Team-BHP - Skoda Slavia Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechnoBloop (Post 5355217)

. There are many people/YouTubers who mentioned that the 1.5 should've come with all-disc brakes and termed this move by VAG as 'cost-cutting'.

There are many people who are in a misconception that both the engines have the same brakes..

Agreed that Skoda/VW could have advertised this. But most of the media today as well as the self proclaimed experts in Youtube don't care about technical aspects. Maybe if they had raised some queries at the media drive, they would have got clarification. But all they cared was disc vs drum brakes. In fact this difference has not been highlighted in a single media article so far :D

Hi all,

I took delivery of Ambition 1.0 AT model last week on 6 July 2022. Its reached 350kms on the ODO and here are some of my initial impressions:
[*]The auto start/stop system seems to be a bit frustrating, especially when you are driving in traffic. It keeps turning off the engine so frequently, I believe it would result in more fuel consumption rather than saving.
[*]The steering wheel is absolutely amazing while driving through the city traffics, however, it does not wheigh up much at higher speeds.
[*]The visibility from the company fitted rear view mirror in the Ambition 1.0 AT model is too small and feel like will need to install a larger mirror for better visibility.
[*]The accessories kit given along with the car has a lot of useless accessories like usb charger where all the ports are type-C, car perfume with a shape size which cannot fit in any pocket, pillows that are half dead, floor mats that appear to be quite thin and sub-par quality etc. Car cover, mud flaps and sun shades are the only useful accessory which can be purchased separately from them rather than going for the entire package.

Few questions, if anyone in the forum has faced something similar:
[*]The fuel efficiency is appearing to be scary to me so far. My majority driving is in Mumbai city and I am receiving an average of 5-6 kmpl so far. Will this improve once the car crosses a few thousand kms or this is the normal range?
[*]I found a rectangular precise cut in the floor carpet below the co-driver seat of around 2-3 inches and showed it to the SA. He mentioned that this is present in all the Ambition AT models and is done on purpose for some wiring. There is nothing that can be done for it. Has anyone else noticed this?
[*]Is there anything that needs to be done for the occasional noise that comes while braking or will it gradually reduce with more kms?
[*]Does changing the rear view mirror void warranty?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al812 (Post 5355427)

Hi all,

I took delivery of Ambition 1.0 AT model last week on 6 July 2022. Its reached 350kms on the ODO and here are some of my initial impressions:

Congratulations on your new ride!

Regarding Mileage, I believe it will improve. It all depends on Fuel Quality and the pressure on pedal. More Pressure = Less Mileage. (That's what I have figured so far).

I turn off Auto Start/Stop in bumper to bumper traffic, just to avoid that frustration.

Rectangular Cut was done for Amplifier (I may be wrong, Please correct if it is so). I noticed, they have setup the Amp under the Co-Drivers Seat and have appropriate cuts as well.

I never had any issues with braking. I got 1.5 TSi DSG AT. Its quite good actually.

Changing Rear View Mirror wont void any warranty unless you tamper with sensors attached on back of it. I suggest, Buy a new one, and using tapes/wrap it on your original one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al812 (Post 5355427)

Few questions, if anyone in the forum has faced something similar:[*]The fuel efficiency is appearing to be scary to me so far. My majority driving is in Mumbai city and I am receiving an average of 5-6 kmpl so far. Will this improve once the car crosses a few thousand kms or this is the normal range?[*]I found a rectangular precise cut in the floor carpet below the co-driver seat of around 2-3 inches and showed it to the SA. He mentioned that this is present in all the Ambition AT models and is done on purpose for some wiring. There is nothing that can be done for it. Has anyone else noticed this? [*]Is there anything that needs to be done for the occasional noise that comes while braking or will it gradually reduce with more kms?
[*]Does changing the rear view mirror void warranty?

> 5-6 seems to be low. How long are your average drives? I have noticed the number is lower(5-7kmpl) for the first 12-15 minutes of the drive as cabin cools down and then goes up. Plus I have felt (not necessarily noted in same conditions, just casually observed) that lighter foot in "S" yields better FE than "D" while driving in varying slow speed conditions. Also 350 km is too early to be worrying about this
> I noticed that rectangular cut couple of days ago while cleaning and it had me worried for a while. I am guessing it is for style variant which houses amplifier below the passenger seat
> The noise was there when braking at crawling speeds but it faded gradually. Again I would suggest to not be bothered in the first 1000-1500 kms as the pads and rotors are new
> Not sure about the warranty thing but the size of mirror is indeed a problem

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikram9193 (Post 5356633)

Slavia and Fabia (UK spec) dashboards - spot the differences! I can see a nice fabric insert, rotary knobs for climate and a better digital cluster

These are much much better than the existing ones on Slavia. I wonder if swapping these parts in the Indian spec Slavia is as easy as it was in the older PQ platform VAG cars, though I think that replacing the plastic panels with fabric insert ones would be difficult (Would rather get it leather wrapped from a reputed car interior shop). I also want to swap this steering wheel with Sportline one. It looks so much more classier with 3 spokes, flat bottom and better leather wrap. I wonder why the Monte Carlo versions are not getting this 3 spoke steering wheel or simply, a Monte Carlo inscription on the bottom gloss part of the steering wheel where the third spoke would be. The L&K models get the Laurin and Klement lettering, and the sportline version gets the Sportline lettering.

