No sub-4 metre SUV coming from Volkswagen anytime soon?

Skoda India is going to launch the Kylaq, its sub-compact SUV, in 2025. The Kylaq will be a direct rival to cars such as the Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO and Maruti Suzuki Brezza. Volkswagen though has no plans to launch its version of the Kylaq anytime soon, as confirmed by a top executive. Here’s why.

Skoda Kylaq - What is it?

First things first. Skoda Kylaq is Skoda’s upcoming sub-compact SUV that will make its way to our shores by the end of next year. The Kylaq will mark VW Group’s entry into the hot-selling sub-4 metre segment. It is likely to carry over the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Kushaq, wherein it produces 115PS of power and 178Nm of torque. We expect the same tune to be offered with the Kylaq. 

Why Volkswagen isn’t planning to launch its own version

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen India has clarified in a podcast with EVO India that Volkswagen has no plans to launch a sub-4 metre SUV for the Indian market. The reason behind this is that Volkswagen does not want to impede the product positioning of Skoda Auto and wants to avoid any further overlapping of products. The positioning of the brand has changed and it wants to maintain a premium positioning in the market.

Moreover, Volkswagen India’s experience with sub-4 metre cars like the Ameo and Polo Cross has not been great for the German automaker. This is another reason that it wants to stay away from the sub-4 metre segment. As per Ashish Gupta, Volkswagen has plans to continue banking on the Virtus and Taigun in the near future and is planning to tweak these products, launching new variants and adding user-demanded features.

Also Read: Mahindra-Volkswagen joint venture in India coming close to reality?

Upcoming Volkswagen Taigun Facelift

As reported earlier, Volkswagen is looking to launch a facelift of the Volkswagen Taigun by the end of 2025. This will mark four years of sales of the Taigun. It has been doing quite well for VW, along with the Volkswagen Virtus. 

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