Skoda Slavia

A Spiritual Successor To The Original Octavia?

In the Indian market, the Skoda Slavia technically replaces the Skoda Rapid, the compact sedan that was like a little sibling to the Octavia. But in reality, the Slavia is actually quite different from the Rapid. It has grown up half a size, and this increment has made it comparable to the first gen Skoda Octavia; the car that ignited the hearts of many, and was one of the definitive midsize sedans in our market. 

The Slavia is larger than the OG Octavia in every conceivable dimension, and has the bits that made the Octavia special too, like tough build quality which made it feel like it could outlast you. It looks mature and elegant from all angles — like a grown up Skoda — and also has a host of features on offer, along with two desirable powertrains. Is the Slavia the de facto pick of the segment? 

Skoda Slavia Pros and Cons 

Skoda Slavia Exterior Design:

The Skoda Slavia and the Volkswagen Virtus are platform siblings, and are powered by the same engine options. But the similarities between the two are only under the skin, and they look a world apart from each other. Where the Virtus is a sporty, youthful, and bright sibling, the Slavia is elegant, sharp, and mature. It looks like a design for executives and families, something to take on the Honda City.

The Skoda Slavia gets just about enough chrome to please the eyes of Indian buyers, while not making it appear overdone. The large butterfly grille gets a thick outline of chrome, and the fog lamp housings also have a chrome element in it. Then there’s a chrome strip running across the window line, and a strip in the rear bumper. The headlamps have a crystalline design which looks gorgeous, and the sharp elements and creases continue throughout the car. The rear-end looks clean with the sleek wraparound tail lights, and there’s no unnecessary cladding on the bumper either. Unlike the Octavia, this doesn’t get a hatch opening for the boot. But at 521-litres, the boot is spacious enough for four people’s luggage.

Skoda Slavia Interiors 

Skoda’s sharp and elegant design theme continues inside the car. Opposed to its sibling — the Virtus — which has a young and European interior design, the Kushaq gets a clean and luxurious appearance. There are plenty of intricate design elements with good attention to detail. Knurled finish rotator dials on the steering wheel, chrome accents around the cabin, copper coloured strip that runs across the dash, all give you a feeling of being in a special car. However, while the design is beautiful, there are a lot of hard plastics throughout the cabin, and some other bits that don’t feel very solidly built. There are almost no soft-touch elements on the dash either, and it feels as though Skoda has elected to cut some costs on the finish, and mask that with a good design.

The cabin scores great on design as well as practicality. There are many storage spaces all around the cabin. The rear seats also get AC vents, two Type-C charging ports, dedicated slots to keep your smartphones in the back rest of the front seats, and a foldable armrest with built-in cup holders. Door pockets are also large enough to accommodate water bottles and a few other objects. Helping the sense of space are the dual tone beige and black interiors and a sunroof.

Skoda Slavia Comfort 

Skoda has tuned the suspension of the Slavia to offer a mix of driving dynamics as well as comfort. Along with the Virtus, the Slavia has the highest ground clearance in the segment, and it's not just for stats. The Slavia deals with rough roads pretty well, and doesn’t lose its composure. It perhaps doesn’t round off sharp thuds and potholes as well as the Honda City or the Verna, but for the additional stability it offers, it's a more than fair trade off. 

The Slavia’s seats are also well-bolstered with good cushioning. Not class leading, but great nonetheless. The front seats also get ventilation, which in the Indian climate is almost a necessity rather than a creature comfort. Rear seats get their own set of AC vents too. The seats are contoured for two, but three people can find enough space in the back if needed. The seats offer enough legroom, knee room, and even good under thigh support, and as mentioned before there’s also a foldable armrest with cupholders.

Skoda Slavia Performance and handling

The Skoda Slavia is offered with two turbo petrol engine options — a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder, and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder. The 1.0 TSI is designed to be a city friendly engine. It returns decent fuel economy if driven with a light foot, and with 114 bhp and 178 Nm on tap, there’s enough grunt for your occasional highway sprints too. The engine can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic, both of which are good options. But the 1.5 TSI surely would be our pick of the two engines. It is significantly faster, and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you slam the accelerator. It may not be as powerful as the Hyundai Verna’s 1.5-litre engine, but the better handling of the Slavia makes it the preferred choice over the Verna for an enthusiast. The engine also gets cylinder deactivation tech, so the engine can switch off two of the four cylinders when not needed, increasing fuel economy. The 7-speed DSG available with the 1.5 TSI delivers lightning fast shifts, and is amongst the quickest gearboxes in the segment. The 1.5 TSI is also offered with a 6-speed manual, and that gearbox is a driver's delight. The clutch action is a little on the harder side, but the gear throws are short, which makes it super fun to operate.

Given that this is a sedan and not an SUV, the low centre of gravity helps the way the Slavia drives. It is poised, turns on command, and there’s ample feedback from the steering wheel. But the best part is that it doesn’t feel floaty, even at triple digit speeds; it’s a planted and surefooted car. You will definitely have a great time on a long drive, be it a highway cruise or a set of twisties, especially if you get the 1.5-litre TSI.

Skoda Slavia Key specifications 

Skoda Slavia Safety Features:

The Skoda Slavia scored a 5-star Global NCAP rating for adult as well as child crash protection, making it one of the safest cars in India. ABS, EBD, brake assist, ESC, and traction control are among the list of safety features on offer to prevent a crash from happening altogether. However, there are no ADAS features on offer. Other safety features include six airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, hill hold, TPMS, and brake disc wiping. However, only the only the front gets disc brakes, with drum brakes doing duty in the rear.

Skoda Slavia Technology and Infotainment

The Slavia was launched with a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit which had wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But due to a semiconductor shortage and supply chain issues, the 10-inch unit has been replaced with an 8-inch unit, which only has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment unit is paired to an 8-speaker + subwoofer music system which sounds excellent and immersive. It also gets an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, however, it could’ve offered more information. Other features include a touch sensitive climate control unit, a wireless phone charger, ventilated seats, a sunroof, and more. 

Is the Skoda Slavia for you?

In the compact sedan market the Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Virtus, Hyundai Verna, and Honda City all make compelling cases for themselves. They all have some USPs and some misses, but as a whole every car is great. In the case of Slavia, the misses would be the quality of materials used in the interior, and a few missing features like powered seats and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. But those aside, the Slavia is a very impressive package. It's elegant, spacious, comfortable, powerful, and has high ground clearance, checking almost every box on most people’s checklists. But then, so does the Virtus. And between those two, it would come down to which design you like better.