Volkswagen-owned Czech-carmaker Skoda Auto India has announced the name of its upcoming all-new compact SUV, which will be called the Kylaq. 

The name has been selected through a unique campaign initiated in February 2024. Skoda Auto India invited users and customers to come up with their suggestions for the upcoming compact SUV, which will mark its global debut in 2025. 

Through the ‘Name Your Skoda’ campaign participants suggested names for the compact SUV that begin with the letter ‘K’ and ends with the letter ‘Q’ with one or two syllables. This was in line with Skoda’s tradition of naming their ICE SUVs. The campaign saw over 200,000 entries with over 24,000 unique names.

In the next phase, participants cast their vote for the choice among 15 shortlisted names. Basis the number of votes, from the 15 shortlisted names, 10 names were announced by Skoda Auto India. From the list, the winning name, which received the most votes and met all legal compliance criteria, was chosen for the all-new compact SUV. Kylaq is derived from the Sanskrit word for crystal, reflecting both the vehicle’s pristine qualities and inspiration from Mount Kailash.

Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said: “Our new compact SUV Kylaq is for the people of India. We wanted them to be part of every milestone of our biggest-ever launch in the country. The ‘Name Your Skoda’ campaign aimed at inculcating a sense of pride and belonging among participants and potential customers. The results are humbling with over 200,000 entries. It reinforces our legacy in India and showcases the great affinity people have towards the brand Skoda. The naming process of a car is important for us. And this upcoming all-new compact SUV represents the ultimate milestone within the fastest-growing and biggest segment in India. With the Kylaq, people, customers and fans have themselves named our newest family member, which is developed jointly by the teams in India and Europe, and will be locally manufactured.”

The winner of this naming contest will be the first owner of the Skoda Kylaq when it hits roads in 2025, lending them the unique opportunity of owning a car they named. Another 10 winners will visit Skoda Auto in Prague with a tour of the Skoda Museum and of the city. 

Kylaq

The all-new Kylaq is Skoda Auto India’s first-ever foray into the compact SUV segment. It is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform, the same as the one of the Kushaq SUV and the Slavia sedan. The MQB-A0-IN was specifically developed for India by teams in India and the Czech Republic with an eye on versatility, safety, dynamics while focussing on localisation, low maintenance costs and a hassle-free ownership experience.

The Kylaq will be the company’s first implementation of the Modern Solid design language in India. It will also have a high ground clearance and space around the wheel for tackling uneven road surfaces lending the car that SUV character. The upcoming SUV will also feature a hexagon pattern on the side and rear of the car. At present, it is undergoing rigorous testing across India and the company is preparing for production with local supplier ramp-ups. Based on a larger car platform, the compact SUV will have the ‘big car’ feel within a compact footprint.

Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its wholesales for April 2025 at 84,170 vehicles, a growth of 19 percent, including exports.

The auto major sold a total of 52,330 SUVs in the domestic market, which was 28 percent higher than 41,008 SUVs sold for the same period last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market came at 22,989 units, which was 4 percent YoY. 

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Building on the strong momentum of last year's performance, we began the year on a strong note in April by achieving SUV sales of 52,330 units, a growth of 28 percent and total vehicle sales of 84,170 units, a 19 percent growth over the same month last year. These numbers indicate the strength of our portfolio and customer offerings.”

JSW MG Motor India, a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for April 2025.

The company reported sales of 5,829 units, which was 23 percent higher over April 2024, when it sold 4,725 vehicles.

Interestingly, the automaker's popular offering, the Windsor EV, has continued to be the top-selling electric passenger vehicle for the seventh month in a row.

JSW MG Motor India's Windsor EV has now gone home to over 20,000 customers.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has reported its wholesales of 179,791 units in April 2025, marking a 7 percent increase compared to 168,089 units sold in April 2024. The growth was primarily propelled by strong performance in utility vehicles and a sharp rise in export volumes.

Domestic sales, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, remained flat with 142,053 units, as compared to 140,448 units in April 2024. Within this, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the Super Carry saw a significant jump of 34.2 percent, with sales rising to 3,349 units from 2,496 units last year.

In the passenger vehicle segment, SUVs such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara and others recorded a 4.4 percent increase, selling 59,022 units compared to 56,553 in the previous year. However, sales for Eeco declined by 5.2 percent, while the mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a sharp 45 percent drop, falling to 6,332 units from 11,519 units. The compact segment, which includes high-volume models like the Baleno and Swift, grew by 8.1 percent, reaching 61,591 units.

Sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor rose sharply by 79.2 percent, from 5,481 units to 9,827 units, indicating a growing demand for cross-badged products.

The standout performer was the export segment, which surged 26 percent to 27,911 units from 22,160 units in April 2024. This strong export growth helped bolster the company’s overall numbers despite weaknesses in domestic sub-segments.

While some product lines such as the mid-size sedan Ciaz (-63 percent) continue to struggle.

Tata Motors reported total wholesales of 72,753 units for April 2025, reflecting a 6 percent year-on-year decline from 77,521 units in April 2024.

The passenger vehicle (PV) segment, including electric vehicles, accounted for 45,532 units, down 5 percent from 47,983 units in the same month last year. Within this, domestic PV sales dropped 6 percent to 45,199 units, while international business (IB) sales rose significantly to 333 units, up from 100 units. Electric vehicle sales (domestic + IB) declined 16 percent year-on-year to 5,318 units.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales stood at 27,221 units, marking an 8 percent YoY drop from 29,538 units in April 2024. Domestic CV sales contracted 10 percent to 25,764 units, while CV exports (IB) grew 43 percent to 1,457 units. Key sub-segments like Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a steep 23 percent decline.

Despite growth in certain categories like ILMCV trucks and passenger carriers, overall sales momentum was tempered across both PV and CV segments.