Skoda Kylaq manual vs our favourite driving road

The Skoda Kylaq we’ve been itching to get our hands on. And this is a road we know better than the backs of our own hands. Say hello to the Skoda Kylaq with the manual transmission. Mated to the 1-litre TSI engine and housed in the fantastic MQB-A0-IN platform, this promises to put the Thrill in Thrill of Driving. And to put it to the test, we’ve come to what used to be our favourite driving road; the road going up the Mutha ghat to the now practically defunct hill township of Lavasa.

Used to be because the approach roads are absolutely ruined – and it has only been days since the onset of the monsoons. Where once we used to ride our superbikes, where the dhaba at the top used to be like Pune’s Ace Café with hundreds of bikes going up there on weekends, now it is pure ADV territory. And that’s the first test for the Skoda Kylaq. If a car can deal with these roads it can deal with any road in India. And if it can put a smile on our face while doing that, well, we have a new, affordable, Thrill of Driving champion for us enthusiasts… left as we are with hardly any enthu-compact SUVs.

Skoda Kylaq platform

Now having said everything there is to say about the Modern Solid design language and the lovely proportions, it’s safe to say that the Skoda Kylaq, in this red, looks smashing. Plus with more time to poke around the car we’ve also noticed that it gets in-built Waze navigation, probably the first car in India to do so.

In these feature-crazy times we find ourselves in, the Kylaq has everything you need and nothing you don't and today we really don’t care about what is or isn’t in the brochure. All we care about is how it tackles challenging roads and on that front it gets the best chassis money can buy in this segment – the MQB-A0-IN. The platform debuted with the Skoda Kushaq in 2021 and was re-engineered for India without compromising its core strengths. It made the Kushaq the first mid-SUV with 5-star crash safety, and the Kylaq continues in those footsteps by also scoring a full 5 stars. The heavy localisation also keeps costs in check while Skoda’s ownership schemes push the first service expense to the end of the second year of ownership.

Skoda Kylaq engine and performance

Crawling over bad roads gives you plenty of time to enjoy the 1-litre TSI engine that is still our favourite small-capacity engine. 114bhp of power, 178Nm of torque and the option of the 6-speed torque converter automatic. But what we have here is the manual and it’s a timely reminder of the joys of three pedals. The solid mid-range grunt means the Skoda Kylaq pulls strongly up the hills. Rarely do you need first; second and third are enough to surf and ride out the torque curve, listen to that 3-cylinder engine’s characteristic roar and enthuse the enthusiast.

The gear shift quality is excellent, the control weights are well judged, the steering communicates with clarity, the driving position with reach-and-rake adjustable steering and (electric) height adjustable seats are perfect and to top it all, the well bolstered seats hold you nicely in place while also blowing cool air up your backside. You feel at one with the car. It’s quick, no question and thoroughly enjoyable.

Skoda Kylaq ride and handling

Chuck it into corners and the Skoda Kylaq’s front-end grips with tenacity. There’s response. A sense of engagement. An eagerness to hunt down apexes. There’s even a manual handbrake for when you want to indulge in some theatrics. And the controllability on the limit is a mark of how well sorted the platform is. This also means that when you have to make an emergency manoeuvre to avoid a gigantic crater on the road, the Kylaq won’t let you down. Those craters are why we don’t drive or ride up to Lavasa any more. A shame really because this is a fantastically challenging driving road and in the monsoons, the views are utterly gorgeous. Also treacherous; landslides are a frequent occurrence. The Kylaq though takes it all in its stride.

Skoda’s engineers haven’t just reduced the wheelbase on the MQB-A0-IN platform but also softened the dampers a bit so it can better tackle broken roads. And the torsional rigidity of the platform allows the use of softer dampers without the handling going for a toss. You don’t wince in agony when you hit broken roads; the ride compliance is not only top notch but the car feels robust enough to take a pounding on these roads.

And then when you hit the twists and turns, you will revel in the dynamic polish. You can see the body roll, you can feel it, but the chassis doesn’t tie itself into knots. You can lean on the front-end, carry serious speeds, feel what’s going on. It’s like what we proclaimed – the Kylaq is the spiritual successor to what was evo India’s favourite hatch. Fact is there are plenty of mini, micro, compact, all kinds of SUVs. But we aren’t exactly spoilt for choice if you want a small SUV that is crisp, fun, entertaining, involving and enjoyable to drive. Until now.

Skoda Kylaq fun-to-drive verdict

Look at the inside rear wheel lift in the picture – the clearest possible sign of a well sorted chassis. You can also see how heavily the front right is loaded. We are asking everything and more from the Skoda Kylaq. Giving it our all. And yet it is firmly sticking to its line, keeping understeer at bay, making sure the driver is in full control. What you cannot see is the big, fat grin on the driver’s face. If anybody asks you whether a compact SUV can be fun to drive, here’s your bright red answer.