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Old 13th May 2022, 22:42   #421
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by audioholic View Post
Congrats on your 1.5s. How is the AC performance? Is the AC issue present in your cars too? Based on my test drive I only noticed that the 1.0 had a poor AC. The 1.5 had a decent one, not a chiller of an AC though. Is it the same with your cars too considering you have done a lot of highway runs already?
Like you mentioned I did not face any air-conditioning issue in the car though the placement of the duct in the center and rear could have been better or as good as competition. I did feel the center duct are placed a little low and the blow from the rear duct aren't effective for the rear passengers.

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Originally Posted by amit1agrawal View Post
Congratulations on the new ride! Carbon Steel looks great in shaded area. It took us some time to decide between CS and Red colour.
I have booked a Red 1.5 DSG on 20th March. The delivery is getting delayed week after week. As per latest input by SA, Red colour is being manufactured vin fewer numbers (in 1.5 DSG avataar) as there is little demand for this colour. He has a white readily available but the better half vetoed against it ( not that I like it). The latest estimate as per him that my car will be delivered by month end; fingers crossed.

Did you notice any improvements after changing the tyres. How much did it cost you?
Congrats on your 1.5 DSG . The change to slightly soft compound tyres has its advantages of soft ride, maneuvering smooth and classy feedback from the steering. I had to pay additionally 23K after the exchange of Stock tyres which had done 300 kms.
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Old 14th May 2022, 13:57   #422
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

A white 1.5DSG is available in Bangalore immediately. If anyone is interested do drop in a PM so I can pass the contact of the SA.
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Old 15th May 2022, 01:05   #423
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

I was wondering that how can the spare wheel be removed with that subwoofer placed inside the wheel? Is the subwoofer to be disconnected to do so?
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Old 15th May 2022, 02:29   #424
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

I test-drove the Škoda Slavia 1.0 MT, today. I would like to classify my observations with respect to the car and the showroom. Here goes:

