[Icecuube]

This is the story of my first car the Skoda Slavia 1.5 Style DSG and it began in 2013 when the Polo gt Tsi was launched in India. I, an engineering student in the mechanical domain was just wooed by how advanced the engine and gearbox were for the time. I test-drove it and decided that whenever I bought my first car it'd be this one.

10 years down the line and it was time! But in those 10 years, the world has changed a lot, I'm married and Polo gt was discontinued a year ago.

So when I and my wife began looking for cars we started with 2nd hand Polo GT, found a few good cars but, now we just felt it was too small for our needs so the Polo was no longer an option.

So we decided on a new car and the budget was set at 20L.
Option number 1 was Thar, I was a big pro for it and my wife was against it all along.
I had driven a friend's Thar regularly and I loved the experience and the 'feel' a lot. However, that was in isolation and it was the only car I had access to for a couple of years, so a bias also slowly clouded my judgment.

We went for a test drive and, when my wife realise that is a 3-door car, it was a hard no! We could have waited for the 5 door version but we didnt want to wait for more than a couple months.

Skoda 1.5 twins (performance for the win) were our 2nd option and the Skoda showroom was in the same complex as the Mahindra showroom.

Initially, the folks at the showroom were not responding too much. We still pushed for a test drive and post that also we had to keep on pushing to inquire more about the car for its price, financing, etc. Once the SA realized that we were really serious about buying a car, they started talking business.

When we got to know the price of Kushaq and Slavia differed by 50-60K, the Ksuhaq costing more, it became even more difficult as I wanted Slavia because of the bigger boot and sedans are inherently a better-looking shape and My wife wanted the Kushaq because she thought the exact opposite and loved the crossover shape, and the price difference wasn't enough to make the decision obvious.

Then the SA really got down to business and told me he had a few 2022 manufactured Slavias with them and will give us a 2.2l discount on On road price Along with SMP and a few accessories. They only had Silver cars and I loved it in that shade! The decision was made instantly and we paid the booking amount on the spot.


After a week of paperwork, my loan was approved and the car was ready to be delivered. I went and did PDI of the VIN allotted to me. I got Nov manufactured Vehicle, if I had bought a new one, it'd be feb/march manufactured.

Pics from PDI -



We got the car delivered on 2nd May evening and couldn't be happier. My first car was here!!




1st Petrol Pump visit:


A few accessories that are included -

- rear window blinds including the rear quarter window
- 2 square pillows
- Rubber mats only for the cabin, not the boot
- A USB Type C to USB Type A connector
- Air freshener
- Lightning to USB Type A cable

1st week of ownership was all about figuring out the features and understanding how the car operated as this is the 1st automatic car for both me and my wife. Also got Graphene coating from Carzspa Gurgaon, the car looks gorgeous and the results are great!


We drove to Murthal from Gurgaon, getting the customary trip done with. The traffic was moderate and we drove at around 90-100 and the car is just so comfortable at the speed, you can hardly tell if the engine is even running. On turns the car remains very flat. It is quite confidence inspiring and lets you learn to push the car further.

The brakes are also quite sharp and confidence-inspiring. The pedal is quite sensitive and I'm still learning to operate it smoothly in stop-and-go traffic.

I had a few runs to the airport for work and the boot just ate up my luggage like nothing.

I went through this entire thread before making any decisions and couldn't find any major flaws in the car to change my decision.
The most complaints I've read about is for the AC but I never faced any issue with that, the cabin cools up quickly. I'm not fond of the controls though, a dial or button would have been much better than touch controls.

And while it looks a little odd, I love the confidence that high ground clearance gets you in dealing with Indian roads and enables you to explore more.

There are a few cons that I have observed in my short 2 week - 500km ownership -
- No wireless Android Auto on the 8'' screen
- While the camera refresh rate is great, the quality is just poor by modern standards. My Dad's 2016 Duster has a better resolution.
- The clarity of the music system is great but the lack of bass is quite evident. I might try and solve it later on by adding a subwoofer.
- When coming to a stop or almost crawling speeds of around 4-5km/h(Eg. crossing a big speed breaker), the gearbox refuses to go down to 1st gear leading the engine to stop and then start again before going into 1st and continuing. Has anyone of you faced this issue or is it quite common?
- The steering is dead. It is predictable and consistent and weighs up quite well with speeds, but there is absolutely no feedback.

I'm yet to experience the full bandwidth of the car's performance, I have a 2000km road trip planned at the end of the month which should solve the problem.

My fondness for the car is increasing every time I drive and I'm just wooed by how comfortable and effortless it is. Looking forward to sharing my experience with you all!

[jaysonline]

Originally Posted by Icecuube

- When coming to a stop or almost crawling speeds of around 4-5km/h(Eg. crossing a big speed breaker), the gearbox refuses to go down to 1st gear leading the engine to stop and then start again before going into 1st and continuing. Has anyone of you faced this issue or is it quite common?
- The steering is dead. It is predictable and consistent and weighs up quite well with speeds, but there is absolutely no feedback.

