[nitkel]

Any Bhpians getting their Slavia delivered soon? Would be good to have some initial ownership impressions. Seems like the Virtus has pulled quite the crowd previously interested in the Slavia!

[Parth46]

Checked out the Slavia in one of the neighbourhood malls today, a few observations, all wrt to my current ride, 2014 City VMT.

- Despite exterior proportions being at par, interior space actually felt slightly more compact than my 4th gen City.

- Interiors felt nice, if a little cosy. The inner door handles creak and feel a bit flimsy when you pull them to close the door.

- Sunroof is not panoramic, it's utility is purely limited to front row occupants. It also makes the roof line lower, and when you increase the seat height, it comes too close to comfort to the roof.

- Roofliner LOOKS ok, but feels hollow. Has a lot of flex and touches the roof when you press it, making it seem hollow.

- Doors have decent heft and that trademark thud.

- Rear armrest is big and accommodating, but the seat width and overall space in the rear is no match when it's compared to the City.

Overall it didn't really feel like an upgrade from my 8 year old car, certainly not enough for me to plonk down 22 big ones on it in Bangalore.

I'm test driving the 1.5 TSI/DSG coming Thursday so hoping that the drivetrain changes my mind.

[Aaron:)]

Had a look at the Slavia recently, and came away with an overall good impression. The cabin though, was a bit of a let down. It was okay, but didn’t really feel special. Coming from a 2009 City i-VTEC, the interior wasn’t much of an upgrade apart from the added features. Car looks great though, and I’m sure it’s great to drive - will probably go for a test drive soon.

I see a lot of owners of Citys, Ventos and Rapids talking about how the Slavia/Virtus don’t feel like an upgrade from their current steeds - I think we have to realise that the cars we currently own are incredible packages and expecting the Slavia to feel like a huge upgrade is not fair since it’s in the same segment. I will agree that unfortunately upgrade options in the 15 lakh + space are becoming fewer as cars become pricier and companies are becoming reluctant to bring their international offerings to India. But that’s a whole other discussion.

As an overall package it’s incredibly close between the Fifth-gen City and the Slavia. It’ll boil down to individual preferences. (I would probably lean a bit towards the City as of now).

I like the Slavia and I honestly hope it does well in the market - more competition is good for the customer, and it also pushes other carmakers (Honda, Hyundai) to up the ante with the City and Verna updates.

[audioholic]

Had another test drive of the Slavia but on the back seat while dad was driving the 1.0L. This time the AC was feeling okay, even if it was a 31 deg Celsius evening of Bengaluru. The center passenger sits higher and I believe 5'11 is the height limit here due to the sun roof. And no use of the IRVM in this scenario. My dad glanced through the mirror into my face and made this observation and I had to agree. However my brother who was taller was sitting beside me had much better clearance from the roof. So this is a middle seat problem. But either way, it is a non use case for us since this car would not even be loaded with four passengers, forget the fifth one. Even the SX4 has hardly seen a fifth passenger.

Another observation was the hard seat cushion, this one made by my mum. Some people prefer this but the back seat of the SX4 is a sofa, with the cushion retaining it's form and softness over the years without developing a pit.

Overall dad liked driving the 1.0L itself, while it would be the second German car he has ever driven. In D mode he wasn't excited about the engine but in sports mode once the transmission began to hold on to gears longer he absolutely loved it.

There was very high footfall into the showroom with the first lot of the Slavias already booked. And the test drive vehicle literally had a queue and hence we could not manage to get into this for the 1.5L. Since I had already driven it earlier, it was alright.

[stringbh]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Overall dad liked driving the 1.0L itself, while it would be the second German car he has ever driven.

Thanks for your detailed views having driven the Slavia extensively (your earlier report in this thread) and hopefully checked out the launch of Virtus. Any reasons you are sticking to Slavia instead of waiting for Virtus? Looks are subjective, but I like the Virtus more, both in the looks department and the interior layout (quality of materials inside is probably same for both and not much to pick). One minor gripe I have, among others is that, going for circular AC vents, that theme should have carried over to the central vents too.

Hopefully, in another thread if this is OT here

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by stringbh

Virtus. Any reasons you are sticking to Slavia instead of waiting for Virtus? Looks are subjective, but I like the Virtus more, both in the looks department and the interior layout (quality of materials inside is probably same for both and not much to pick).

Hopefully, in another thread if this is OT here

For me the reasons to stick to Slavia are

• Having been in Germany last year and for quite a bit of the last five years, I am really fed up of that front looks of the Golf and Polo with the twin chrome lines. The Virtus looks too familiar and I really need a change
• I didn't like how they faked a reflector in the Taigun and gave a single barrel headlight, and in the Virtus launch they faked the indicator as a DRL. Instead Skoda has neatly integrated an Indicator in both cars(though not LED)
• Interiors wise, again not a fan of the huge piano black panel in the Virtus as well as the painted panel of the Taigun
• Roof liner in the Virtus is still the hairy felt material whereas they have upped the game in the Slavia with a neat fabric
• Time line wise, for me to get hold of the Virtus it might be May or June or later. For the Slavia I can get the second batch of cars next month. Can't wait till June July unfortunately
• But to be honest I liked the Virtus from some angles and the Slavia from some. Hence it's a very close call

In the longrun I expect both cars to fare equally being almost the same in terms of reliability or maintenance. Hence those factors are ruled out. Have taken the plunge and booked a 1.5 Style DSG in White.