VEHICLE IMPRESSIONS:
  • The car has is very elegant and has substantial presence. This shade of Crystal Blue is very interesting, ranging from aqua blue to peacock green under different lights (granted, it was mostly dark by the time I saw it in flesh).
  • Illumination is decent on the car. The LED headlamps have great spread and sharp cut off, but high beam could have done with a longer throw (I'll need to check it in pitch dark environs to gauge the efficacy better). Tail lamps look wicked with their angular motif and bright LEDs. An illuminated scuff plate / door handle illumination would look great on this car and make it that much more special. Also, the fog lamps aren't the LED kind. Their throw is strictly average.
  • Coming from our humble Hyundai i10, I hit my head on the A-pillar, not once but thrice! I guess I'm going to need some getting used to low-slung cars.
  • Cavernous boot, no two ways about it. Finishing of the boot lining could have been much, much better - it's an eyesore! And Škoda has done absolutely no attempt at masking the hinge mechanism. But full marks to them for the full-size spare wheel.
  • I don't know if it's due to the low height or something else, but the cabin doesn't feel proportionately spacious to the car's size. NOT TO SAY that it's claustrophobic (far from it), but Honda's packaging wizardry in the City is on another level!
  • Ventilated seats function very well, and are silent in their operation. That's not something that can be said about the power windows; they're damn noisy. The window motors in our 14-year-old i10, that have somewhat packed up, make lesser noise! Takes away from the intended premium feel. The sunroof motor is also noisy, although not quite as much.
  • There isn't one feel-good panel on the entire interior trim. The top of the dash is hard plastic (the cowl over the instrument binnacle was already scratched up pretty badly), the bronze / gold strip is unconvincing, the piano black surface picks up smudges and scratches in no time, and even the window switches area is decidedly low-rent. The power mirror control, in particular, feels flimsy. As someone in this thread has rightly pointed out the chrome insert on the AC vent adjustment tabs aren't nice to touch. That said, the interior panels all feel well screwed together all power window switches are illuminated, as are the USB Type-C charging ports, both front and rear.
  • The quality of the gear lever and steering wheel are excellent. Even the switchgear on the steering wheel works well. It's always a nasty surprise when the wipers go off on a turn in a VAG car, after coming from 'regular' ones. The operation of the stalks feels nice, though.
  • The four LED dome lights (two each in the front and back) look sweet, and illuminate the cabin very well. The switches for these lights were sticky on the test car, but then again, the car had barely run 200 km so it might be something to look out for.
  • The spring-loaded interior grab handles have a very limited travel for some reason. And no, it wasn't because it's a new car, since all four handles felt the same way.
  • The ICE unit is slick, responsive, and vibrant. I couldn't test all the features available, but wireless Android Auto worked very well, and the music quality was very good, albeit a bit boomy. Maybe reducing the bass in the equalizer settings would do the trick. The Tata Altroz's 8-speaker setup sounds decidedly superior, though.
  • The digital cockpit is unimpressive, once the novelty factor wears off. I really missed the usual two-gauge layout, and couldn't help but think of ways in which the blank spaces on either side of the console could be used. I hope Škoda comes up with a software upgrade to alter the graphics and utilise the space better (not sure if it's even possible).
  • Although it's a norm for cars with a sloping roofline and high boot lid to have poor rearward visibility, the Slavia's felt especially abysmal. Not that it's all that relevant in the times of reversing cameras, but the camera quality on this one isn't particularly great, either (in the dark).
  • Rear seat, although spacious, is set quite low, resulting in subpar under-thigh support. Straddling the central floor hump is going to be the least of the middle passenger's woes; the raised seat and protruding central armrest are the bigger problems here. I wonder if this arrangement is intentional to prevent the three passengers from brushing shoulders throughout the journey. Again, Honda does a much better job at the back in the City.
  • Finally, coming to the driving impressions. In a word - ordinary. I've driven the 1.0 MT powertrain in the VW Vento before, and I remember it being livelier. Not just a little turbo lag, the car felt dead below 2000 RPM. Post that, progress was livelier (still not fast). I did not redline the car (revved it to ~4800 RPM), and it pulled linearly sans any flat spots, but it wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped for. Although there weren't much vibrations on the pedals or elsewhere, the engine felt very vocal. Heck, on the outside, there was almost a diesel-like clatter. Gearshifts were positive and slick, although the clutch felt heavier than it should in a modern petrol engine. I've driven some diesels with a lighter clutch, so this was quite uncharacteristic. Also, the clutch pedal had no play at the top of the travel; it slipped as soon as I began pressing the pedal. The brakes performed well, although I can't help but wish for all-round disc brakes, at least in the more powerful 1.5. What baffled me was the MID was showing an average FE of just 4.7 kpl (!). Granted, the car has never left urban limits, and has been driven for a limited duration, but this was an atrocious figure for a 1.0 MT car. I can only imagine how much thirstier the 1.5 would be! Could there be a specific problem with this particular car? BHPians, please feel free to respond.

SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE:

