Over the past couple of months, there have been two big developments from Skoda and Volkswagen, both in the affordable car segments. While Skoda India has launched its most affordable offering – the Kylaq sub-4 meter compact SUV – Volkswagen of Latin America has been testing the Tera, which is another sub-4 meter compact SUV.
Now, this has led to frenzied discussions on Indian social media networks, by fans of both brands. A big question from these discussions is whether one needs to buy the Skoda Kylaq now, or wait for the Volkswagen Tera. Let’s answer this for you.
A bird in hand is better than two in the bush….
Or so goes the saying. While Skoda India has brought the Kylaq to the market, we’re yet to hear confirmation of Volkswagen’s sub-4 meter compact SUV. As of today, you can book the Kylaq at your nearest Skoda dealer, or even online, and take delivery of the sub-4 meter compact SUV in February 2025 – just 2 months from now.
On the other hand, if you want the Volkswagen Tera, you’ll have to wait for a minimum of one year, and that’s an optimistic estimate. Volkswagen has not even clearly announced that it would be building the Tera in India.
Can’t wait? Opt for the Kylaq
So, if you want a sturdily build compact SUV that looks good and has some really strong performance, your best bet as of today is to simply book the Kylaq, and bring one home in the next month or two. However, if you don’t really need an immediate upgrade, you can choose to wait for the Volkswagen Tera. We expect Volkswagen India to reveal its cards sometime in the first half of 2025.
Tera not happening before 2026
If the Volkswagen Tera indeed comes to India, it won’t be before early 2026. The Tera, or whatever it is called in India, will share the MQB A0 IN platform with the Kylaq. This also means that the 1 liter-3 cylinder turbo petrol engine that the Kylaq offers, will be the mainstay of the Tera. 6 speed manual and torque converter automatic gearbox options are also likely. It will be built at the Chakan factory, off Pune, alongside the Kylaq.
The Tera, for India, will essentially be the Skoda Kylaq with a different top-hat. Think Volkswagen Virtus-Skoda Slavia, or for that matter the Skoda Kushaq-Volkswagen Taigun. The Tera will be a badge engineered product with unique styling, and some changes on the interiors as well for further differentiation. It could be slightly pricier as well given the fact that Volkswagen typically positions itself half a step above Skoda.
Bigger, more powerful engine in the Tera?
There have been rumours that Volkswagen would offer a GT version of the Tera, with the 1.5 liter TSI turbocharged petrol engine borrowed from the larger Taigun. If this pans out, then the Tera will be one of India’s fastest and most spirited sub-4 meter compact SUV.
The 1.5 TSI motor makes 150 Bhp-250 Nm, and also gets active cylinder deactivation. It gets 6 speed manual and 7 speed twin clutch DSG automatic gearbox options. It’ll be significantly pricier than the 1 liter engined models as there are no excise benefits beyond 1.2 liter petrol engines in the sub-4 meter segment.
All in all, it seems like the spiritual successor to the Polo GT. The big question still remains, will Volkswagen India bring the Tera GT in this spec. We sure hope they do as it will be a great way to differentiate the Tera and reinforce Volkswagen’s image as an automaker that builds cars not just for the mass market but also for the enthusiast.
Circling back to the Kylaq…
Prices for the Skoda Kylaq start from a very competitive 7.79 lakh rupees, and the base trim has nearly everything you need except perhaps a audio system. Skoda will sell you the audio unit as an accessory though. The 1 liter-3 cylinder TSI turbo petrol engine with 118 Bhp-178 Nm outputs is standard across the range.
Even the base trim of the Kylaq gets 25 active and passive safety features. So, it’s a no-compromise car whichever way you see it, in safety and performance terms. The mid and top-of-the-line trims bring in convenience through the 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox, and plenty of comfort features. They’re much more pricier too.
The Prestige trim sells at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 14.4 lakh, which is nearly double that of the base Classic trim. Even if you want an automatic gearbox on the Kylaq, you’ll have to shell out about Rs. 4 lakh over the base model. Talking trims, there are four major trims on offer: Classic, Signature, Signature Plus and Prestige.
Since the Indian market now prefers automatic cars in a big way, Skoda offers the automatic gearbox in all three higher trims save for the base Classic trim. We’d highly recommend the automatic option considering how crowded and chaotic traffic conditions in most Indian cities have become.
We’ll be driving the Skoda Kylaq in early 2025, post which we give you a comprehensive picture on what the compact SUV drives like. Considering its European pedigree, we anticipate surefooted dynamics and a fun-to-drive nature. So, if these attributes are important to you, along with high levels of safety, sturdiness and thoughtful features, the Kylaq may well be worth checking out. The compact SUV will arrive at Skoda dealerships across India by February 2025, which is also when the first deliveries will commence.
