With SUVs becoming a formidable force to reckon with when Skoda Auto India announced plans to bring in a sedan, especially after the success of the Kushaq, we had to pause and make sense of this strategy. But it's a simple one. Sales of the Rapid saw a big hike when new variants of the car were launched at an affordable price point but we know for a fact that the replacement will not be as affordable.
There was a massive gap then that needed to be plugged... with the Octavia now leaning towards the premium side, and the baton has been handed over to the Slavia.
The Slavia is now, what the Octavia was more than two decades ago in India, and it looks the part too.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
The Slavia is now, what the Octavia was more than two decades ago in India, and it looks the part too. We've called it the baby Octy and it very much is. Each aspect right from the crystalline elements that you see on the headlamps to the butterfly grille and the face itself all make the comparison to the Octavia even more evident. But then you have the L-shaped DRLs which give the Slavia a unique look and these 16-inch wheels available across variants give it a great stance. The sloping roofline too adds to the overall look of the sedan and once you love to the rear and you'll see the C-shaped LED tail lamps and of course, there's the Skoda badging on the boot lid. And I have to say it really looks sleek and sexy dressed in this Tornado red colour. There's a lot to say on the dimensions front as well.
The Skoda Slavia is wider, taller, and has a longer wheelbase as well compared to its rivals.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
| Skoda Slavia | Honda City | Hyundai Verna | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 4541 mm | 4549 mm | 4440 mm |
| Width | 1752 mm | 1748 mm | 1729 mm |
| Height | 1507 mm | 1489 mm | 1475 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2651 mm | 2600 mm | 2600 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 179 mm | 165 mm | 165 mm |
So as you can see, on paper, the Slavia is wider, taller, and has a longer wheelbase as well compared to its rivals.
But does this translate into more room in the cabin?
It does and there's a good amount of head and shoulder room up front and ergonomically speaking, everything is close at hand, the seat is also comfortable offers good lumbar support, and is snug too. And these are of course ventilated as well which we love. Now at the centre of it all is this 10-inch touchscreen system, which provides all the information you need, in fact, and gets wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity but that's only in the top trim. The lower variants will get a 7-inch touchscreen system. There's also the digital instrument cluster that you get which is an eight-inch unit and you have options for layouts too, of course, there's also the sunroof, and connected car tech, so Skoda has covered all bases.
There's the sunroof, and connected car tech, so Skoda has covered all bases with the Slavia.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
Thanks to the long wheelbase, there's enough room at the rear too. I was very comfortable at the back thanks to the 2651 mm of wheelbase and there was good enough knee and headroom. There's a rear ac vent and 2 Ctype chargers for the convenience of the customers. Now, there's good shoulder and headroom here and the larger glass area also adds to the roominess of the cabin. What's also good here is that the middle seat gets a three-point seatbelt and that earns the Slavia a big thumbs up.
There's more than enough space in the boot.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
There's more than enough space in the boot; 521 litres of it and if you drop down the rear seats then, there are 1050 litres on offer and that's huge.
Thanks to the long wheelbase, there's enough room at the rear too.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
The 1-litre turbocharged engine pushes out 114 bhp and that's good enough power for a car this size. It's fun to drive and when you point it in the direction you want it to go, it doesn't for once hesitate, the gearbox is a torque converter unit which is 6-speed and it really is very responsive, but it gets loud post 2,300 rpm so though you feel the refinement in the way it drives, there's a lot of the engine noise that seeps into the cabin and that is a premium car like this is not good.
The gearbox is a torque converter unit that is 6-speed and it really is very responsive.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
The initial acceleration is lacking and that's something we encountered even with the Kushaq, but it does have a strong mid-range and that's good. I managed to get my hands on the manual variant too.
The manual is a 6-speed unit and it's very engaging. The clutch though light has a longer travel, and that could prove to be a little troubling in traffic conditions. However, the throws are short and that is good. In fact, the gear shifts are nice and quick and easy to do too because you can quite easily shift it with minimal effort by using one finger maybe and that's great!
The initial acceleration is lacking and that's something we encountered even with the Kushaq.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
Now Skoda's are known for their ride and handling capabilities and so there are big expectations from the Slavia too
As far as ride and handling go, the Slavia is a mix of sporty and comfort and Skoda has really found the sweet spot here, because, it has managed to get the combination right. Now, if I go through this deep pothole, the Slavia takes it in its stride and that's great because being comfortable in a car this premium is surely an expectation from consumers. The steering is well-weighted too and does not at all seem lifeless. Cross the three-digit mark and there's a sense of heaviness in it which really makes it great to drive and of course for the person behind the wheel, engaging too!
Cross the three-digit mark and there's a sense of heaviness in it which really makes it great to drive and of course for the person behind the wheel, engaging too!
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
On the safety front, the Slavia gets a whole bunch of them as standard. You get ESC, vehicle stability control, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake, traction control, and more and of course, it gets 6 airbags in the top-spec model. So yes, a lot was done in that department!
You get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as a standard feature.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
Now the only department left is the price. Skoda has launched this 1-litre variant at Rs. 10.69 lakh which sees it undercut the 5th gen Honda City, but is still more than 1 lakh rupees more expensive than the Hyundai Verna. The top-end automatic is also more expensive than the City in fact by 41 thousand rupees and that's decently priced.
The steering is well-weighted too and does not at all seem lifeless.
Photo Credit: Pawan Dagia
There's no doubt Skoda is serious about India and with a car like the Slavia. It has the looks, features but it could have been more aggressively priced for sure. Still, with everything on offer it has what it takes to cut out the competition in one big blow!
