. Across 19,351 kilometres, 13 countries and countless driving conditions, the India-made Kylaq proved that engineering excellence is best demonstrated through real-world experience. This expedition not only reinforced India's growing role in shaping Škoda Auto's global future but also reflects the confidence we have in building world-class products here in India.”
The Grand P2P Tour
Every great journey begins long before the road disappears over the horizon. For the Kylaq, it began at the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India manufacturing facility in Pune, before tracing a route through the very heart of India. From Pune to Mumbai, Vadodara, Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra and Lucknow, the SUV covered the breadth of the country before reaching the Nepal border near Gorakhpur.
Beyond India, the landscape transformed with every passing border. Winding mountain roads gave way to sweeping high-altitude plateaus, vast open highways and centuries-old trade routes as the Kylaq continued through Nepal, over the Tibetan Plateau in China, meeting the ancient Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, before arriving in Georgia and crossing into Türkiye, where Asia meets Europe. From there, it pressed on through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, finally arriving in Prague, completing a drive that had spanned two continents and 13 countries over 70 days – aligning perfectly with Škoda Auto’s ethos of ‘Let’s Explore’.
In the process, the Made-in-India SUV climbed to altitudes of -154 metres to 5,364 metres above sea level, endured temperatures ranging from -12°C to 43°C and encountered an extraordinary diversity of roads, climates, cultures and languages. It was a journey that demanded consistency as much as capability, with every kilometre serving as a demonstration of the Kylaq's engineering, durability and everyday dependability under vastly different driving conditions.
The Kylaq
The Kylaq is Škoda Auto's first sub-four-metre SUV developed specifically for India and is based on the locally engineered MQB-A0-IN platform, created through close collaboration between teams in India and the Czech Republic. Powered by a 1.0-litre TSI engine producing 85 kW (114 PS) and 178 Nm of torque, it is available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic torque converter. The automatic variant completed the entire India-to-Europe drive.
The Kylaq has also earned recognition in the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records as part of the 'Fastest Multi-Car Relay of a Single Manufacturer on a Circuit'. Alongside the Kushaq, Slavia, Octavia RS and Kodiaq, the Kylaq helped Škoda Auto India record a combined relay time of 12:30.97, making it the country's fastest manufacturer fleet in the category.