One thing that is a bit of a concern is that these newer MQB-IN cars are prone to developing rattles and opening dashboard elements to swap parts can develop rattles or make them worse. This was not the case in PQ platform cars because of better fit and finish along with a simpler and straightforward dash layout.

If these things aren't an issue, would love to swap the parts if possible just before the warranty ends as I am not sure if the warranty will get void or not.

P.S. Another difference that I can see are different floating sort of door grab handles, handbrake and cupholder position swapped in the UK spec model. These are different and more stylish than what one usually sees on VAGs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrAgile (Post 5357733)

These are much much better than the existing ones on Slavia.
One thing that is a bit of a concern is that these newer MQB-IN cars are prone to developing rattles and opening dashboard elements to swap parts can develop rattles or make them worse. This was not the case in PQ platform cars because of better fit and finish along with a simpler and straightforward dash layout.

If these things aren't an issue, would love to swap the parts if possible

Part swapping is still very much possible. While the MQB cars are different from the PQ models, its mainly to do with the body panels. The electronics, powertrain and suspension components are still widely shared. In addition to this, you also have MQB cars abroad to help with more parts. :D For me I prefer piano black to the fabric of the Fabia. What I would like to ditch is the beige strip that runs above the piano black. This is something I would like to get wrapped or at least get a different pattern. I already wrapped them to a glossy shade but will experiment further. With the evolution in vinyl patterns and colours, there is no need of a leather wrap. You get very huge number of options in vinyl itself which is easier to install and won't need the panel to be removed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioholic (Post 5357755)

Part swapping is still very much possible. In addition to this, you also have MQB cars abroad to help with more parts. I already wrapped them to a glossy shade but will experiment further. With the evolution in vinyl patterns and colours, there is no need of a leather wrap. You get very huge number of options in vinyl itself which is easier to install and won't need the panel to be removed.

I haven't actually carried out DIY mods on cars before so I am not really aware of how to source parts like the air con module or the instrument cluster of international spec models. I also don't know how to get the part numbers of the parts that need to be ordered(In this case, the parts of UK spec Fabia or Russian spec Rapid). Is there any website from which I can get part numbers or a website to order genuine OEM parts? I can see one website for VW spares in US but that's only for US spec VWs.
Secondly, as it will be my first time doing this, whenever I will, I would rather go to a reputed garage and carry out the mods with the help of a technician or a mechanic to learn how it is done and gain a first hand experience under expert guidance.

About the Vinyls, wouldn't the wrap on the bronze strip affect the ambient lighting? Moreover, are Vinyls easy to remove from interior plastic panels? Lastly, as cars stand in direct sunlight, sometimes at 48°C , wouldn't it affect the Vinyls in any way?

Another small mod if possible is to brighten up the ambient lights in the door handles. They are a tad too dim for my liking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrAgile (Post 5358129)

I haven't actually carried out DIY mods on cars before so I am not really aware of how to source parts like the air con module or the instrument cluster of international spec models. Is there any website from which I can get part numbers or a website to order genuine OEM parts? I can see one website for VW spares in US but that's only for US spec VWs.

About the Vinyls, wouldn't the wrap on the bronze strip affect the ambient lighting?

Another small mod if possible is to brighten up the ambient lights in the door handles. .

Well the biggest benefit of a VW family car is that you can globally source parts be it genuine parts from Europe or alternate parts from China. Only issue is logistics and that can be overcome in many ways. As long as you have a VW/Skoda part number just Google that number and you get a ton of options. Even boodmo in India has a good selection of VAG parts now. Last year I had sourced a set of window blinds for my cousins tiguan while I was in Germany since the Bangalore dealer couldn't do so. Even after paying shipping charges it was cheaper than buying here and it was a genuine VW part and not aftermarket. Parts like the cluster are easily available. Even the amplifier which was removed from local models is available in many online shops since this part has a huge list of vehicles where it is also fitted.

The vinyl wrap doesn't cover the light strip. It will be cut along that edge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amit1agrawal (Post 5359226)

Has anybody been able to change the horn to original VW/Skoda dual horn? Will it void the warranty? My dealer said no such standard accessory available for Slavia.

I've seen few of my friends upgrade their Slavia and Kushaq's horn to superb's horn which costs 2k. But they say you will loose out on warranty for electricals. As per Zac, Skoda is planning to launch an updated powerful horn as an accessory in the coming months. I'm currently waiting for that as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CafeRacer16 (Post 5358822)

Does anyone have the model number of new Panasonic system now coming in Kushaq/Slavia. I was wondering if it can be imported from Europe as I like the system with physical knobs rather than full touch screen.

Better would be if you find some fellow Slavia owner who got the new system and would like to trade with the earlier 10 inch. Seeing few people being disappointed with Škoda’s move in previous pages, there should be few atleast happy to trade.