Skoda's new proposition to crack the Indian mass market: value-for-money cars
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. ‘Paisa Vasool’ isn't a phrase that rolls off the tongues of senior leaders of Czech premium carmaker Skoda Auto often. But at the launch of its first, made-for-India compact sports utility vehicle Kylaq, value for money and ‘paisa vasool’ were key phrases to emphasize how serious the brand was to crack the Indian mass market and shed the perception its cars were too pricey for the value-conscious buyer.
Starting 2026, the company hopes to sell 100,000 cars a year, driven mostly by the Kylaq, which will take on 18 other models in the sub-four-meter segment, Martin Jahn, member of the Skoda board of directors for sales and marketing, told Mint in an interview on Wednesday. The Kylaq compact SUV was launched at a starting ex-showroom price of ₹7.89 lakh. Skoda Auto is adopting a multi-pronged gameplan for India, focusing on local manufacturing, cost management, and expanding its model lineup to tap into the country’s largest and most competitive passenger vehicle segment.
After the completion of the India 2.0 program, in which the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India launched four new products, the Kylaq is the group's bid to make a fresh push to become a meaningful European player in the domestic market, which is increasingly important for global brands amid tough Chinese competition in the international markets. Jahn said that the company will continue ramping up its domestic manufacturing in pursuit of sustained profitability. With ambitions to sell 100,000 units in the mid-term, Skoda sees its success tied to balancing premium features with competitive pricing.
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