Škoda Auto has officially announced that its highly anticipated Kylaq will make its world debut in India on 6 November 2024. The launch of the Kylaq will see Škoda Auto entering a ‘New Era’ in India, which is the most important market for the brand outside Europe.

The Kylaq is powered by the tried-and-true 1.0 TSI engine, which is paired to either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. The engine generates 85 kW and 178 Nm of torque. The car uses the same MQB-A0-IN platform as the Kushaq and Slavia. These two vehicles have previously received a complete 5-star rating in Global NCAP testing for adults and children. The Kylaq comes standard with over 25 active and passive safety features, including six airbags, traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution, Brake Disc Wiping, Roll Over Protection, Motor Slip Regulation, Electronic Differential Lock, Passenger airbag deactivation, Multi Collision Braking and ISOFIX seats, among many others.

The Kylaq has been tested throughout 800,000 kilometres of Indian terrain, including urban, highway, hilly and rugged routes. This all-new compact SUV has been tested in temperatures ranging from -10 to +85 degrees Celsius and at elevations ranging from sea level to 3,000 metres above sea level. To assure complete monsoon readiness and optimum weather resistance, 100 random samples of the Kylaq were subjected to 25-30 litres per minute/square metre of water at an angle of up to 16 degrees. This guarantees that no water enters the Kylaq under heavy monsoon conditions. The Kylaq has also undergone a vehicle shaking test to verify that the interiors stay silent and rattle-free across all road surfaces. To make sure there is no discolouration, distortion or loss of functionality in intense sunlight or other environmental conditions, the Kylaq has also been exposed to open weather for two years.

Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “I’m proud to present Kylaq – the first compact SUV from Škoda India. Kylaq is designed and made with high levels of localisation, thereby strengthening our ‘Make in India’ commitment. It represents the Group’s DNA of driving dynamic, safety and comfort, along with the practical features desired by our value conscious customers. I’m sure the product will resonate with Indian customers’ mindset. Kylaq, designed and engineered in India, for India, will be a gamechanger.”

Jiří Dytrych, Head of Product Management, Škoda Auto, shared, “It is a moment of great pride for me and our team to see the Kylaq getting closer to making its world debut in India. The MQB-A0-IN was conceived to be a highly flexible, modular and versatile platform. You all know the Kushaq and Slavia to be much larger, above 4-metre cars. Both these cars have been pivotal in the growing focus on having safer cars in India. At the development stage itself, this platform was conceived to also accommodate an under 4-metre car like the Kylaq and has the same spirit of unmatched driving dynamics, leading safety and proven quality. We take safety a notch higher with a best-in-segment hot-formed steel for the front crash module, to ensure best cabin safety. The key features of the car are always space and comfort for the driver and passengers. The Kylaq will offer first-in-class six-way adjustable driver and passenger seats with ventilation function. The Kylaq will lead our presence, in the fastest-growing and most competitive segment in India.”

Jan Bures, Executive Director – Sales, Marketing and Digital, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “The Kylaq is just around the corner from making its debut in the world. It has been developed and even named keeping in mind evolving customer trends and aspirations in India. The under 4m segment makes up nearly 30 percent of the marketshare in the Indian passenger car sector. And the Kylaq, we believe, is adept at tapping this segment. It will also take us to new markets among tier 3 and 4 centres and bring new customers into our fold. With the response to this pre-production version, I will say with comfort and confidence that the Kylaq is on track to make its debut soon and will enable us to achieve further growth and inroads into the Indian market.”

Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India, shared, “Expanding our portfolio is a key part of our growth strategy, which will enable us to welcome more customers into the Škoda family. We committed to adding a new SUV – Kylaq -- to our offerings, and we are well on track for our biggest-ever launch in India. This is a huge milestone in our India journey and will enable us to double our addressable market share. From the teasers shared, you can tell that this will be a stunning-looking SUV. The Kylaq is now undergoing the final set of testing, and as a result, we cannot reveal the car in all its glory, yet. The Kylaq is the car that will democratise European technology in India. Among other things, it has over 25 active and passive safety features standard across all its variants, and about 30 in specific variants. The Kylaq is almost ready for its debut and will lead the charts when it comes to safety and dynamics.”