[shibujp]

I briefly checked out the Slavia last week at a near by showroom. I liked the looks an typical Skoda which looks a bit more chunkier than the equivalent Volkswagen model. It was the same with the Vento and the Rapid.

The increased ground clearance is very much perceptible but the design does a lot to mask the effect. The clean, sharp edges also lower the mass of the boot which is actually quite large.

The interiors are where the really change begins. Far from the plain and boring Polo and Vento interiors, these look quite good and contemporary. Perhaps not as eye catching as the fare from the Koreans but still quite attractive. The all digital display is especially nice and if you like the understated yet quality feel this may be the interiors for you.

Seats are nicely contoured and very comfortable. I may be wrong here but I did feel that the dashboard was bit too high.

Interior space is between the Verna and the City in my view. The rear is good for two passengers plus 1 kid. I don't see three adults being comfortable in the back and certainly the middle seat is not a particularly comfortable place to be. Currently in my Baleno I have two car seats and my wife can still sit between them in the rear. She is petite but I still do not see that possible in the Slavia.

All in all, a nice car and an excellent effort from Skoda. I don't see the market going gaga over it as it does not have any particular mass market differentiator. But I don't think that is Skoda's strategy either and for my part I like having a couple of enthusiast focused cars around. Though if I were Skoda I'd be concerned that the differential between the Koreans and itself is not to great anymore in that respect.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[social3047]

I checked out the Slavia today and below are my thoughts after test driving the 1.0L AT.

-The build quality is fine and felt so much better than my current car Maruti Baleno. The thud from the door and the outer body in general is amazing coming from my current car
-But the dashboard plastic is pretty underwhelming and almost felt of similar quality to the baleno.
-Sound system was good but too bassy for my taste. I'd probably reduce bass to minimum if I have the car.

I wanted to test drive the 1.5L DSG but it was unavailable. So drove the 1.0L AT and came away completely disappointed. The engine and gear box combo simply did not work for me. Gear shifts are very perceptible and jerky in D mode (slightly better in S mode but nothing spectacular). There's quite a lag before the turbo zone and then when it hits the zone then the car zooms forward which creates the jerkiness

My wife was in the rear seat and she just shook her head and said nope after the test ride (however I must add that I was driving the car a bit hard and not babying it to reduce the jerkiness).

I will test the 1.5L DSG when it becomes available in a couple of weeks and reevaluate. Hoping that it is much smoother and less jerky. I am okay buying the manual but wife would like an automatic since she finds manual cumbersome.

[noopster]

Finally got down to reading the review and I must say Skoda may have got it right this time!

The Vento/Rapid's successor is easily 5 years overdue but in one way that gave VAG some time to benchmark the new launch against the current hot favourites in the segment. As someone who bought a Kia Seltos just over a year ago, I must say that had the Slavia been around back then offering everything it does , it would have caused some sleepless nights deciding between the two! Specifically the 1.0L TSI + 6-speed torque convertor, which is priced about 3L cheaper on-road in Pune than the Seltos 1.5D+6AT that I purchased.

I've recommended this to a friend who is looking to replace his Indica V2. He loves my car but much prefers a sedan and this ticks all the boxes for his 4-member family.

I would presume the 1.5 TSI would be the halo model in this lineup, priced and targeted at the pure enthusiast, making the other variants look positively VFM! Can't say I disagree with this strategy from Skoda!

[travelex]

Booked the Slavia 1.0 TSI style AT today. Expected delivery 15-20 days.
I have a Rapid 1.6 TDI for the last 9 years that is my daily ride (close to 100 km/ day). This has clocked close to 289000 km. For highways/ mountain trips, I prefer Tata Hexa XTA procured 4 years or so ago.
Like most others, I was considering City CVT as well. However
1. Though spacious, I thought the City cabin was dull and boring
2. Though the quality of interiors was slightly inferior to Rapid, it is still much better than City.
3. The drive quality was markedly better (though 1.5 DSG was in a totally different league altogether).
4. A friend who owns a city CVT swore that this was a much better drive.

Hoping for as good an experience as the one with Rapid.

[rayjaycleoful]

Context:
Currently drive a 2011 Honda City for many years so comparison will be wrt to that mostly. Also decent amount of exposure to Creta AT & Ecosport AT. In this price range the cars I'm interested in are the Thar, Slavia, Virtus, Crysta, and soon to be launched Scorpio 4x4 (all AT). Already have a Creta and would prefer Crysta to XUV because of reliability and BOF/ RWD. Thar because YOLO and 4X4!
Test drove Slavia 1.0AT and hope to TD Thar & the others soon.