I've been meaning to test-drive the Slavia ever since its launch but couldn't find the time for two months. I had put in a query for the Slavia 1.5 MT in the Škoda website on March 03, and they sent me the name and contact details of the SA at JMD Auto, Thane (Let's call him Mr. A) over SMS. He confirmed my query the very next day, and promised to send one to my place, but didn't bother to honour his word or to follow up on the query. I called him up at least 4 times during the course of these two months for the status of the test drive for 1.5 MT, and it was the same story every time - "Okay sir, I'll send the car to your location". Now, I'd already experienced this powertrain briefly in a friend's Kushaq 1.5 MT, but I wanted to check it out in detail in the Slavia. Since I was in the area today by happenstance, I decided to check one out, anyway.
  • The JMD Auto, Thane showroom is very well-appointed. On display were a couple of regular Kushaqs, a Kushaq Monte Carlo, an Octavia, and a Slavia.
  • I reached by around 6:30 PM along with my dad, and it was almost empty, with the exception of one other party. They took down my contact details and offered us a seat and some water.
  • Another SA, let's call him Mr. B, greeted us and started engaging. I expressed an interest to test drive the Slavia 1.5 MT, and explained to him how Mr. A has been forgetting to schedule a test drive for me all this while, and he said he'll check on it.
  • Mr. B asked for my driver's license, got it copied and returned in 5 minutes, only to confirm whether I was asking for the 1.5 DSG. I reiterated, 1.5 MT. That's when he told me flat out that Škoda does not offer the 1.5 MT variant for test drives, for both Kushaq and Slavia. When I asked why not, he said it's an unpopular variant, and it's not economical for Škoda to allocate a test drive vehicle in this combination to all the dealerships. This brings me to my next questions -
    - Have other BHPians experienced the same? I implore them to share their stories here (apologies if I've missed any that have been shared earlier). If not, could BHPians in the area direct me to a dealership that actually has the Slavia 1.5 MT for a test drive?
    - If what he said is actually true, and the 1.5 MT is not much in demand, is it possible that Škoda might follow the footsteps of its sister brand and axe the variant altogether?
  • When I asked Mr. B how people were booking the 1.5 MT without a test drive, he was gloating that people come in, test drive 1.0 MT, know in their heads that the 1.5 has superior performance, and book it right away! I was smirking under my mask; it's one thing to have confidence in a product, whole other thing to keep blowing one's ridiculous trumpet.
  • I then asked if he could arrange the 1.0 MT, he said they normally don't allow test drives after 6:00 PM, but since I'd travelled all the way from Dombivli to Thane just for it, he'll oblige (lucky me!). The car was ready within 10 minutes, and Mr. B, my dad, and I went for a spin.
  • The drive was very short - hardly 3-4 km. I asked him to arrange for another thorough one at my place at my convenience, to which he agreed.
  • I drive in an outstretched position, due to which the driver seat is always pushed way back than it normally is. For this reason alone, I ask my dad (who accompanies me on every test drive) to sit behind me and check ingress, egress, knee room, foot room, and comfort. So when I asked dad to check the same today, Mr. B made a snarky comment that coming from an i10, everything would feel luxurious. I quickly pointed out that my dad struggled to sit behind me in a Tata Hexa, to which Mr. B quickly acknowledged that it's a good idea.
  • When I pointed out honestly that the engine feels dead below 2000 RPM, he kept harping about how it's 110 BHP, and that I must be new to turbo petrols (again, silly me!). I was too exhausted to set the record straight, so I let it go.
  • After we were back, I spent another 20-25 minutes checking out the interior. Mr. B let me try out every function and peripheral in the interior to my heart's content.
  • Towards the end of the exercise, he asked me fill out a feedback form and handed me a price list. He then mentioned that MT variants have a waiting period of over 4 weeks, automatics are 6 to 8 weeks, and if I want one in the blue colour, it's going to be 12-14 weeks. Again, I request BHPians to comment on this.

All in all, it was an uneventful drive. The Slavia as a product is mighty impressive, but that special something that we've come to associate with Škodas is missing, somehow. Also, I believe that the pre-sales experience is a testament to how the after-sales service is going to turn out, and I must say that it was pretty meh.

P.S. Škoda is advertising their extended warranty packages with a placard that says "6 Years, Peace of Mind". I let out a rather loud laugh when I read that!

Last edited by libranof1987 : 15th May 2022 at 17:57. Reason: Two smileys/post
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Old 15th May 2022, 08:49   #425
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by FrAgile View Post
I was wondering that how can the spare wheel be removed with that subwoofer placed inside the wheel? Is the subwoofer to be disconnected to do so?
Yes you have to. But again this is not a frequent task. Correct!!
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Old 15th May 2022, 20:44   #426
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by saisree View Post
Yes you have to. But again this is not a frequent task. Correct!!
I have not yet explored that properly but how to disconnect that subwoofer? Any precautions to be taken while doing so?
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Old 16th May 2022, 20:13   #427
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by RoverX View Post
The JMD Auto, Thane showroom
Off-topic!,
Through the Skoda website I was assigned JMD(Kandivali) and a lady, we'll call her Ms. S, via Ms. S I asked to arrange an Octavia and Superb test-drive for me and she couldn't for two weeks.
I mentioned numerous times I'd come to their showroom and the lady, always would say test-drive vehicle was not available(this is no MT/AT excuse as your Slavia as both of these cars are only available in AT) and then Ms. S from JMD said she'll call me when a car is available but never did, the third week I called her again and asked her why she didn't call me for the test-drive and she was very apologetic and said she would definitely call me again in the next few days for a test drive, It has now been a few months and no call.
I went walk-in to Mody Skoda at Worli and was able to get a Test drive of both the Octavia and Superb right away, although post the test-drive he(Mr. S?) was least bothered in actually selling me the car, sent me the literature via pdf in Whatsapp and never called back. Skoda really should have a look at what their dealers are upto. Perhaps as part of India 2.0 send some employees posing as potential customers method some companies employ, and they might see better numbers than the paltry figures some of their cars continue to do.

