[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Skoda Kylaq Signature Plus variant in pics:

Sigh! What a bland looking variant! Nowhere does this feel like a 2nd top variant.

Test drives and deliveries begin:

Forget the customers, even the showroom folks don’t seem excited about the launch!

Skoda literally managed to kill the whole excitement of this car; sad. And to make matters worse, Kia has just dropped a bomb by the name - SYROS. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Kylaq sells in fewer numbers then the Syros, inspite of Syros being priced at a premium. People will definitely cross shop in this segment.

The sub 4m SUB segment has heated up like anything!

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by wooka

What in the world is a budget car doing with 29k LED headlights?

The ones on the xuv 700 are 12-13k. They even have integrated monster DRLs.

I'm sorry but I simply cannot fathom why we are falling for the 'Fabia' trap all over again.

Sealed LED headlight units are commonly 20k+ for each ones, not surprising for most brands. I see no "trap" here, the prices are clearly mentioned and one can take a pick.

[Bane214]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Sigh! What a bland looking variant! Nowhere does this feel like a 2nd top variant.

I think the bland looks are due to the white color here. I feel this would look much better in a red, black or my fav lava blue. The blacked out front grill with no chrome usage should look much better imo.

[driving-passion]

Originally Posted by Bane214

I think the bland looks are due to the white color here. I feel this would look much better in a red, black or my fav lava blue. The blacked out front grill with no chrome usage should look much better imo.

Agree. The carbon steel colour looks good. Blends nicely with the plastic claddings.

[Anki_252hp]

I did TD of both Automatic & Manual back to back, it was a very short test drive on busy roads, I found clutch very hard and did not enjoy the manual drive much, Automatic was fun to drive however on on pushing it a bit, I could hear strange engine noise coming into the cabin.

I have booked Signature Manual version, however now I am confused as I did not like the drive at all. May be I will take another test drive of manual for a little longer period to make my decision.

Also the rear camera was really bad in prestige, glad, its not even there in Signature. Is there any way we can get after market Camera integrated in the existing 7 Inch unit?

[sarath_online]

I test-drove both the manual and automatic transmissions yesterday. Here are some observations from my short ride:

• The clutch travel is a bit long, but it didn’t bother me while driving in busy city traffic.
  
• Gear shifts in the manual didn’t feel smooth and required some effort to slot. I’m not sure if this is a common issue or specific to the car I drove (the manual variant wasn't available at the showroom when I reached and it was brought from their service centre).
  
• Some interior plastic surfaces seem to be scratch magnets. Both test-drive cars already had noticeable scratches on the door cladding, despite being nearly new and only in use for a day.
  
• The second-row cabin light switches are bit hard to press. Turning the lights on or off gave the impression that there was little support behind the roof liner, as the panel shook when pressing the switches.
  
• The rear camera quality is quite poor, as some reviews have already pointed out.
  
• The audio system sounded decent compared to the Harman Kardon system in my previous car. I felt it is better than the unit in 3XO (AX5/AX5L).
  
• One of my main concerns was the AC performance, given the issues reported by Kushaq owners in the past. However, I didn’t notice any issues with the AC performance during the drive even though it was pretty hot outside.

[BSASLR]

Test drives are now freely available in Bangalore and other have already covered how the car drives.

I noticed that the middle rear seat is only suitable for a child, which is a major drawback.

It looks like they reused the same center console or at least the same rear AC vent design to cut costs (Kushaq had it in beige, while Kylaq has it in black).

Although they shortened the car, the unchanged center console and rear AC vent design from the Kushaq take up too much space in the Kylaq. If I am correct that's a bad Idea!

