[sachin_cs]

My take on the Slavia:

Skoda India organized a 2-day event in Goa for the existing customers of Skoda to experience the newly launched Skoda Slavia and understand the car better. The event was called #DriveWithSlavia and I was part of it along with fellow BHPians like Dr Vikas (the one with blue Octavia), Sanyog(fellow Rapid TSi owner) & I'm sorry if I'm missing anyone.

For those of you who don't know me, I drive a 2019 Rapid TDi DSG and have done close to 50k kms with my Heisenberg. The below observations are my personal views and are not meant to hurt anyone.

Positives:

• Ride and handling balance
• Looks, it will age well
• Tyre size of 205/55 offers good sidewall
• Engine & gearbox combination- there's something for everyone
• Comfortable-airy cabin & great ergonomics
• Throw from headlights is strong (Achilles heel of Rapid)
• Brakes are surefooted
• 1.0 is an all rounder and there's nothing like 1.5TSi
• Features like seat ventilation, Rake-reach steering, XDS, MCB, TC, ESP, E brake boost etc.

Negatives:

• I need full underbody cover
• Lights in the glove box is missing
• No auto up-down on all 4 windows like Rapid.
• Ambition variant vis a vis Kushaq lacks features
• Temperature & blower controls are fine but rest needed me to take my eyes off the road to fiddle with climatronic control
• Not offering monte Carlo edition is a crime
• Steering is precise but lacks feedback, would have liked more feedback atleast in the 1.5 TSi variant. I guess light EPS is the norm these days (I miss you fiesta)

Let me address the elephant in the room first-

I have been following the Slavia thread for a couple of days on the forum as well as on other social media platforms and I am so surprised to see the Slavia getting bashed Left-Right & Centre, I don't really know if these criticisms are coming from people who have genuinely experienced it or it's coming from keyboard warriors. My Rapid is my daily driver and I have driven it across various road surfaces, so my natural benchmark for Slavia would be the old PQ25 based Rapid.

A. Car lifting off its wheel which was shared in Insta Reels:

That location is on the outskirts of Goa, it is a closed helipad with roads forming a shape of a rectangle maze with 90 degree turns. Road condition- bumpy and at places gravels. Since we were driving in convoy, we had rules to follow and it was here that we were allowed to push the car to its limits as it was not a public road. I drove the car first and reached some unmentionable speeds (very easy to do in the 1.5TSi) and slammed on the brakes, car stopped in a straight line with no drama and has far better brakes than my Rapid. Next, I tested the handling and I got three corners to attack on the defined path, I was on the outside line-hit the apex-exited the corner with throttle. So what did I observed? Car behaved normally as it should and there was no moment when I felt the car is loosing traction or lifting off the ground, so that particular video must have been shot at very highspeed. Next up, my brother got in the driver seat and he did the drill, me on the passenger seat again felt nothing abnormal, car held its line, there was no unnecessary body movements and did its job.


The same location where that Reels was shot and we drove on the exact same roads



Observe the car holding its line properly while entering the corner. Also observe a patch work on the road which essentially acts as the mid-corner bump.



Observe the change in axis between the front wheel and the rear. Note the wheel articulation of the front wheel.



There you go, the speed was so much so that the car left ground for a moment.



B. Ugly looking rear with exposed tank, torsion beam:

After spending a day with the car and driving in the convoy also helped me realize that the video uploaded on the youtube sometime back, showing the ugly stance was probably because of the spacers or maybe it was being tested on oversized tyres as Zac mentioned that they tested Slavia with 17 inchers as well. Following click from the event would help you understand what I observed-


The famous video of Slavia on road sans camo



I purposefully sat on the ground and clicked from a very low angle

(Little trivia: Skoda lettering in the rear started in China as skoda wanted to enhance its brand presence and then the idea moved forward & was introduced in other markets)


In normal stance it looks fairly neat



Clicked by BHPian Sanyog during the drive. It gives a perspective of how a Slavia would appear from rear when viewed from a low slung sedan.