Last edited by Maky : 16th May 2022 at 20:29.
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Old 16th May 2022, 20:44   #428
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by Maky View Post
Off-topic!,
Through the Skoda website I was assigned JMD(Kandivali) and a lady, we'll call her Ms. S, via Ms. S I asked to arrange an Octavia and Superb test-drive for me and she couldn't for two weeks.
I mentioned numerous times I'd come to their showroom and the lady, always would say test-drive vehicle was not available(this is no MT/AT excuse as your Slavia as both of these cars are only available in AT) and then Ms. S from JMD said she'll call me when a car is available but never did, the third week I called her again and asked her why she didn't call me for the test-drive and she was very apologetic and said she would definitely call me again in the next few days for a test drive, It has now been a few months and no call.
I went walk-in to Mody Skoda at Worli and was able to get a Test drive of both the Octavia and Superb right away, although post the test-drive he(Mr. S?) was least bothered in actually selling me the car, sent me the literature via pdf in Whatsapp and never called back. Skoda really should have a look at what their dealers are upto. Perhaps as part of India 2.0 send some employees posing as potential customers method some companies employ, and they might see better numbers than the paltry figures some of their cars continue to do.
This is exactly what I experienced as well, the TD offered was very short hardly a km or two and post that nothing, nada, zilch. No calls nothing till last week when I started getting calls again but it is too late now for Skoda as I have already taken delivery of my Honda City.
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Old 16th May 2022, 23:46   #429
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by Maky View Post
she was very apologetic and said she would definitely call me again in the next few days for a test drive, It has now been a few months and no call. I went walk-in to Mody Skoda at Worli and was able to get a Test drive of both the Octavia and Superb right away, although post the test-drive he(Mr. S?) was least bothered in actually selling me the car, sent me the literature via pdf in Whatsapp and never called back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dieseltuned View Post
This is exactly what I experienced as well, the TD offered was very short hardly a km or two and post that nothing, nada, zilch. No calls nothing till last week when I started getting calls again but it is too late now for Skoda as I have already taken delivery of my Honda City.
I haven't experienced such apathy from any other brand's dealership, so far. Could it be an allocation issue with the JMD group? Funnily enough, I got a call from Dr. Auto, Nerul. They started by confirming that the 1.5 MT hasn't been made available to me, put me on hold for 2 minutes, noted down my address and disconnected. Not too hopeful of getting any assistance from there, too. They're very prompt in sharing the brochure and pricing details over WhatsApp, though!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maky View Post
Skoda really should have a look at what their dealers are upto. Perhaps as part of India 2.0 send some employees posing as potential customers method some companies employ, and they might see better numbers than the paltry figures some of their cars continue to do.
Exactly my thoughts! Not just Škoda, but every automotive brand out there should do this exercise from time to time and ensure that things are in order. If the brands are vigilant and responsive to the discussions on Team-BHP, they must already know which of their dealerships / areas are the most problematic, and can initiate these checks from there.
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Old 16th May 2022, 23:54   #430
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana View Post

Conclusion

Slavia is a very good choice if you are among the very few people who prefer sedans today. It is spacious, comfortable, refined, fast and looks elegant. It is infact a great choice for the chauffeur driven folks.

If you ask me whether it is a good replacement for a Rapid owner who prefers driving dynamics, I would say no. The same 1.0 tsi MT made me inherently push the Polo hard, while in Slavia, the overall dynamics of the car made me drive gentler. Slavia definitely doesn't connect as well as a Rapid or a vento/polo.

Slavia in the silver shade

Attachment 2296953
Something I have been looking for since a couple of months. I bought a Rapid AT in March and was wondering if I took a wrong decision because by the time I took delivery of my Rapid, the Slavia was already selling.

