[krsna777]

I don't know why people have hopes for Skoda or VW. It is inevitable that these two have to eventually pack up and leave India.

Both Kushaq and Taigun are overpriced period. How are people buying them, I can't comprehend .

Kia and Creta are offering much more in this price range. And the hassles with after sales service, the less we talk, the better.

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by krsna777

I don't know why people have hopes for Skoda or VW. It is inevitable that these two have to eventually pack up and leave India.

Why do you think so?

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by lordrayden

Was Renuka cheekily trying to give Autocar viewers a glimpse of the interiors by doing that door-close test TWICE with that "serendipitous" camera angle?

I felt that too, more like an intentional showing of Thud to get a glance of the interiors .

Originally Posted by krsna777

I don't know why people have hopes for skoda or VW. It is inevitable that these two have to eventually pack up and leave India.

We don't learn!! - life is too short to drive boring cars.
So we are okay if the company pack up and leave, if the car gets stranded. For us none of the cars you mentioned even come closer in the respective segments - atleast for the priorities that we have. A drive in VAG will make us forget everything.

After owning Skoda for 6 years, cannot think about going back to any other brand than Europeans

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by theabstractmind

What the higher torque results is in easier overtakes and pulling power especially in higher gears and loaded conditions (Read Rapid 1.0 TSi) vs. a smoother build up of power on City but the need to shift gears or wring the engine in higher gears or loaded conditions due to lower Torque.

So 1L Turbo will be better in drive-ability in all conditions over 1.5L NA?
As Turbo starts after a certain minimum RPM is achieved then wouldn't 1.5L NA engine be better at pickup from standstill(even though for a very short duration) than 1L Turbo?

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by rbharadwaj16

The dimensions seem quite interesting. Kushaq's width is 1760mm vs Slavia's 1752mm. Would that result in rear seating space further reducing for Slavia?

Typically, you may get better seating space in the sedan since their rear bench width is greater than shoulder width by a slightly wider margin than a SUV which tends to be boxier in shape.

[McLaren Rulez]

I really like the noises they're making about safety. If this car gets that right and loses the el-cheapo cost cutting elements that plague the Kushaq, it might be the perfect upgrade for a host of existing VAG customers.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by Aditya

On the safety front, the Slavia will be equipped with 6 airbags and numerous assistance systems. Skoda claims that the car's safety systems have not only been tested for generic crash tests like homologation and the GNCAP @ 64 km/h front deformable barrier, but are also designed and tested to work in crash scenarios based on internal VW standards. The side and curtain airbags have been designed to meet a crash scenario of side pole crash, which is higher than GNCAP standards. The curtain airbags offer head protection to the front as well as rear passengers. The Slavia has been designed to meet European pedestrian safety norms. Currently, the Indian regulatory requirements only mandate protection for lower leg & head impact; the Slavia will reduce upper leg injuries too.

I've been slightly skeptical of the safety of the newer Volkswagen Group products, as I will continue to be until an independent test, but that's very reassuring to know. It sure looks like they're aiming high on the Global NCAP tests under new protocol. Not to mention, this product competes with Honda's City (which is equipped with curtain airbags as equipment on all but one trim level and hence is very likely to meet the 30% minimum fitment rate required for 5 stars in next year's Global NCAP tests if at all possible with its scores in other tests). I just hope they'll develop the variant lineup to meet curtain airbag fitment rates and don't do what they did with the Kushaq or they'll have to settle for four stars (Adult Occupant Protection) no matter how well they score elsewhere.

About the pedestrian protection, I have a very limited idea about the regulatory test but based on what I could find, AIS-100 does seem to have an upper legform impactor test. I'm not sure why Škoda seems to be implying it doesn't. But if they say it meets European safety norms (UNECE GTR No. 9) then that's a good thing because Global NCAP has made it a 3+ star requirement from next year, not to mention it should help cover for the differences in the two regulations. The fact that they're talking about a pole test hints that they might be taking NCAP tests seriously.

Global New Car Assessment Program - Assessment Protocol 2022 - 2025 - Adult Occupant Protection v2.0

I hope Škoda sponsors an NCAP test this time around and doesn't leave consumers waiting, or having to rely on press releases. Also, is Electronic Stability Control standard-fit to the Slavia? During the Kushaq's camouflaged drive, this was revealed. I hope they don't try to make excuses about lower cars not needing ESC. I also wonder whether three-point safety belts for all passengers will be standard equipment. Then again, the primary competition (the Honda City) has both of these as standard so I wouldn't be surprised if the Slavia and the VW Virtus (if that is what it will be called) have them, keeping in mind that the Kushaq and the VW Taigun get them too.