[Harjot37]

Did test drives of both the AT (in Signature+variant) and the manual (in Prestige variant). Though the drives were short (about 5 kms each), but enough to form an opinion.
Key points:

• AT should be the preferred 'box for this car, as you won't find the shifts of the manual pleasurable at all (I myself have been driving manuals since I was 18).
• Suspension is superb! More comfortable than both our stablemates (EcoSport and Compass, both diesels), but a driver's car nonetheless. Clutch is definitively light, but the travel is long.
• Steering is one-finger light. Loved twirling it. However, can't comment on high-speed behaviour of the same, due to the short, city-bound TD offered.
• The stalks feel good to touch, but not-so-good to operate. They're not clickity-click, also not damped, nor flimsy. How do I say this, but they lack a distinct character? I don't know. Maybe I'm getting too much into it.
• On the topic, why did Skoda have to place the cruise controls on the stalks? Could've been integrated in the switches on the steering wheel, of which one is a blank, and one is configurable (supposedly).
• AC is effective. Would need to get used to the touch-based panel, though not as much of a hassle as the blower and temperature can be controlled by tapping at the ends, which are indented.
• Strictly a 4- seater, with the rear seat being a compromise (too upright, cupped). I'm 5'-9", by the way. And also, the headrests can only be adjusted to two positions - max and min (!!!). Really messes with our turbans, sitting hunch-backed, with the headrest interfering as it is.
• The front seats are comfortable, sufficiently adjustable, but the lumbar support is lacking. Easy to find your ideal driving position, with the aid of the rake- and reach-adjustable steering wheel. ORVMs are small but sufficient.
• That said, the leatherette interiors are better than the fabric ones, as the fabric is a bit scruffy (felt so on the central armrest). The rear cabin lights have flimsy switches, and so is the roofliner.
• The official review says that it's a sporty-sounding engine Sounds like an autorickshaw. Should've been better insulated. And what's with the horn? Another thing that reminded me of three-wheelers!
• While the car gets the basics right on the top model (someone should give an earful to the car companies for not providing a rear wiper-washer right from the base model itself), I do find the sunroof a major sore point of the top variant- it eats into the headroom a lot, and provides no tangible benefit at all. And, yes, the Signature+ variant has bad-looking DRLs. Poor, poor quality reversing camera, no dynamic guides. I'd rather have this abomination removed!
• The speakers are decent. Comparable to the ones on our EcoSport.

Still holding onto my booking, as I don't think there's a better driver-focused car in this segment (I affectionately call it a mini-Compass just for the features and driveability). And ofcourse, because of my bias towards Skoda

[volkman10]

Skoda Kylaq waiting period extends up to 4 months (base variant), mostly due to poor forecast anticipated in variants.

- Skoda plans to deliver 33,000 units of Kylaq by May this year, with a majority of the production earmarked for the higher-spec variants.

-The base Classic trim has the highest waiting period of up to a maximum of 4 months; this trim is only available with a manual gearbox and limited colour options.

- The second-from base Signature trim has an average waiting period of 3-4 months for both MT and AT variants, but it varies as per the colour.

- The top two Signature+ and Prestige trims are most readily available with an average waiting period of 2-3 months, irrespective of the colour or gearbox.

- Deliveries for the newly booked Classic variants are only expected from the second batch of production.

Link:

[suhaas307]

A bit late to the thread with my 2-p, but better late than never I suppose:

Design and Styling: Not much to say, except that it’s not offensive. It looks decent and thankfully not like a truncated Kushaq. I like the fact that its wheels are at extreme corners of the car and the overhangs at both ends are short, making it well proportioned.

Build quality and fit/finish: Well built on the outside. Doors close with a solid clunk. The car does have heft that Skoda / VW customers will be familiar with. It’s the same story with the interior - barring a few offending bits like the exposed screws in the sunroof cavity, wafer-thin headliner and plasticky AC vent knobs, it’s par for the course.

Interior and accommodation: Strictly a 4 seater. 5th passenger is unwelcome. Reasonably spacious headroom at the back even for 6’1” moi as long as you adjust your seat correctly and not recline it like it’s a lazy-boy. Reasonably spacious boot as well! Good car for short weekend trips.

Drivetrain and performance: The 1.0 TSI is a familiar powertrain. Fairly refined for a 3-cylinder engine, and sounds surprisingly fruity provided you don’t rev the nuts off of it. Punchy as well, and helps the car keep up with more expensive and more powerful machinery. The manual gearbox is surprisingly fun to use, but the torque converter AT is the default choice in my opinion.

Ride and handling: The biggest surprise for me was the ride quality of the Kylaq. There is this underlying firmness in the suspension without it feeling too stiff or harsh, even on rough roads. Sure, the steering is absolutely dead, but it’s sharp and direct enough to give you the confidence you need on city streets and on the highways as well. Handling is neutral. It’s no sports car or sports sedan, but it’s good enough for its use-case.

