Skoda Slavia

Skoda specializes in sedans and with the introduction of the new Skoda Slavia puts them in a great position to take over the sedan market in India. Since the first release of the Octavia, Skoda has established itself as a premium brand for 2 decades ago. SUV and hatchback follow a trend but the 4-seater sedan has always been the front runner of Skoda and has stayed the most consistent car segment and the Slavia aims to bear the Skoda’s flag forward.

How’s the design?

The Slavia looks gorgeous from the front where it is recognizably a Skoda with its trademark grille. The winged headlights, dramatically cut bumper, and two main indentations coming down the hood to give a sort of power dome effect look quite expressive and might be a considerable advantage over its soon-to-arrive cousin, the Volkswagen Virtus, which has a comparatively simple styled front bumper and hood. Although the Slavia has the largest boot in its class thanks to a huge rear overhang, one can still tell from the sides that it is well proportioned and balanced. The exterior of the Slavia is quite clean, but some distinguishing features, such as the chrome strip that crosses the window line and curls towards the back and quarter windows, stick out and make for a beautiful-looking vehicle.

How does it perform?

The Slavia can hold 521 litres of luggage as well as grows to 1,050 litres when the seats are folded down. It also has strong power under the hood, although the elevated ride height provides a very helpful 179 mm of ground clearance, it somewhat detracts from the appearance. Although the Slavia is significantly heavier than typical sedans, the performance is more than adequate, and the 1.0-litre version hardly seems underpowered. It is available with a variety of 1.5- or 1.0-liter TSI engines, but for this review, we have only looked at the 1.0 TSI engine. This modest 110hp three-cylinder engine outperforms its size and, most importantly, doesn't feel sluggish. Additionally, available with a 6-speed manual torque converter makes city commutes comfortable.

How’s the mileage?

Diesel versions are not available for this model but are greatly powered by the 1498 cc petrol engine and come in both transmission types of manual and automatic, in a total of 8 Variants.

How’s the driving experience?

When you apply more stress, the 1.0-litre motor responds well to keep up with the flow of fast-moving traffic n Slavia, although turbo lag causes a little bit of sluggishness. This can be inconvenient when you need to pass someone rapidly and often shift gears to keep the engine running. This engine comes fully alive above 1,800 rpm and is at its most powerful at 6,600 rpm. The Slavia is an easy manual sedan to live with, and for the aficionado is more enjoyable than other sedans in the range. At maximum revs, the motor becomes louder but not in an unpleasant way. For a Sedan motor with a three-cylinder, it is also surprisingly smooth. The short throw, matte finish shifting gearbox combined with a light and progressive gearbox make the Slavia an easy manual sedan to live with.

How is its off-road capability?

As a luxury sedan with a ground clearance of 180 mm the Skoda Slavia is not built to go off-road but minor bumps and potholes are not a problem for the car. With only front-wheel drive without 4X4 capability and the Beam axil in the rear suspension is made for city driving and is not recommended for off-road use.

What’s the interior like?

The dual-tone beige and black finish of the car interior are very classic Skoda. But The thick, multi-layered dashboard appears fairly cluttered, and the bronze strip that runs along and into the round air vents at the ends is a little excessive, but that's the kind of flair that modern consumers desire. The tactile switches have been changed to touch screens making the look a bit more modern than previous versions.

Tech and infotainment

It's strange that there isn't a pre-cooling feature for the cabin or a remote lock/unlock feature. The Dash touchpad has a lot to offer and is simple to use thanks to its clear graphics, rapid reaction, and sensible navigation. From the Kushaq, built-in applications including Sygic maps, audiobooks, Gaana, and booking.com have been transferred over. Inductive charging is commonplace, as is Apple Car Play and Android Auto, but it is frustrating since the charging pad's angle obscures the phone's screen. The top-of-the-line Style model also comes with automated climate control, a sunroof, heated seats, as well as backseat AC outlets.

Safety Equipment

Skoda and most of the vehicles from the German automaker are extremely responsible for making sure the highest safety for the riders, earning a high 4.2 safety rating out of a possible 5. Skoda cars ensure that driving is safe with equipment like airbags, Automatic Emergency Braking, slope ascent, cruise control, and much more.

Which variant to buy?

With a base price of 10.99 Lac, the Slavia 1.0 TSI Active is the car for you if you are looking for an economical option but the most popular variant in the Indian market is the Slavia 1.0 TSI Style AT. Which comes at a slightly higher price at 15 lakhs, the automatic transmission in this variant is the makes for a comfortable ride in all terrains in the city

Which cars compete in this segment?

Major competitors of the Slavia in the Indian market are Hyundai Verna, Skoda Kushaq, Honda City and the car it gets compared to the most due to its similarity of performance and price the Volkswagen Virtus.

Verdict (Value for money)

The Slavia pricing is definitely a good deal considering how nice it looks, drives, is built like a rock, and with all the extras. It's a successful product because of its excellent German craftsmanship. If you're looking for a superb sedan under 15 lakhs, there isn't a car that perfectly balances all the factors - power, efficiency, aesthetics, durable construction, amenities, paintwork quality, drivability, and comfort - and is highly recommended.