The new Skoda Slavia facelift has been launched in India as we compare it with the outgoing model. Note that the current Slavia is a car for those enthusiasts who want performance and driving dynamics. In fact, the Slavia was never a car brimming with features like the Hyundai Verna, which is in the same category. Skoda is known for bringing performance cars to India, like the Skoda Octavia and the Superb, although those cars are priced much more steeply. In a way, the Skoda Slavia gives you more bang for your buck. A few months back, Skoda also updated the Kushaq with a lot of new features and tech and most of them are carried forward in the new Slavia. Let us delve deep into the details of all that is new.
The Skoda Slavia is already a sporty-looking sedan with a bold hexagonal front grille and L-shaped daytime running LEDs. It possesses sharp lines on the exterior, boasting Skoda’s crystalline design language. On the new Slavia, you get new LED headlights and new LED fog lights, which give the car a sleeker and sportier stance, and you also get new 16-inch alloy wheels, which surely complement the car. At the rear, you have new LED tail lamps with sequential indicators, a feature carried from the luxury cars. One feature we were expecting was connected DRLs on the headlights and the taillights as seen on Kushaq, but they’re missing on the car, though you have connected chrome details on the front grille, which gives the impression of DRLs.
In terms of interior design, the Skoda Slavia features a premium, dual-tone beige and black interior cabin layout that creates a modern, airy feel. The cabin design combines European clean lines with practical features specifically designed for everyday comfort. The basic layout is carried forward in the new Slavia with the addition of new features. The new Slavia not only comes with cooling ventilated seats, but it also features rear massage seats, as seen in the Kushaq. It gets driver and co-driver electrically adjustable seats. It also features a new 10.25-inch virtual cockpit display and a 10.1-inch infotainment system. The Slavia also gets a 360-degree camera, but the ADAS is still missing. Other prominent bits include an electric sunroof, 6 airbags, auto-dimming IRVM, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Cloud’s Automotive AI Agent, Voice Assistant, over 40 safety features and a 5-star Global NCAP safety rating for Adult and Child Occupants.
Just like before, the new Skoda Slavia continues to draw power from a 1.0-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. The former comes with a 6-speed manual or a brand-new 8-speed automatic transmission, while the larger mill can only be mated to a sole 7-speed DSG gearbox. Also, the latter now gets all four disc brakes. The power and torque figures remain the same as the outgoing model at 115 PS / 178 Nm and 150 PS / 250 Nm, respectively.
If you are in the market to buy a European sedan without breaking the bank, Slavia is a decent consideration, especially after all the updates. You get great dynamics and adequate performance with ample modern features. But it still misses modern features like ADAS and a panoramic sunroof. Now it’s a little ahead of its cousin rival, the VW Virtus, and it will be interesting to see what we get in the updated variant of Virtus. The sedan market has already taken a hit after the introduction of modern compact and mid-size SUVs, but still nothing can match the dynamics and looks of sedans. These modern sedans are slowly gaining attention again in the Indian market. Skoda Slavia is definitely a strong contender in the C-segment sedan category, especially after the updates. Skoda has come a long way from the Rapid to the new Slavia.
The new Skoda Slavia facelift addresses several of the areas where the sedan was beginning to feel dated, particularly in terms of features and cabin technology. The addition of ventilated and massage seats, larger displays, a 360-degree camera and updated lighting gives it a more premium appeal, while the core driving-focused character remains intact. However, the absence of ADAS and a panoramic sunroof could still disappoint buyers looking for the latest features. Overall, the updates make the Slavia a stronger proposition in the mid-size sedan segment without taking away the qualities that made it popular among driving enthusiasts. – Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor
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