As opposed to Nexon, Brezza, Venue, Sonet, upcoming XUV 3XO, Kiger and Magnite, Skoda sub 4m SUV will pack understated design with strong character and safety credentials
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India currently doesn’t have a sub 4m offering and that will change soon. The company is testing its first-ever sub 4m SUV in India based on MQB A0 IN platform which has been spied on in full detail in a recent video.
Skoda Sub 4m SUV Spied In Full Detail
The sub 4m SUV genre will heat up soon with Skoda entering the chat. There might be a Volkswagen counterpart of this vehicle owing to how both companies operate. Skoda has greenlighted the ‘Name Your Skoda’ contest, but Kwiq, Kyroq, Kymaq, Kariq and Kylaq names are more likely.
A video uploaded by The Fat Biker is garnering quite a lot of attention on social media. For good reasons, of course. This video reveals most of the details that we can expect from this upcoming sub 4m SUV. For starters, design is typically Skoda, where we can see minimalist, yet striking contours and creases. Like a sharp suit. In the video, we can see Skoda sub 4m SUV beside a pre-facelift Nexon, 1st gen Creta and Punch. Road presence is quite decent too.
The fascia borrows family DNA with a moustache grill along with a split headlight design we have seen with Kushaq. Headlights are twin-pod LEDs, probably reflectors, and we have turn indicators/LED DRLs on top. Neatly sculpted lower bumper, clamshell bonnet, large ORVMs with turn indicators, and a large honey-comb pattern lower grill.
In profile, we can see a strong shoulder line along with a thick C-pillar. Roof rails and body cladding will add that necessary crossover look. Rear design is strikingly Taigun-ish and that’s what lent an impression that it could be Taigun facelift in earlier speculations. C-shaped LED signature is striking, but indicators and reverse lights seem to be halogens.
Is this a mid-spec trim?
It is interesting to note that this particular vehicle is donning steel wheels with covers shod with 205-section tyres and lacks rear defogger along with rear washer and wiper. There’s no sunroof on this vehicle either. On the inside, we can see a fully digital TFT instrument cluster along with a larger infotainment screen. So, it is safe to say that this could be a mid-spec trim and not the top-end.
In the compact SUV segment, Skoda and Volkswagen can bank heavily on crash safety aspects and get away with not giving standard-in-segment features like ADAS, rear disc brakes, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, dual-zone climate control and the likes. However, that strategy won’t work with sub 4m segment because vehicles with 5 Star crash safety already exist and are packed with features and creature comforts.
So, Skoda needs to be features-wise competitive and price-wise competitive as well. We hope features like alloy wheels, 215-section tyres, rear defogger, rear washer and wiper, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, wireless smartphone connectivity, auto climate control, auto-dimming IRVM, keyless entry and cruise control to be present on this vehicle. Features like ventilated seats, sunroof and dual-zone climate control are welcome too.
Powertrain-wise, we will get the sole 1.0L Turbo Petrol engine with 113 bhp of peak power and 178 Nm peak torque. Gearbox options will be a 6-speed manual and 6-speed torque converter auto.
