Skoda Auto India as it approaches a new era in India with its all-new compact SUV. Announced in February and following a recent teaser of its design, the vehicle has been named through an imaginative nationwide campaign.
Reflecting the choice of thousands of people, Skoda Auto India’s new SUV will be called the Kylaq, embodying a unique connection with its future drivers.
Speaking at the name unveil, Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said “Our new compact SUV Kylaq is for the people of India. We wanted them to be part of every milestone of our biggest-ever launch in the country.
The ‘Name Your Skoda’ campaign aimed at inculcating a sense of pride and belonging among participants and potential customers. The results are humbling with over 200,000 entries. It reinforces our legacy in India and showcases the great affinity people have towards the brand Skoda.
The naming process of a car is important for us. And this upcoming all-new compact SUV represents the ultimate milestone within the fastest-growing and biggest segment in India. With the Kylaq, people, customers and fans have themselves named our newest family member, which is developed jointly by the teams in India and Europe, and will be locally manufactured.”
The Name Your Skoda campaign, rolled out in February 2024, enabled the involvement and engagement of users, customers and Fans of Skoda in picking the name for the all-new compact SUV that is to make its India and world debut in 2025.
Through ‘Name Your Skoda’, participants suggested names for the compact SUV that begin with the letter ‘K’ and end with the letter ‘Q’ with one or two syllables, in line with Skoda’s tradition of naming their ICE SUVs.
The campaign resulted in over 200,000 entries with over 24,000 unique names. In the next phase, participants cast their vote for the choice among 15 shortlisted names. Basis the number of votes, from the 15 shortlisted names, 10 names were announced by Skoda Auto India.
From the list, the winning name, which received the most votes and met all legal compliance criteria, was chosen for the all-new compact SUV. Kylaq is derived from the Sanskrit word for crystal, reflecting both the vehicle’s pristine qualities and inspiration from Mt. Kailash.
The winner of this naming contest will be the first owner of the Skoda Kylaq when it hits roads in 2025, lending them the unique opportunity of owning a car they named. Another 10 winners will visit Skoda Auto in Prague with a tour of the Skoda Museum and the city.
Winners will be announced at 2 pm today across Skoda Auto India’s social media channels. The all-new compact SUV, now christened Kylaq, positioned as the ‘SUV for you’, is Skoda Auto India’s first foray into the compact SUV segment.
This SUV is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform, the same as the one of the Kushaq SUV and the Slavia sedan. The MQB-A0-IN was specifically developed for India by teams in India and the Czech Republic with an eye on versatility, safety, and dynamics while focussing on localisation, low maintenance costs and a hassle-free ownership experience. A larger car platform, the compact SUV will have a big car feel within a compact footprint. It is a tradition going back to the company’s first-ever full-fledged 7-seater luxury 4×4, the Kodiaq, in 2017.
The name reflects the qualities of both, the Kodiak bear and the Kodiak Archipelago to the south of Alaska, USA that it inhabits. The nomenclature is a reflection of the beauty, grandeur and toughness of both the bear and the terrain it calls home.
The Skoda Kushaq takes this legacy forward as its name is derived from the Sanskrit word for Emperor. And the all-new compact SUV, the Skoda Kylaq will make its world debut in India in 2025, taking the nomenclature voted by the people, while following Skoda’s SUV family naming tradition.
