Volkswagen Tera - Skoda Kylaq's Sibling Coming In 2026
The Skoda Kylaq has turned out to be a blockbuster for the brand in India. The sub-four-meter SUV has been pulling in good numbers since its market launch in November last year. Volkswagen, Skoda’s sister brand under the VW Group umbrella, now has plans to roll out its own version of the Kylaq. It will bring an Indianised version of the Volkswagen Tera SUV that’s currently sold in markets like Brazil. Expected to launch sometime in 2026, the India-spec Tera will have some key differences from the global SUV. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming SUV.
Expected Name
At the time of writing this article, the brand hasn’t confirmed if the upcoming SUV will be called ‘Tera’ in India. In markets like Brazil, however, the name is ‘Tera’. It remains a possibility that the carmaker uses the same name on the Indian SUV as well.
India-Spec VW Tera: More Details
The Tera sold in Brazil has a length of over 4 meters. This will make it qualify for the government’s duty concessions, thereby enabling the manufacturer to price it competitively. The India-spec Tera will likely have the same dimensions as the Kylaq.
The design will likely stay true to that of the global model. The global car looks good and comes with a slim grille, a large Volkswagen logo, sleek LED headlamps, LED DRLs, 17-inch 10-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels, standard pull-type door handles, LED taillights, roof rails, an integrated spoiler, and a short roof antenna. The SUV also has thin body cladding. A clear influence of the Tiguan will be seen on the overall design.
The cabin will borrow a lot of its features from the Skoda SUV. It will come with a large 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, two trapezoidal central air-conditioning vents, an automatic climate control system, wireless charger, ambient lighting, a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, level 1 ADAS, and smartphone connectivity- many of these are found on the Brazilian spec as well. The cabin colour scheme is likely to be Black.
Expected Specifications
The Tera sold in Brazil is underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform. When it comes to India, however, the Tera will be based on the India-specific MQB A0 IN platform. The Kylaq too is underpinned by the same, and has a wheelbase of 2566 mm. On the Tera, wheelbase is likely to remain the same.
In the Brazilian market, the Tera offers two engine options- a 1.0L TSI turbocharged petrol engine and a flex-fuel powertrain. In India, it will borrow its engine from the Kylaq. It will thus have just the 1.0 TSI turbocharged petrol engine on offer. Power and torque figures are likely to remain identical as well. Like the Skoda SUV, both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic transmission can be expected.
Tera Will Be A Safe Car
Like most modern Volkswagens, the Tera will come with a comprehensive safety suite. It will come equipped with multiple airbags, ABS, EBD, hill start assist, ISOFIX mounts, traction control, ADAS and stability control. Latin NCAP recently conducted crash tests on the vehicle, in which it was awarded a full five-star safety rating.
The India-spec will also be well-equipped on the safety front and will likely deliver excellent results in Bharat NCAP crash tests, expected to be conducted sometime around the launch.
Volkswagen Tera: Why It Will It Be A Good Fit In The Indian Market?
When launched, the Tera will help Volkswagen India up its game and increase its market share. It will be priced competitively, and could thus have its ex-showroom prices in the Rs 9-14 lakh bracket. Considering how our market received the Kylaq, it is highly likely that the Volkswagen SUV would perform equally well.
More interestingly, the Tera will also become the ‘spiritual successor of the Polo’. Now, many attribute this title to the Kylaq. With more Volkswagen styling DNA and the cost-effective form of the platform that underpins the global Polo, the Tera will be a better fit for this crown...