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Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has unveiled its first global pick up christened Lifestyler, which will be launched in India as the Mahindra Scorpio Lifestyler. The vehicle will go on sale by April 2027 with prices starting below INR 1.97 million ex-showroom. 

First shown as a concept in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2023, the pickup was designed at the Mahindra India Design Studio in Mumbai and developed at Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai. It is built on Mahindra’s next-generation body-on-frame architecture and is intended for both payload and lifestyle use. The company claims to have around 267 patents in terms of innovation for the Lifestyler.

Dr Velusamy R, President, Automotive Business, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “From the outset, our vision was to create a world-class global pickup that raises the bar for the segment while remaining true to Mahindra's strengths in authentic capability and value. The Scorpio Lifestyler is a testament to the strong product development capabilities at Mahindra Research Valley (MRV). Built on our advanced next-generation body-on-frame architecture, it has been engineered to deliver the capability, durability, safety and refinement demanded by customers around the world.”

Pratap Bose, Chief Design and Creative Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “The Scorpio Lifestyler is inspired by how our customers work, play and explore. Combining bold exterior design, plush interiors and SUV-like comfort with unmistakable Mahindra toughness, it brings style and refinement to every journey. This philosophy is reflected in the three editions showcased today: Valley celebrates purposeful refinement, Reef embodies freedom and exploration, and Trail captures the spirit of boundless adventure. Together, they express our vision of a pickup that celebrates individuality while remaining rooted in capability, authenticity and the freedom to explore without limits.”

Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “The Scorpio Lifestyler represents the convergence of global engineering and evolving customer aspirations. As we prepare for its India launch, we see a growing appetite among customers for a vehicle that delivers authentic capability without compromising on technology, safety, comfort or everyday usability. We are investing in building awareness, strengthening our network and creating the right ownership experience for this category. We believe the Scorpio Lifestyler has the potential to redefine expectations and shape the future of the pickup segment in India.”

While the technical details are still under the wraps, the company showcased three editions - the Valley Edition finished in Artemis Grey, the Reef Edition uses an Aquareef finish and the Trail Edition finished in Sahara Beige.

The Mahindra Lifestyler is aimed at the midsize lifestyle pickup segment in Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. It has been developed to meet requirements for capability, durability, safety, technology and everyday use across those markets.

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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, one of the leading automakers in the country, is charting a confident course for FY2027. The company is sees its multi-powertrain leadership, capacity flexibility and industry-outperformance ambitions to drive a strong H2 for fiscal 2027.

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director and CEO, of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, struck a distinctly forward-looking tone in the company’s Q1 FY27 virtual conference, outlining a strategy built on sustained demand for alternative-energy vehicles, flexible manufacturing, product intensity and disciplined capital allocation even as the broader industry navigates inflationary and commodity headwinds.

He characterised the remainder of FY2027 as a period of continued outperformance relative to the passenger-vehicle industry. Tata Motors at 14.1 percent had already delivered growth roughly twice the industry average of 7.9 percent in FY2026 and a robust 45 percent in Q1 FY2027 as against the industry average of 25.9 percent.

The management expects this momentum to persist. Industry volumes are projected in the mid-double-digit range of 15-20 percent for the remainder of the year in some scenarios.

Tata Motors, on the other hand, is targeting sustained growth even if overall industry expansion moderates to single digits in the second half because of a high base effect from strong H2 FY2026 demand.

Inventory levels are meaningfully lower than a year earlier, creating scope for healthier retail offtake. Q2 is expected to be more challenging for the industry as a whole due to cost pressures, with the second half potentially tighter still for conventional passenger vehicles.

Chandra, however, intends to defend and expand market share through timely product refreshes, facelifts and new nameplates across both ICE and electric portfolios, while prioritising supply-side capacity increases. Waiting periods across the Tata Motors range currently stand at 4-6 weeks, reflecting healthy demand.

