[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by Stickshiftgang

The main problem with VW and Skoda cars is that driving them does not engage you much. The steering lacks feedback, is over-assisted, and doesn't communicate with you much. On the other hand, the people who drove a Ford/ Fiat (esp Abarth and 1.6S) know how good those cars were when compared to VW cars. The difference is that you'll see the grip building up when cornering and can predict what the car can handle and know what the front end and rear end is doing, that's truly absent in VW cars.

Correct me if I'm wrong

Even Ford changed for that matter, after global Fiesta timelines there is not a single Ford which drove that well. New gen Figo’s were not at all comparable. Fiat too was more engaging as the steering were HPS than EPS. And since long VAG cars have EPS.
So I would say the feeling is not missing in just VAG cars but any cars (not comparing BMWs) in the market, even before Ford exiting. And fact is we are not going to get it back.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Slavia is basically a slightly-cheaper 3rd gen Octavia replacement, rather than a Rapid replacement.

If this hypothesis is indeed true, Skoda has simply got it wrong in two aspects.

1. Engine spread of 1.0 and 1.5 in the same car. They should have gone with two cars - One for 1.0 for Rapid replacement (Less than 15 Lakhs) and other car with full blown variant spread (Onyx or Sports) to replace the old Octavia price bracket (15 to 20 Lakhs) with differentiating features apart from just engine.

2. Phasing out of Rapid at the launch of Slavia will always draw the minds of buyers as Rapid replacement and not as 3rd Gen Octavia replacement. Belatedly Skoda PR is trying this by separating the launch of 1.5 and draw parallels to 1st Gen Octavia in Social Media posts. Nice try but too late! Perception battle is already lost.

[m8002?]

Originally Posted by ronford

Wonder how they're going to sell this at 21 big ones. Some years ago, you could buy the Octavia in this price.

Why do you think they kept harping this is bigger than first generation Octavia?
I always expected the pricing of 20L OTR for thr top end. Only question was how good the quality is and does it justify the price.

[dsr001]

Sedan market is shrinking. Buyers still in the market are not the typical Csuv lovers, and a larger proportion of the ones remaining would appreciate the engine/performance, compared to say 2 years back.

Also, Skoda needs to make money. So Skoda is saying "Want it? Pay for it!".

For the 1.5 TSI, there is no competition, rather, higher segment owners of 1.5 may feel cheated.

[Stickshiftgang]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Even Ford changed for that matter, after global Fiesta timelines there is not a single Ford which drove that well. New gen Figo’s were not at all comparable. Fiat too was more engaging as the steering were HPS than EPS. And since long VAG cars have EPS.
So I would say the feeling is not missing in just VAG cars but any cars (not comparing BMWs) in the market, even before Ford exiting. And fact is we are not going to get it back.

Now we have one car if we are looking for steering feel & feedback- that's the i20 nline. I think it is the last fun-to-drive car in this price.

[vigneshkumar31]

The market needs killer sedans.
Sedans are endangered species and the market needs drool worthy VFM sedans to pull heart strings tight and wallet strings loose.

Skoda, the ‘affordable luxury’ brand should really pull its sock up and shock price the Slavia , which itself as a product has a sort of an identity crisis between the Rapid and the Octavia.

They need to do a Kodiaq kind of shock pricing and get those bookings ticking for the Slavia.

I love Skoda cars and still believe the make the most beautiful mass market cars in the country but they need to get those counters ticking.

India 2.0? Hope they pull numbers beyond jargons.

[GOTTI]

Originally Posted by Stickshiftgang

Now we have one car if we are looking for steering feel & feedback- that's the i20 nline. I think it is the last fun-to-drive car in this price.

I beg to disagree, sir. That artifical IMT and a paddle shifter that has a mind of it's own and disobeys if the revs are exceeded are truly just fakery's that ruins the experience, while making the owner feel like "Oh! yeah I'm in a happy to drive car". Well, not really. It's a pathetic rendition of a fun to drive car, TBH. Hyundai India can NEVER build a fun to drive car, period. And after the recent Kashmir debacle; I'm even farther from that lackluster brand, for good.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

If this hypothesis is indeed true, Skoda has simply got it wrong in two aspects.

1. Engine spread of 1.0 and 1.5 in the same car. They should have gone with two cars - One for 1.0 for Rapid replacement (Less than 15 Lakhs) and other car with full blown variant spread (Onyx or Sports) to replace the old Octavia price bracket (15 to 20 Lakhs) with differentiating features apart from just engine.

2. Phasing out of Rapid at the launch of Slavia will always draw the minds of buyers as Rapid replacement and not as 3rd Gen Octavia replacement. Belatedly Skoda PR is trying this by separating the launch of 1.5 and draw parallels to 1st Gen Octavia in Social Media posts. Nice try but too late! Perception battle is already lost.

