[CarKid@40]

I test drove the Slavia 1.5 AT and Virtus 1.5 AT (GT) back to back for a comparison on ride and handling and here's an important point of differentiation for the enthusiasts.

While Virtus is definitely the better looking car of the two..inside & out, it is the Slavia that is much more confidence inspiring. The brakes have a much better bite on speed run and steering is much more nimble on busy streets. Ride is more or less the same for the two.

I was honestly hoping for Virtus to win to make it a no-brainer choice but its the baby Octy. No bias here but having driven the new Octavia few months back - I can tell you Slavia inherits the good qualities of Octavia and that too few bucks lesser than Virtus.

For those living in NCR, VW NOIDA(where I test drove Virtus) have put a poster at entrance that says - They are sold out on Virtus for 2022 and the sales guy would say - "Sir, I can try and get you Virtus provided you give full payment before hand. " While at Brite Skoda, NOIDA - the sales person came across much more genuine and provided with a time frame of 4-6 weeks depending on the colour" P.S. I test drove the cars for a friend of mine who was confused between the two. Ofcourse, I drew great pleasure in helping him

[audioholic]

Wrapped the roof gloss black which was a long pending activity since I never liked the black sunroof portion, black antenna and a white roof. Looked very odd to my eyes. Now the entire roof looks uniform Used 3M 2080 series vinyl but it isnt as glossy as I expected it to be. Will apply PPF to get the same gloss as the rest of the car.

[ridehard]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Wrapped the roof gloss black which was a long pending activity since I never liked the black sunroof portion, black antenna and a white roof. Looked very odd to my eyes. Now the entire roof looks uniform Used 3M 2080 series vinyl but it isnt as glossy as I expected it to be. Will apply PPF to get the same gloss as the rest of the car.

Nice! Damages?
And how's the AC holding up with the blacked out roof? Any notable difference?

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Wrapped the roof gloss black which was a long pending activity since I never liked the black sunroof portion, black antenna and a white roof. Looked very odd to my eyes. Now the entire roof looks uniform Used 3M 2080 series vinyl but it isnt as glossy as I expected it to be. Will apply PPF to get the same gloss as the rest of the car.

Looks good. You could try getting the mirror also wrapped in black. It will complement well with the roof.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by CarKid@40

.

While Virtus is definitely the better looking car of the two..inside & out, it is the Slavia that is much more confidence inspiring. The brakes have a much better bite on speed run and steering is much more nimble on busy streets. Ride is more or less the same for the two.

I was honestly hoping for Virtus to win to make it a no-brainer choice but its the baby Octy.

Can you share what was the approximate odo reading of the Virtus and Slavia?

If the Odometer reading of the Virtus is too low, say less than 500kms, chances are that the protective coating on the tire wouldn't have worn off making the steering feedback, grip and braking distances sub optimal. Usually the tire break in is completed only after 2000kms from my experience with 3 different brands on the same car.

It's unlikely that the braking hardware and steering assembly differ in both the cars while the shock absorbers can be different as we have seen in the Vento/Rapid. But that has distinct differences in the ride quality and even part number.

[Chrome6Boy]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Wrapped the roof gloss black which was a long pending activity since I never liked the black sunroof portion, black antenna and a white roof. Looked very odd to my eyes. Now the entire roof looks uniform Used 3M 2080 series vinyl but it isnt as glossy as I expected it to be. Will apply PPF to get the same gloss as the rest of the car.

Looks great especially on a white car.

I personally could never do this since I live in Chennai. It would make the car way hotter in Summer and with mixed reviews coming in for the Slavia's AC's performance it would be a scary proposition.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by ridehard

Nice! Damages?
And how's the AC holding up with the blacked out roof? Any notable difference?

I got the vinyl for 5.5k for 30 sft. Labour was free since it was a DIY. The vinyl was on the expensive side but for the roof cheaper vinyls are a pain to install. 3M quality of gloss isnt that great but their pressure sensitive adhesive cut the deal for me since installation is very easy with the special adhesive.

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

Looks great especially on a white car.

I personally could never do this since I live in Chennai. It would make the car way hotter in Summer and with mixed reviews coming in for the Slavia's AC's performance it would be a scary proposition.

Cant comment on AC performance yet but there is good gap between the roof and the headliner due to the presence of the sunroof. So this must insulate most of the heat coming from the roof.

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Looks good. You could try getting the mirror also wrapped in black. It will complement well with the roof.

The mirrors were in line but like I mentioned I didnt like the gloss offered by the vinyl. Hence didnt go ahead with it.

[karanskumar]

Whats the verdict on fuel efficiency in city conditions?

[punto_]

Originally Posted by karanskumar

Whats the verdict on fuel efficiency in city conditions?

I see you are from Hyderabad so here’s what I get on my Slavia 1.0 AT with 4000+ kms on odo.

Morning traffic around 8-9 AM from Secunderabad area to Hitech city area gives around 11-12 kmpl.

Evening 4-5 PM gives around 9-10 depending upon the traffic conditions.

If it’s continuous stop and go traffic where you will be in gear 1/2, you can expect 8~

Note: all these numbers are from odo with auto ac all the time.