Hatchbacks continue to contribute around 15-20 percent of the mix, while SUVs remain the structural growth engine. Export plans include opening a significant new market next year, with a dual focus on ICE and EV products; recent export growth has been driven primarily by South Africa.

Alternative Energy Mix

The shift toward alternative powertrains is central to Chandra’s vision. Industry EV penetration has reached approximately 8 percent – the highest among passenger-vehicle markets – and is expected to climb toward 10 percent by end-FY2027.

Tata Motors’ own EV share of its portfolio has risen from around 38 percent and is targeted at upwards of 40 percent (for the remainder of the year), supported by strong customer acceptance. EV demand has jumped sharply (management noted a 3-4 times increase relative to February levels for the company), but supply remains the binding constraint rather than underlying demand. Chandra revealed that the strong demand for EVs versus supply-side constraints has led to waiting periods for EVs of around 4-6 weeks.

CNG demand is robust: industry CNG share stands near 22 percent, while Tata Motors’ mix is higher at around 27 percent. The outlook remains positive as the CNG station network expands from roughly 8,500 to 15,000-16,000 stations in the coming year. CAFÉ norms (particularly CAFÉ 3 and CAFÉ 4) will further accelerate the push toward alternative-energy vehicles; for OEMs with credible EV offerings, electrification is the most powerful compliance lever.

Sharing his perspective on hybrid technology, Chandra stated that its share in the overall PV segment has stabilised at a modest 2-2.5 percent share. Tata Motors remains ready to introduce hybrids if market conditions warrant, but current emphasis is clearly on CNG and pure electric.

In Q1 the combined CNG-plus-electric mix rose from 19-21 percent to 24 percent. Management is optimistic that EV volumes for the company could grow 70 percent in FY2027, even allowing for some high-base effects in the second half, with overall company growth of 10-15 percent still feasible.

Capacity, Cost Pressures and Capital Plans

For Tata Motors internal EV capacity is not a bottleneck since production systems are fungible and flexible; capacity has already been stepped up from 9,000 to 13,000-14,000 units and reached more than 15,000 units last month, with further increases planned.

Responding to lower-than-anticipated sales for the popular Sierra SUV, the company attributed the temporary production impact to constraints from casting and sheet-metal suppliers plus a five-day production loss at the Sanand plant due to heavy rains, but corrective actions are under way.

Profitability in the recent period was pressured primarily by commodity-price inflation (approximately 4-4.5 percent impact) plus roughly 1 percent from other factors. Cost-reduction initiatives have partially offset these headwinds; in a normalised quarter, margins would have expanded more significantly. Certain PLI benefits were deferred because of new-product launches but will be reapplied in due course.

However, it is important to note that Chandra has emphasised that CAPEX plans remain unchanged at around 6-8 percent of revenue, which will continue to be directed toward new products, technologies and capacity expansion. Management sees no need to revise the programme despite margin pressure.

On the E20 contamination issue raised in the market, Tata Motors has not experienced customer reports and was not among the OEMs that submitted data on the matter.

Jaguar Land Rover Perspective

Richard Molyneux, CFO of JLR, noted that the luxury brand is a truly global business with only a small percentage of sales in India. China remains challenging, production of legacy products (including Jaguar) has been wound down, and a fire plus broader global slowdown affected Range Rover output. Q1 is seasonally soft for JLR, but the team is optimistic about sequential improvement. India is viewed as a significant growth market going forward, supported by existing domestic assembly and imports, with plans to expand the brand’s presence rapidly.

Chandra’s message is one of controlled confidence. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles enters the balance of FY2027 with lower inventories, a flexible multi-powertrain portfolio that is already capturing rising CNG and EV demand, fungible capacity that can scale with the market, and an intact investment programme focused on product and technology. While the industry faces near-term cost and base-effect challenges, the company’s leadership in alternative energy, combined with ongoing product intensity and supply-side focus, positions it to continue outgrowing the market and to deepen its role in India’s evolving mobility landscape.

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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPVL) has published its consolidated financial results for the Q1 FY2027.