Isn't it because of the auto engine start-stop function? Switch off the feature using the button provided and you should not see it happening, unless I have misunderstood the situation.
Also avoid inching forward on the DSG, wait for a small stretch to open in front of you and then release the brakes to move forward so that it doesn't confuse the gearbox.

[Icecuube]

Originally Posted by jaysonline

Isn't it because of the auto engine start-stop function? Switch off the feature using the button provided and you should not see it happening, unless I have misunderstood the situation.
Also avoid inching forward on the DSG, wait for a small stretch to open in front of you and then release the brakes to move forward so that it doesn't confuse the gearbox.

It is separate from auto start stop. It usually happens when the car is slowed down to crawling speeds to get over a big speed breaker, the car would remain in 2nd gear and not go down to 1st and while crawling the engine would shut off due to low rpm, then restart and then the gearbox would switch to 1st to continue moving.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Icecuube

It is separate from auto start stop. It usually happens when the car is slowed down to crawling speeds to get over a big speed breaker, the car would remain in 2nd gear and not go down to 1st and while crawling the engine would shut off due to low rpm, then restart and then the gearbox would switch to 1st to continue moving.

Thats not a stall. The car shuts off due to the start stop algorithm. Unfortunately the algorithm is a direct carry over from European countries where there is no concept of speed breaker. Instead, it just believes that if the car is losing speed and will stop in the next second, the engine shuts off at 5kmph. Have observed this in a few other manufacturers car in Germany as well. Should not have been directly brought into the Indian context which gets annoying. But this is a complaint many have and you might see a software update for this.

The DSG doesnt shift to 1 unless the car almost gets stationary or if there is an uneven surface to prevent jerks since the first gear is very short and downshifting to 1 even at 10kmph will be very jerky. Hence it stays in second gear which is again on the shorter side, with 8kmph at 1000RPM which will not cause too much clutch wear compared to downshifting to 1 and having to raise engine RPM to match the speed.

[Game_of_Roads]

Originally Posted by audioholic

As far as I know even the front USB ports turn off but with the head unit, which turns off after you turn off ignition and step out of the vehicle. Its only the 12V socket that is always on irrespective of other conditions.

You are right about this . I had tested the front USB ports but forgot about it - they do turn off after door lock. The problem for me is that I need 1 port for Android Auto and the other for a pendrive for music. The system also complains if a USB hub is connected to either of the front ports stating it is unsupported.

[audioholic]

Got the first year service done at 10900kms and a week ahead of turning one year. I had some pending things to be done, and hence decided to visit the service center. Maintaining a good rapport with the SA works well and the appointment was scheduled through their CRM. In addition to the periodic maintenance schedule, the engine noise shield had arrived and the door auto up function needed software update. So together I wanted to get everything done at one shot. Service was done promptly a little past lunch time.

• Engine oil, oil filter, AC filter replaced under Skoda AMC
• Air filter replaced under my instruction - Costs a mere 320 bucks and there is too much dust around where I frequently travel
• Service Campaign 1: Application of sealant at the base of A pillar to prevent water ingress
• Campaign 2: Driver side door controller update for auto up function
• Strangely, my car VIN number didn't show up for AC software update. But I dont really need it. AC works fine.
• For the first time I asked them to fix a vibration of the dashboard while going over rumblers. It was not a rattle but more of a vibration which could be felt. They fixed it.
• Bonnet insulation was added - Wanted to reduce the heating of the bonnet due to turbo heat and hence got this installed. I don't see any change in NVH so far and neither was that the intention

Had to pay only for the air filter and the insulation material and no other overheads were charged. Overall a pleasant experience.

The past one year has been the best so far when it comes to driving. I have had the Slavia and Crysta accompany me on many trips and both cars together have clocked 20k kms and I have learnt to appreciate how the two have their own strengths and weaknesses. One is a locomotive and the other a rocket. But when it comes to the highway, both are extremely good mile munchers with the Crysta having an edge in comfort and the Slavia a speed advantage.

That said, I have jumped the gun and am sourcing a Racechip piggyback ECU for the car. Should see how that turns out to be. Getting the ECU directly from Germany since the official dealer in India is charging double the money for the same. Will update as I install it. The reason I went for this is I wanted configurable engine performance. I don't need all the power for my office commute where I can choose an economical map for better FE. Increased performance is just a bonus so whatever it offers I wouldn't complain.

[sinharishi]

Just going to drop some pictures of the car after some TLC:

[Warwick07]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Increased performance is just a bonus so whatever it offers I wouldn't complain.

