Exclusive: Skoda Kylaq RS With 1.5 TSI Turbo Petrol In The Works

We recently drove the Skoda Kylaq at Goa, and our review about the most affordable Skoda car in India is playing right below.

Just before the drive, we managed to catch up with Mr. Petr Janeba, the Brand Director For Skoda India, and a Volkswagen veteran who’s been with the German automotive giant for 25 years.

During our conversation about cars in general, talk veered to the Volkswagen sub-4 meter compact SUV, which is expected to arrive into India by early next year. While Volkswagen has indicated that their sub-4 meter iteration of the Skoda Kylaq will go one up on the former with a 1.5 liter TSI turbo petrol engine, the Czech brand will not be left behind.

Mr. Janeba indicated that Skoda is working on a high performance RS version of the Kylaq, which would feature the much larger 1.5 liter TSI turbo petrol engine that’s also found on the larger Kushaq. While we wanted a name, and used the GT moniker for the hotter version of the Kylaq, Mr. Janeba got back with,

Now, this is exactly what a lot of Skoda fans in India will be waiting to hear – a high performance version of the Kylaq that does full justice to the excellent chassis that the compact SUV is already endowed with.

Talking about the meat of the matter – the motor, the 1.5 TSI turbo petrol mill makes makes about 150 Bhp-250 Nm on the Kushaq, and is available with 6 speed manual and 7 speed twin clutch DSG automatic gearbox options. The same options are expected to filter down to the Kylaq RS, making it a thrilling SUV indeed.

The 1.5 liteer TSI motor-DSG combination is an enthusiast’s dream, and much has been said about how quick and involving the likes of the Skoda Kushaq, Slavia, Volkswagen Taigun and Virtus are with this very engine-gearbox combination.

Considering the fact that the Kylaq is a much lighter car than the Kushaq, it promises to be even more fun to drive. That the Kylaq 1.0 handles beautifully, and has a lovely chassis balance, makes us lick our lips in anticipation of what the RS version will be.

When’s it coming?

Turning the clock back, enthusiasts would remember that the very first RS car from Skoda in India – the Octavia vRS – came with a 1.8 liter turbo petrol engine with an output of 150 Bhp. This was 20 years ago, in 2004. It arrived into Mumbai, at a then-princely on-road price of Rs. 14.6 lakh rupees.

What would it be priced at?

So, when the Kylaq RS makes its India debut sometime in 2026, it would be a a little over 21 years since Skoda gave India a fantastically fun car in the first-generation Octavia vRS. On paper, the Kylaq RS would be pricier than the first-gen Octavia vRS.

Remember, this is a sub-4 meter car running a 1.5 liter petrol engine, which means no excise benefits. However, there is another car in the same segment that offers a 1.5 liter petrol engine – the best selling Brezza, and we’ve seen Maruti managing to price it quite competitively despite the excise disadvantage.

So, it would be safe to expect the Kylaq RS to be about Rs. 1-1.5 lakh pricier than the top end Kylaq 1.0 Prestige trims. That means an ex-showroom price tag of Rs. 15.5 lakh, which would still make it excellent value for money. Remember, the most affordable Kushaq with the 1.5 liter TSI turbo petrol engine and 7 speed automatic transmission starts from Rs. 16.89 lakh. There’s just enough space for Skoda to squeeze in a RS variant, possibly with both manual and automatic gearboxes. We’re just as excited as you are for the Kylaq RS. Bring it on, Skoda!