Verdict: Well, apart from some rough edges, and the absence of tech - like a 360 degree camera - it’s a well rounded product. Skoda would have done well to undercut the competition’s pricing by shaving off about 50k from the price tag. The top end variant for instance is a bit too pricey in some cities like BLR, making it almost unjustifiably expensive given the stiff competition. I also get the feeling that this could be Škoda’s last roll of the dice for the domestic market.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I also get the feeling that this could be Škoda’s last roll of the dice for the domestic market.

I too have the same feeling and if that is so, then I feel Skoda should have priced it really well considering the fierce competition that this segment has.

Kia is also very smart to have planned the launch of the Syros just in-time with the Kylaq. It will take away some sales from the Kylaq, atleast the mid-variants of the Syros surely will.

And to make matters worse, we are already seeing the spy-shots of the Venue 2025 in-testing which could launch in the 2nd half of this year. Given the current sales of the Venue, it won't be surprising if it zooms past all these new launches.

[gargmudit]

I have booked Prestige AT Lava Blue on 2nd Dec within first 30 min after booking opened. Today I got call from dealer (Ring Road Gurgaon) that they got first alottment but Lava blue Prestige AT is not in it. They are not sure when they will recieve the allotment for my variant and they have no visibility from Skoda side. I was told it may take 8-12 weeks from 27th for delivery.

This is insane from Skoda. What is the point of taking booking 2 months in advance if they can't even give visibility of delivery date to someone who booked within first 30 min. Highly dissapointed.

Is there any email of Skoda leadership to raise our concerns other than the normal customer care email id ?

Anyone who has booked Lava Blue and got the confirmation for delivery?

[Rhaegal]

Does anyone know if one can change the variant from Sig+ AT to Prestige AT, would I lose out on the SMP package, had a test drive today the car is great to drive, the interior of Sig+ felt very bland compared to Prestige also the 16" alloys don't do the car justice.

Would the 16" alloys have much effect on driving dynamics compared to 17" ones ?

[sukrit7]

Originally Posted by gargmudit

Is there any email of Skoda leadership to raise our concerns other than the normal customer care email id ?

Anyone who has booked Lava Blue and got the confirmation for delivery?

You could tweet to them. They seem to be responding very quickly on X. I don't think anyone has ever seen a Lava Blue though. Very unfortunate that customers paying a premium are not being prioritised.

Originally Posted by driving-passion

Agree. The carbon steel colour looks good. Blends nicely with the plastic claddings.

I finally got a chance to see the Signature plus in Carbon steel and I think it looks quite beautiful. I don't have great pictures but there are multiple YouTube videos. I thought the DRLs looked fine as well and not odd like they did on the white version earlier.

Interior quality was alright. Frankly, quite a step up from the more expensive Hyryder we have in the family but overall not exciting like the Syros. The virtual cockpit is very high quality and caught my eye. I'm glad to see most people praising the way it drives and that I hope is enough for it to sell.

As someone else has said, I do think this is an important car for Skoda but I worry that they too will pack up and go. Is that misplaced? We've gone through this with the Punto and the EcoSport and I don't necessarily want to be short on luck a third time

[dipen]

Originally Posted by Rhaegal

Does anyone know if one can change the variant from Sig+ AT to Prestige AT, would I lose out on the SMP package, had a test drive today the car is great to drive, the interior of Sig+ felt very bland compared to Prestige also the 16" alloys don't do the car justice.

Would the 16" alloys have much effect on driving dynamics compared to 17" ones ?

Skoda has priced and spec'ed the variants in such a bad way that only the Prestige feels complete.

Big Non prestige misses (especially on S+)
- super bland headlights (yeah they are led but bland) compared to prestige
- bland looking alloy design
- bland seat upholstery
- no rear wiper

The 16" are definitely more comfortable but the 17" design cannot be resisted.

Don't change the booking. The dealer and Skoda both make better margins on higher variants. I am sure your SA will reach out if a Prestige is available in your choice of color and transmission to check if you want to consider upgrade. Just say Yes then and your SMP should be applicable.