The company’s consolidated revenue came at INR 957 billion, representing a 9.3 percent YoY increase, consolidated profit before tax, before exceptional items, stood at INR 16.06 billion, while profit after tax was INR 9 billion, a significant drop of 80 percent YoY.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) margin came at 7.4 percent, down 130 basis points YoY. Free cash flow for the quarter was negative INR 118 billion on the back of working capital requirements, resulting in a net debt position of INR 422 billion.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reported revenues of GBP 6 billion, a decline of 9.6 percent YoY, with wholesale volumes falling 9.2 percent. JLR's performance was affected by component supply constraints following a supplier fire, Middle East market disruptions and the planned phase-out of outgoing Jaguar models.

Profit before tax, before exceptional items, for JLR decreased by 68.9 percent to GBP 109 million, while profit after tax stood at GBP 66 million. Adjusted EBIT margin fell to 2.8 percent from 4 percent in the prior year, influenced by higher variable marketing expenses, which rose from 4.1 percent to 7.1 percent. Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender models comprised 80.8 percent of JLR's volume mix. Total liquidity for JLR stood at GBP 5.9 billion at the end of the quarter.

In the domestic market, Tata Passenger Vehicles business generated revenue of INR 179.3 billion, representing a 64.8 percent YoY increase. Volume growth for the domestic division reached 46 percent, while electric vehicle volumes grew 112 percent YoY to over 34,000 units. EBITDA margin for the domestic unit stood at 4.3 percent, an increase of 30 basis points, while EBIT margin reached negative 0.5 percent, an improvement of 230 basis points. The domestic operation achieved breakeven profit before tax, supported by a 14.3 percent overall market share and a 39 percent share in the electric vehicle segment.

Dhiman Gupta, Chief Financial Officer, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said, “Q1 FY27 was a quarter where we focused on carrying forward the growth momentum in the domestic business and preparing for an important transition year at JLR. Some of the challenges of FY26 i.e. supply constraints and elevated commodities / FX continued to impact performance in Q1 FY27. We delivered a resilient quarter and are confident to drive growth through new launches, debottleneck supply constraints, and take focused actions to deliver margin improvements.”

PB Balaji, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said, "JLR delivered first quarter profits of £109m and an adjusted EBIT margin of 2.8%. Despite the near-term industry challenges, we continue to see strong demand for our brands and look forward to the launch of four sensational new products in the coming months: Range Rover Electric, Range Rover Sport Electric, Range Rover GT and Jaguar Type 01. I would like to thank all our people, suppliers and retail partners for their continued dedication, resilience and support.”

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director & CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, added, “Q1 FY27 marked a strong start to the year for Tata Motors PV, with industry-beating 46 percent YoY volume growth driven by robust customer demand and the success of our recent launches. Our leadership in electric mobility strengthened further, with record quarterly EV volumes of over 34,000 units and 112 percent YoY growth. The new avatars of Tiago and Punch have received a strong response, with robust bookings across powertrains, reinforcing the strength of our multi-powertrain strategy. We are encouraged by the growing adoption of EVs across segments and the rapid mainstreaming of electric mobility in India. While supply constraints affected Sierra volumes during the quarter, customer interest remains strong and the Sierra.ev has seen a positive response. In Q1 FY27 we delivered a resilient financial performance while being impacted on account of elevated levels of commodity and forex. Supported by a strong order book, exciting product pipeline, sustained demand, and focused margin improvement initiatives, we remain confident of maintaining growth momentum and delivering sequential improvement through the rest of the year.”

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JSW MG Motor India has released a teaser for its upcoming 7-seater electric SUV, which will serve as the first vehicle built on the company’s ADAPT platform.

The e-SUV draws design inspiration from a World War II fighter aircraft.

JSW MG Motor India has opened pre-reservations for the vehicle via its website for an amount of INR 21,000. The vehicle is scheduled to make its debut in India on 26 August 2026.

The teaser image shows design elements of the front and profile while keeping the full vehicle form concealed. The addition of the seven-seater model expands JSW MG Motor India's existing portfolio of new energy vehicles in the market. Further technical specifications and product details will be disclosed closer to the unveiling.

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