Of the many rivals in the compact SUV space, the Skoda Kylaq and Toyota Taisor are among the select few that have sportier aspirations, with a punchy 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and manual and torque convertor automatic gearbox options. Depending on how they are driven and whether they use E20 fuel from public-sector oil marketing companies or private fuel suppliers, these turbo-petrol engines can be thirsty. We put them through our real-world mileage tests to find out which is the more efficient turbo-petrol compact SUV.
Skoda Kylaq MT vs Toyota Taisor Turbo MT specifications and price
Taisor Turbo MT’s ARAI efficiency is 1.5kpl higher than the Kylaq MT’s
| Specifications & price | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kylaq MT | Taisor Turbo MT | Kylaq AT | Taisor Turbo AT | |
| Engine | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol |
| Displacement (cc) | 999 | 998 | 999 | 998 |
| Power (hp) | 115 | 100 | 115 | 100 |
| Torque (Nm) | 178 | 148 | 178 | 148 |
| Gearbox | 6-speed MT | 5-speed MT | 6-speed AT | 6-speed AT |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 1219 | 1030 | 1255 | 1060 |
| Power-to-weight (hp/tonne) | 94.34 | 97.09 | 91.63 | 94.34 |
| Torque-to-weight (Nm/tonne) | 146.02 | 143.69 | 141.83 | 139.62 |
| ARAI mileage (kpl) | 19.68 | 21.18 | 19.05 | 19.86 |
| Fuel tank (litres) | 45 | 37 | 45 | 37 |
| Price range (Rs, lakh) | 7.55-11.84 | 9.79-10.78 | 10.00-12.80 | 11.07-12.06 |
As mentioned above, both compact SUVs come with a 3-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine displacing 1.0 litres. The Kylaq’s engine is more powerful than the Taisor’s by 15hp and 30Nm, and it is paired to a 6-speed manual compared to the Toyota’s 5-speed unit. However, the Taisor is 189kg lighter, giving it an edge in terms of power-to-weight ratio, and its ARAI mileage is 1.5kpl higher. The Kylaq’s fuel tank can hold 8 litres more, and its price range is wider.
Skoda Kylaq MT vs Toyota Taisor Turbo MT real world mileage tests
Taisor Turbo MT delivers 0.93kpl more than its rival, but Kylaq’s single tank range is 68km more
| Real world mileage test results - Manual gearbox | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kylaq MT | Taisor Turbo MT | |
| Tested city mileage (kpl) | 10.60 | 10.90 |
| Tested highway mileage (kpl) | 15.15 | 16.70 |
| Tested average mileage (kpl) | 12.87 | 13.80 |
| ARAI range (km) | 886 | 784 |
| Tested range (km) | 579 | 511 |
As per our real-world Skoda Kylaq mileage test, on a litre of petrol, the car managed to go 10.6km in the city and 15.15km on the highway, averaging 12.87kpl in the real world. That is 6.18kpl short of its ARAI mileage figure of 19.05kpl.
The Taisor Turbo was the more frugal of the two. It delivered an average of 13.8kpl – 10.9kpl in the city and 16.7kpl on the highway, which is 0.93kpl higher than the Kylaq. However, the latter’s larger fuel tank means it can go 68km further in the real world on a single tank of petrol.
Skoda Kylaq AT vs Toyota Taisor Turbo AT specifications and price
Taisor Turbo AT’s ARAI efficiency is just 0.81kpl higher than the Kylaq AT’s
On paper, the Taisor Turbo automatic also edges ahead of the Kylaq automatic, posting a higher power-to-weight ratio and an ARAI efficiency figure that is 0.81kpl higher. It should be noted that both compact SUVs use an Aisin-sourced 6-speed torque convertor automatic transmission.
Skoda Kylaq AT vs Toyota Taisor Turbo AT real world mileage tests
Taisor Turbo AT delivers 1.73kpl more than its rival, but Kylaq’s single tank range is 24km more
| Real world mileage test results - Automatic gearbox | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kylaq AT | Taisor Turbo AT | |
| Tested city mileage (kpl) | 8.70 | 10.17 |
| Tested highway mileage (kpl) | 13.36 | 15.35 |
| Tested average mileage (kpl) | 11.03 | 12.76 |
| ARAI range (km) | 857 | 734 |
| Tested range (km) | 496 | 472 |
Even in automatic form, the Taisor Turbo is more frugal than the Kylaq. On a single litre of petrol, the Toyota compact SUV went 1.47km further in the city than the Skoda, and a significant 1.99km further on the highway. While the Taisor Turbo AT posted an average real world mileage 1.73kpl higher than the Kylaq AT, the Skoda can go 24km further on a single tank of fuel thanks to the 8-litre larger tank capacity.
Autocar India’s fuel efficiency testing
Before our real-world fuel efficiency tests, we fill our test cars’ tanks to the brim and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. These cars are driven in fixed city and highway loops in and around Navi Mumbai, and we maintain certain average speeds. Throughout the tests, there is only one person in each car, running the aircon and other electricals, such as the audio system, indicators and wipers, when required, just like a regular user would. Periodic driver swaps further neutralise variations in driver patterns. At the end of each cycle, we calculate efficiency by filling the tanks to full again.
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