Would love to see how that turns out. I wish Škoda/ VW included an eco mode for Slavia & Virtus, the FE is dreadful in bumper to bumper traffic.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Warwick07

Would love to see how that turns out. I wish Škoda/ VW included an eco mode for Slavia & Virtus, the FE is dreadful in bumper to bumper traffic.

In B2B traffic even my Crysta gives single digit FE and it isn't something we can solve unless you go the Hybrid way. For me the throttle modulation is something I really wanted to change since in city traffic you have to be really easy on the throttle to keep the car going nice and easy else a slight push of the accelerator will cause you to go too close to the vehicle ahead and then end up braking hard. Racechip had a throttle modulation module available but the price of it was already half way to the mid level tuning box.
The prices were:
Racechip S the basic ECU with two channel control - 149EUR
Racechip XLR throttle modulation only - 199EUR
Racechip RS with 6 maps and three channel control - 279EUR
Racechip GTS with 7 maps and three channel tuning, warm up timer and one time reprogramming - 499EUR

I went with the RS considering the small difference between the XLR and RS and that the RS would allow greater control over the boost pressure and injection. And for 80EUR extra you can switch the maps over phone.

[KuvamBansal]

The AC remains the biggest downer of VW/Skoda Twins. Our Kushaq is now one year old with first service done and AC remains inadequate for the Delhi Summer.

This is our first German car and experience has been flawless except this AC and Driver power window issue (remains unsolved even after update). We might anyways adjust to the sub-par cooling but becomes so embarrassing in front of family and friends, and this after paying a premium for cars.

Also, I simply cannot believe that VW/Skoda management doesn't know the issue exist or they have not been able to find the solution to it. It probably costs them too much to fix it and will do so only in the next generation of cars, leaving us guinea pigs in lurch.

Simply shows lack of commitment to the Indian market and leaves a bad taste with customers.

[RaiAnish]

Originally Posted by rish_arora

Sad to see that even in the latest iteration (read Anniversary Edition), Skoda has failed to fix the 2 issues.

Weren't these issues reportedly resolved by some Software updates? Shouldn't the newer lot have these updates from factory?

Originally Posted by sinharishi

VAG needs to do something about the AC, on the return leg, at 42 deg outside temp it simply failed to keep the cabin cool. Had to idle the car under shade for 15 mins to make the cabin comfortable. Cooled seats came to the rescue for both the front passenger and driver.

Both issues were fully solved for me in my Sept 22 manufactured VW Virtus after the required software updates.
I think the AC does take some time to reach its peak cooling level but post those 7-8 minutes I haven't felt it to be inadequate even in 43° C outside temperatures. I keep the AC on Lo and don't bother about setting the right temperature when I need cooling. I'm satisfied with the performance.

[Clown Prince]

Originally Posted by rish_arora

Sad to see that even in the latest iteration (read Anniversary Edition), Skoda has failed to fix the 2 issues.

Weren't these issues reportedly resolved by some Software updates? Shouldn't the newer lot have these updates from factory?

Nope. Even for a newer model you to get the update done from ASS. The cars don’t come with update from get go. My cousin bought his 1.0 style 3 weeks ago and had to get the update done afterwards. It’s a February 2023 manufactured one.

[KI07]

Originally Posted by Icecuube

Then the SA really got down to business and told me he had a few 2022 manufactured Slavias with them and will give us a 2.2l discount on On road price Along with SMP and a few accessories. They only had Silver cars and I loved it in that shade! The decision was made instantly and we paid the booking amount on the spot.

I am about to book one 1.5DSG, the SA has offered me 1.2L off for MY22,
should I push for more.
I am a bit shy asking for discounts, can you help me with some liners to sneak in the discount talk?

[Sandeep500]

Ask the dealer to increase the discount quoting the discount got by other people on Exshowroom price. Then get quotes from outside or online for insurance and ask the dealer to match it or get it done yourself. Additionally you can easily persuade the dealer to waive off handling charges if levied by them. The thing is be a little adamant and get the cheque book in hand while negotiating. This way you can get a good deal.

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by KI07

I am about to book one 1.5DSG, the SA has offered me 1.2L off for MY22,
should I push for more.
I am a bit shy asking for discounts, can you help me with some liners to sneak in the discount talk?

Go to the next dealer in your city, and mention you are getting 1.20 lakhs off, you can maybe add 10k to it. Ask them what's you best deal.

Then go to the 3rd dealer with the discount you got from the 2nd dealer, you don't even have to go directly, you can just call and say that you want to buy, mention the discount which you are getting and ask for best offer, keep on repeating this till the salesperson stop giving you any more offers.

This trick works when there are multiple dealers of the same product, you can try this trick with electronics too, just tell them you are serious and would pay as soon as you get the best offer.

Compare insurance prices online, most of the time dealers exaggerate the insurance prices and give you discount on it, ask for discount on ex showroom price, Service package, accessories kit and extended warranty.