Some observations from my side:

1. The "thud" from the doors is significant - much better than a third-gen City with double damped doors, and slightly heaver than Creta. Similar to Ecosport for eg.
2. Has great road presence & ground clearance - length is a lot but didn't feel it while driving. Interior felt pretty spacious to me but I am yet to TD 5th gen City. Definitely a huge step-up from Vento/Rapid and slightly bigger than 3rd gen/ 4th gen city.
3. A/C was not Honda City level effective today in Gurgaon if I may say - wasn't "cold" at Lo setting. Didn't try ventilated seats because I was more interested in Ambition AT
4. Ergonomics are great but old Citys feels better for some reason
5. Creep in AT is very very strong almost uncomfortable. Creta/Eco move at 6kmph but this was at a 10 without acc input. It's like 2nd gear in a diesel manual Verna/ Creta. However, brakes are strong and predictable.
6. Performance is good and very linear. I did not feel any turbo kick or vtec like suddenness but overall gradual speed attainment without much engine noise. City is very different because you have to rev hard and engine is much more audible inside. That said, some gear shifts were jerky. Not sure how it will fare with 4-5 people & luggage.
7. Music system is good but not great (ambition) IMO. Tweeters would have been great in Ambition
8. Steering is very light! Hyundai like
9. Display model was manual 1.0. It's clutch travel was very long and springy types - my 11 year old 80K City has a lighter and easier clutch

All in all, I think it's a great car and ambition variant is vfm. However, it is not going to be an upgrade to your old City/ Vento/ Rapid/ Ecosport etc. - it will be a replacement. It will be an upgrade from the i20/ Polo segment but an expensive one.
But personally if I were to choose a sedan it will be this or Virtus (provided it has the same ground clearance). Honda City 5G has the same problems it did in 2008 - low GC, small tyres, poor insulation, sad control over 100, etc.

[voldemort]

The 5th gen City appeals more to the head than the Slavia.

However, as a 4th gen City owner who does not want a bigger car (because I already have another bigger sedan), buying a 5th gen City simply does not make sense.

The Slavia on the other hand has a desirability to it.

Has anybody here driven the 1.5 MT? Couldn't find the review of the manual 1.5 here.

My thinking is that it doesn't have the potentially unreliable DSG, yet has a more powerful engine.

[Rjeevan]

50 slavia's delivered to their respective owners in a day (Chennai).

https://youtu.be/5DLKWt61UqE

[AKSwamy]

I bought my Skoda Slavia 1.0L Style variant on 18th Mar and I was told I am first customer from PPS Skoda Mysore road showroom Bengaluru.

I picked the Silver color since that was looking as the most appealing and elegant of all the other colors available (picture attached)

Some background,

Having driven Honda Amaze for almost 7 years from 2013-2020 and looking for an upgrade in many ways, I had bought a Mahindra XUV300 in Mar 2020 and as with most things unanticipated in my life, crisis stuck and we went into our 1st lockdown just 1 week after I bought it. With limited opportunity I still did couple of trips to Hampi and Pondi with it. I was not at all happy with this one since the 1st day, having driven a honda for many years, this felt like a downgrade rather than an upgrade. Mind you I had an SMT diesel and my xuv300 was an AMT diesel top end. I know many would think it is a bad decision going for an AMT but I dint have much option at the time and I was desperate for an upgrade to an automatic and I got an handsome discount since it was BS4 and one of the last ones available!

I have had all kinds of problems wrt niggles and issues with xuv300 right from loose glovebox lids, music system issues, sounds coming from seats, suspensions etc. Even if I ignore all these issues it was a disaster to drive inside city with rubber band effect and all that you can associate with an AMT. It was a beast on a highway which should be mentioned!

Now coming to Slavia,

I had pre-booked it at the launch and was offered in the first batch hence and the whole buying experience was good and smooth.
I love the looks and it is a head turner for sure since I have been stopped and asked about it already couple of times!
Coming to the driving experience boy-o-boy I am enjoying every bit of refinedness and punch it offers. I feel like a driving enthusiast again which I had lost after selling my Honda and bringing in the xuv300.
I love the way it drives through our famous Bengaluru traffic and I am not minding the traffic because of it!

I know there are fence sitters who talk about the degradation in the quality of Skoda with the new India specific platform and cost cutting parts, I am telling you for the price and driving pleasure it offers I have no regrets. The door closing thud is still great, the cabin still feels luxurious, cabin space once you are inside is ample and I have already spoken about the driving pleasure enough!

Having researched a lot of cars through team bhp forums, innumerable you-tube reviews, I am feeling like I have made the right choice!

My bottom line is go for an Indian manufacturer like Tata/Maruti/Mahindra if your budget is below 15L, mind you my first car was a Tata Indica Xeta!

If your budget is above 15L, should go for an european or japanese since the refinement and driving pleasure is incomparable which is the essence of any car and 90% of the reason why you are buying a car!

If you need only features go for Korean/Chinese!

[RedMaw]

Originally Posted by AKSwamy

I bought my Skoda Slavia 1.0L Style variant on 18th Mar and I was told I am first customer from PPS Skoda Mysore road showroom Bengaluru.

Congrats on the Slavia. How was the ride and back seat comfort?

Originally Posted by AKSwamy

If you need only features go for Korean/Chinese!

ooff..