Skoda Auto India has completed one of the longest overland drives ever undertaken by a Made-in-India passenger vehicle. The Kylaq travelled 19,351 km from Pune to Prague over 70 days, starting at the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India manufacturing facility in Pune and concluding in Prague. This journey symbolically connected the birth country of Skoda Auto India's newest SUV with the home country of the global brand.
Brand Director's Statement
Commenting on the expedition, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda 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 Skoda Auto's global future but also reflects the confidence we have in building world-class products here in India."
The Grand P2P Tour
The journey began at the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India manufacturing facility in Pune, tracing a route through the 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 Turkiye, 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 Skoda Auto's ethos of 'Let's Explore'.
Extreme Conditions Conquered
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: Engineering Excellence
The Kylaq is Skoda 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 Skoda Auto India record a combined relay time of 12:30.97, making it the country's fastest manufacturer fleet in the category.
Skoda Auto's Global Strategy
Skoda Auto is successfully steering through the new decade with the Next Level Skoda Strategy. It aims to become one of the top three best-selling brands in Europe by the end of the decade by offering its customers the best of both worlds through a range of attractive BEV, hybrid and ICE products. The company effectively exploits the potential in important growth markets such as India, Vietnam and the ASEAN region. Currently, Skoda Auto offers customers 14 passenger car model ranges: Fabia, Scala, Octavia, Superb, Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq, Epiq, Elroq, Enyaq, Peaq, Slavia, Kylaq and Kushaq. It delivered more than 1,040,000 vehicles to customers worldwide in 2025. Skoda Auto has been part of the Volkswagen Group for more than 30 years and is part of Brand Group CORE, an organisational merger of the Volkswagen Group's volume brands, with the aim of achieving joint growth and significantly increasing the overall efficiency of all five volume brands. The company independently develops and produces components such as MEB battery systems, engines and transmissions for other Volkswagen Group brands. It operates three production plants in the Czech Republic; has production capacities in Spain, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and India, mostly through group partnerships, as well as in Vietnam and Ukraine in cooperation with a local partner. Skoda Auto employs around 40,000 people worldwide and is active in almost 100 markets.
Skoda Auto India's Performance
Skoda Auto India has been fascinating customers in India since 2001. It offers 4 models in India - Kylaq, Slavia, Kushaq, and Kodiaq. The company is present in 189 cities across the country with over 340 customer touchpoints. It recorded a 107% year-on-year growth with 72,665 cars sold in 2025.