That aside, this is one rare review where the 1.5L turbo engine is praised for its fun-to-drive nature more than the 1L one. In most cases I read that the 1.5L is more refined, feels like a more expensive car and is more linear but it's usually the 1-litre three-cylinder motor that's more fun to drive. Nevertheless, I think the 1.5L TSI engine would be a better fit in a larger C-segment sedan where comfort, refinement and low-rpm cruising ability are key. Hopefully the interiors live up to that too. The Škoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun's interiors seem a bit too funky for my liking, and I'd like to see something more mature in a sedan. For example, in my opinion, a silver insert on the dashboard like the one in the Škoda Kushaq's middle trim level (Ambition) would lend the air of sophistication a sedan needs. If the spy shots of the Slavia are any indication, that might actually be the case. I really wish manufacturers would do away with this new review format.

[PrideRed]

In todays age what benefit do manufacturers get with camouflage? Many models are easily rendered which turns out to be 90% accurate. This keeps some folks on toes but then looks are anyway subjective. May be if they showcase undisguised, there is some scope for minor corrections before launch based on feedback.

Back to Slavia, this car will pull strings will attract enthusiasts. Given Slavia is bigger, will it be priced at a premium to Kushaq?

[Meph1st0]

Thanks Aditya for the drive review.

VW Virtus is priced less than the corresponding T-Cross variant in Brazil. Hopefully, Skoda and VW follow the same strategy in India and do not get greedy again.

VW in Brazil provides a six-speed automatic transmission with 1.5TSI version, though not sure if it is a Torque Converter or a 6-speed DSG (a reliable unit over the notorious DQ200 ).

[theabstractmind]

Originally Posted by neeraj0272

So 1L Turbo will be better in drive-ability in all conditions over 1.5L NA?
As Turbo starts after a certain minimum RPM is achieved then wouldn't 1.5L NA engine be better at pickup from standstill(even though for a very short duration) than 1L Turbo?

In most conditions. Only time when you're likely to struggle with a Turbo is when you want to Potter around in third gear or second gear, but the turbo lag forces you to shift a gear lower than normal as the Turbo Lag is usually made up for with a shorter gearing in the first two gears. From stand-still, the first two gears typically will feel faster on 1.5 NA, but once you move to third gear, the turbo usually kicks in and you take off!

All observations based on driving SX4 1.6NA, Ford Ecosport 1.5 NA vs. Ritz/Punto 1.3 MJD, Polo 1.2 TSi - these have comparable specs to 1.0 TSI. I'm not bringing to comparison my current 1.5 TDi DSG .

To oversimplify, if you want to often drive in heavy traffic 2nd or 3rd gear and don't want to shift, a 1.5NA is better. Anything beyond, the 1.0 Turbo (highways, faster driving conditions) will perform better. If you add the DSG to the equation, the lag is also overcome. Hope this helps.

[Maverick_4662]

I see drum brakes at the rear! Will this car be riddled with compromises as well? I am aware that cars in the segment like the city have drums at the back too , but considering Skoda is planning to position this at a slightly higher vertical, won't discs all around been nice?

[achyutaghosh]

The Slavia looks real good. Reminds me of the Jetta. Much will depend though on pricing, and quality. Skoda's USP is quality. Hope they do not skimp on that like they did with the Kushaq.

On the pricing front, if this car is aimed at the City, would expect it to retail from 11.5-17.5 lakh ex-showroom? Or would Skoda "premium" price it which would in turn affect its sales big time because we love SUVs now, right?

If the Rapid is not going to be around, i would really like to see Skoda go all guns blazing on this one and launch it at 9.99 lakhs, with top end below 15 lakhs

But then they cannot go under the Kushaq with this one, right?

[headbanger]

Without getting into the numbers, how wide is the car from inside? Can it seat three adults in rear?

[lordrayden]

Originally Posted by theabstractmind

The general consensus is There is no Replacement for Displacement.

This is a never ending argument, and can go on for years. There are probably no right or wrong answers to it. But W. O. Bentley coined that phrase almost a hundred years ago in 1926, something to think about .

[DicKy]

My wish.

1. Hope the rear doesn't sit down with full load. Just like the Octavias/Lauras , ground clearance shouldn't be a bother in real life even if on paper numbers are not impressive.

2. It has a notchback and a huge boot.

In short, it should be a smaller Octavia rather than a bigger Rapid. IMHO, naming the absolute top variant as the L&K can go a long way in increasing the image. , though it should be loaded to be worthy of the L&K badge.