Yes, I agree there should've been a Rapid-replacement with the 1L TSI only to take on the City. But Zac Hollis had mentioned last year itself that the Slavia is not a Rapid-replacement.

[pqr]

Price comparison

To avoid sticker price shock, Honda has retained previous generation City model.



Performance version price comparison



Dimension comparison

Observation of BHPians, who saw the car in person will be more insightful, as on-paper exterior dimension figure could be deceptive in nature.



Volume Comparison

Despite playing value-for-money (VFM) card, Verna still can’t match City’s volume in recent past. For now, both together are just fighting sedan-segment existential crisis.



Unique selling proposition (USP)

• Hyundai Verna : long feature list, diesel engine with automatic transmission and VFM - undercuts Honda City’s price
• Honda City : Nice engine, nice overall space and comfort
• Design appeal and brand loyalty - subjective in nature
• Moreover, both offer peace of mind, unlike, squeaking confidence and rattling trust Kushaq has built for Skoda’s so called India 2.0 project.

[umairalvi]

Skoda have simply been over ambitious with their pricing lately. Except for the Kodiaq, all other models released in 2021-22 were priced at least 1.5x greater than what they should have been priced at.
It wouldn't take long for their sales to plummet if they keep these antics going.
Add to this the feature deletion (automatically folding ORVMs from Kushaq) and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by pqr

Price comparison

Performance version price comparison

Attachment 2271553

Sorry, but how are you comparing Verna 1 Turbo with 1.5 TSI in performance version? Verna 1 Turbo is equal to 1 TSI. Infact Rapid with 1 TSI is a better performer than Verna Turbo.
There is no current competition for 1.5 TSI in sedans. If Verna would have come with 1.4 Turbo it would have costed another 2 lakhs more.

[ulag62442]

Looks like there is no satisfying the enthusiast segment in the India market. This car has got very good reviews for its driving and handling. I thought this will be enough for the enthusiasts but apparently that doesn't justify any premium and will be compared to a Honda City which also incidentally didn't satisfy enthusiasts because of dated design, lack of focus by Honda in this market, lag with CVT engine, aftermarket look of the display etc etc. So really what are the options for someone looking for a new car in the 15L to 30L bracket? Seltos and Creta ruled out due to safety concerns. Kushaq had EPC and now apparently rattles. Astor and Hector have quality interiors (unlike Slavia apparently) but they have poor mileage and are not fun to drive. Compass may come close as a chosen car for this segment of buyers but again mileage for daily city runs is sub 10 (petrol) and is at the outer end of the price segment. Maybe XUV700 is the one car but it's booked for more than a year and not really compact enough for daily city drives IMO. So really, then what?

Many brands have exited the market due to lack of profitability here. Im sure VAG has people who understand and research the market. They know what trade-offs they need to make to be profitable in this market. And the market is just not car enthusiasts but a larger circle. As long as stuff like safety (Seltos, Creta) or EPC (Kushaq) is not the compromise, any car purchase decision involves a justifiable trade-off for a buyer.

The way i see it and some others pointed out regarding Slavia:
1) It is not a Rapid replacement. It is positioned above it and below Octavia. Pricing stems from that philosophy.
2) Great to drive as pointed out in several reviews done few months back in Goa.
3) They are consciously demanding a premium above the City for the driving experience and better interiors (but probably lesser long term reliability) and can be argued if it's justified or not but thats just how branding works. Variant to variant comparison, it is not a significant premium.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The tentative prices for the Skoda Slavia are out.

Little birdie just told me that the actual prices will be 40k - 70k (depending on variant) lesser than this. But Tushar's post and my this post should both be treated as rumours, so it's just that. Nothing definitive.

After the Kushaq's overpricing & lukewarm market response, I don't think Skoda will make the mistake of overpricing the Slavia.

[TheWanderer]

Originally Posted by GTO

Little birdie just told me that the actual prices will be 40k - 70k (depending on variant) lesser than this...... After the Kushaq's overpricing & lukewarm market response, I don't think Skoda will make the mistake of overpricing the Slavia.

Can't be very sure about this! Not just Skoda, most other manufacturers have been overpricing their cars recently. And based on Skoda/VW's history, whatever marketing speak they are doing, they don't seem to be aiming for large volumes, but based on pricing and their showroom responses, the target seems to be to hype the product, sell lower volumes with higher margins, present a reasonable waiting period to project that the models are "hot sellers", and blame on various factors for not being able to sell more!

[stringbh]

Originally Posted by GTO

Little birdie just told me that the actual prices will be 40k - 70k (depending on variant) lesser than this.

Thanks GTO. So, all we need to do is to make a little more noise