Now after reading your test drive results, I am happy with my decision particularly because I enjoy driving it and I don't use it as a chauffeur driven car

Last edited by moralfibre : 17th May 2022 at 03:03. Reason: Trimming quoted post.
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Old 17th May 2022, 14:05   #431
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

Introducing the new ŠKODA SLAVIA w/ ŠKODA Head of Design Oliver Stefani


Skoda Slavia Review-h31920x744.jpg



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Old 17th May 2022, 16:27   #432
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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As a Slavia owner hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I have been reading about the AC issue a lot on the forum. It is very concerning that people are facing such issues on the car that they have recently bought and hope that Skoda takes note and fixes these issues.
Did a Mumbai - Nasik - Mumbai in a friend's Slavia two weeks back, and I can say that AC of Slavia ain't upto the mark compared to Japanese & Korean cars. AC temp was set to 19 but still wasn't that comfortable. Compared to this I feel I have never needed to lower ac temperature of my Baleno below 24. I have driven Baleno in peak summer in Rajasthan but temperature was never set below 24.

Once back, my friend and me went to service center to get the AC checked. However according to service advisor, all German cars have AC systems tuned as per European weather, and hence there will always be difference between German cars Vs Japanese, Koreans etc.

Also AC compressors come in Scroll, Piston (Fixed/Variable), and Rotary Vane type. Not sure which manufacturer uses which type and if it does effect the cooling.

I fail to understand when a product is specifically made for Indian conditions, why not even tune it to suit Indian conditions.
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Old 17th May 2022, 17:54   #433
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by RM Motorsports View Post

Once back, my friend and me went to service center to get the AC checked. However according to service advisor, all German cars have AC systems tuned as per European weather, and hence there will always be difference between German cars Vs Japanese, Koreans etc.
Is European weather very different from Korean/Japan weather? To my knowledge, 19c set in the thermostat should be the same throughout the world .

Please check with another service center. Looks like they are taking you for a ride.
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Old 17th May 2022, 18:18   #434
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by RM Motorsports View Post
Did a Mumbai - Nasik - Mumbai in a friend's Slavia two weeks back, and I can say that AC of Slavia ain't upto the mark compared to Japanese & Korean cars. AC temp was set to 19 but still wasn't that comfortable. Compared to this I feel I have never needed to lower ac temperature of my Baleno below 24. I have driven Baleno in peak summer in Rajasthan but temperature was never set below 24.

It's a known issue with 1.0 Slavia, Kushaq and the Taigun. I remember reading somewhere that Skoda(Zac) acknowledged the issue, and their tech teams are working out a solution.
Weirdly 1.5 doesn't suffer from the same, not sure what's different.
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Old 17th May 2022, 20:27   #435
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Re: Skoda Slavia Review

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Originally Posted by m8002? View Post
Is European weather very different from Korean/Japan weather? To my knowledge, 19c set in the thermostat should be the same throughout the world .
It's not a question of 19C being different for different manufacturers.

In an ACC system, the 'demanded load' from the AC compressor is in proportion to the delta between the current cabin temp and the demanded temp (try setting 16C in your ACC v/s try setting 22C in your ACC when the outside temp is 27C, the ramp up in cooling will be higher if you set it to 16C).

On certain peak summer days, when driving in daytime, if the outside temp is 37C, and if you want 22C in your cabin, you have two options -
(a) to set 16C
(b) to set 22C.

The heat and the added greenhouse effect maybe such that this compressor* can never achieve a target temp of 22C , and the equilibrium point where the efforts of the compressor and blower plateaus off, will probably be 25C or so. But in case (a), you will see that the compressor will run full tilt all the time, whilst in case (b), the compressor would be backed-off as the cabin nears 25C, because the aggression needed to achieve 22C from 25C is nowhere near the aggression needed to achieve 16C from 25C (both aggressions will never achieve their goal, but atleast the effort in case (a) will be stronger).

Quote:
Originally Posted by venkyhere View Post
what is the cubic capacity of the AC compressor ? 100cc ? 120cc ?

Some small cars like the old model figo/fiesta had 150cc AC compressor, have heard even some TATAs and marutis have the same capacity.
*that's why I asked this Q earlier in the thread, and still waiting for the answer

Last edited by venkyhere : 17th May 2022 at 20:33.
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