Škoda Auto India has successfully completed one of the longest overland journeys ever undertaken by a Made-in-India passenger vehicle, with the Škoda Kylaq covering an impressive 19,351 kilometres from Pune to Prague in 70 days.
The remarkable expedition began at Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd.’s manufacturing facility in Pune, where the Kylaq is produced, and concluded in Prague, the global home of the Škoda brand. The journey symbolically linked the birthplace of Škoda Auto India’s newest SUV with the company’s headquarters, highlighting the vehicle’s durability, reliability, and engineering capabilities.
Spanning multiple countries and diverse terrains, the cross-continental drive showcased the Kylaq’s ability to perform across varying road conditions and climates while reinforcing Škoda Auto India’s manufacturing quality and global standards. The milestone also underscores the company’s growing confidence in its India-developed products as it continues to strengthen its presence in domestic and international markets.
Commenting on the expedition, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Škoda 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 Pune with the birthplace of Škoda Auto in Prague, 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 Škoda Auto’s global future but also reflects the confidence we have in building world-class products here in India.”
The Grand P2P Tour
Every great journey begins long before the road disappears over the horizon. For the Kylaq, it began at the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India manufacturing facility in Pune, before tracing a route through the very 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 Türkiye, 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 Škoda Auto’s ethos of ‘Let’s Explore’.
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
The Kylaq is Škoda 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 Škoda Auto India record a combined relay time of 12:30.97, making it the country’s fastest manufacturer fleet in the category.
