Overview
Škoda Auto India announced that its locally manufactured compact SUV, the Kylaq, successfully completed a 19,351 km over‑land expedition from Pune, India, to Prague, Czech Republic. The drive lasted 70 days, traversed 13 countries across two continents, and was intended to demonstrate the vehicle’s engineering, durability and dependability.
Journey Details
The route began at the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. plant in Pune, passed through major Indian cities – Mumbai, Vadodara, Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra and Lucknow – before reaching the Nepal border near Gorakhpur. From there the SUV continued through Nepal, crossed the Tibetan Plateau in China, followed historic Silk Road corridors in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, entered Georgia, then Turkey, and proceeded through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and finally arrived in Prague. Throughout the expedition the Kylaq encountered altitudes ranging from –154 m below sea level to 5,364 m above sea level and temperature extremes from –12 °C to 43 °C, covering a wide variety of road surfaces, terrains and climatic conditions.
Vehicle Specifications
The Kylaq is Škoda’s first sub‑four‑metre SUV developed specifically for the Indian market, built on the locally engineered MQB‑A0‑IN platform through collaboration between Indian and Czech teams. It is powered by a 1.0‑litre TSI gasoline engine delivering 85 kW (114 PS) and 178 Nm of torque, and is offered with either a six‑speed manual gearbox or a six‑speed automatic torque‑converter. The automatic variant was used for the entire India‑to‑Europe drive.
Records & Recognitions
During the journey the Kylaq secured entries in the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records for the “Fastest Multi‑Car Relay of a Single Manufacturer on a Circuit”. Together with the Kushaq, Slavia, Octavia RS and Kodiaq, the Kylaq helped Škoda Auto India achieve a combined relay time of 12:30.97, the fastest for a manufacturer fleet in the category.
Market Performance
Škoda Auto India reported a 107 % year‑on‑year increase in sales, delivering 72,665 vehicles in 2025 across 189 cities and more than 340 customer touchpoints. The company currently offers four models in India – Kylaq, Slavia, Kushaq and Kodiaq – and aims to leverage growth in key markets such as India, Vietnam and the ASEAN region.
Corporate Context
Globally, Škoda Auto delivered over 1.04 million vehicles in 2025 and pursues a “Next Level Škoda” strategy that targets a position among the top three best‑selling brands in Europe by the end of the decade, supported by a portfolio of 14 passenger‑car models including BEV, hybrid and ICE variants. Škoda is part of the Volkswagen Group and operates three production plants in the Czech Republic, with additional capacities in Spain, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, India, Vietnam and Ukraine, employing roughly 40,000 people worldwide.
Commentary from Leadership
Ashish Gupta, Brand Director of Škoda Auto India, stated that 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… the India‑made Kylaq proved that engineering excellence is best demonstrated through real‑world experience.”