C. Ride and handling:

I saw many responses saying Rapid is a better handler, sorry, but I beg to differ here, I found the ride-handling balance of Slavia to be slightly superior when compared to Rapid. Allow me to explain, Rapid has very good high speed stability and ride quality & so does the Slavia but when going gets slow, Rapid has the harsher suspension and on the other hand with Slavia you can get bit careless. Regarding body roll, both cars are similar in nature if I compare my rapid when it was shod with Goodyear but now due to softer Michelins, body roll has slightly increased in my Rapid. Handling is again really good in the Slavia and its benchmark in the segment, no second thoughts on that. On the outskirts, I got some lovely winding roads and I pushed the car and it was rewarding the way chassis responded, it allows you to push the car. Turn-in is better in the Slavia, its nimble during sharp direction change and on the other hand Rapid feels front heavy and understeers a bit (it might be because of the heavy TDi motor).


Can't express how fun it was to push the car on such lovely winding section, smooth surface & low traffic









D. Build quality:

Going by the words, I'm getting an impression as if the Slavia has build quality of an Asian car, well let me put it this way- it still is an European car, much better built than the competitions. Can't conclusively comment on the safety aspect of any of the cars be it City 5th gen, Verna, Ciaz or the Slavia, as none of the made in India-sold in India cars have been tested yet, so lets keep the presumptions aside. Though I personally feel that City and Slavia should perform good on the test, rest two companies don't have a good track record on safety. On the famous "thud" quotient, I found it to be comparable to Rapid, nothing degrading as it has been made out, it still is 95% of what Rapid feels like. The reason which comes to my mind is- If you have driven cars based on older platforms like PQ35 (Jetta, Laura, yeti) chances are you would find all the newer MQB platform based cars to feel lighter, so is the case with MQB-A0-IN. If the platform is safer, lighter, torsionally more rigid then I don't see a problem.


E. Interiors:

People complain when a manufacturer gives-

• Beige interior-difficult to maintain
• White interior-difficult to maintain
• Black interior- too claustrophobic and monotonous

So you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. Best way is Skoda should come up with the Monte Carlo edition and keep both the sides happy (applicable to all manufacturers).

On the interior quality, I would say its a step up from Kushaq, feels a notch higher be it the roofliner or the colour scheme, thank for listening us. There's no use of soft plastic(Chinese have hit it out of the park in this department), whether soft or not, it should be of good quality and not rattle. Regarding interior rattles, the car I was driving was fairly silent and I think we should wait for a while to see how it fares in the long run, it will be too soon to form an opinion.


Pleasant place to start your day






Reminds me of Rapid, door pockets are better designed than the predecessor



You forgot to place a light, bring it back



I was happy with the blower and temperature control but switching to fresh-air mode made me look at the panel. It will take a while getting used to it.



Star of the interior, a very fluid and informative infotainment system (I'm looking at you Honda). Wireless Android auto was impressive.



The only thing I can think of is placing a scale model here



Notice the improved quality of headliner



Frameless VAG IRVM are beauty in itself



To keep the aam janta happy, biggest sunroof of the segment



I was so lost in the driving that I did not even realize that I'm driving a 2-spoke steering wheel, it was only after an hour I observed it so, works as intended so hardly bothers.



Overall the cabin offers very good visibility, ergonomics are spot on too.



Makes up for a nice cozy cabin and you can do all day long mile munching in it.



Black top helps in minimizing sunlight reflection



F. Prices:

I don't know how some people were expecting it to start at 9L, I mean it's a full sized sedan, comes standard with ESP-XDS-Multi collision braking and the likes along with European build quality, I don't see a point. Kushaq if you ask me, yes it was overpriced for what it offers and Slavia I think is fairly priced (baring some variant), just to give you a context, the similarly equipped Style AT/MT of Slavia is almost 1L cheaper than Kushaq in my city and offers more features. In 2019, a decade old platform Rapid ambition DSG was retailing at 15L onroad, Style/Monte carlo would cross 16+, Vento Highline+ was touching 17L, if you do some calculations, bring in the development cost, newer & bigger car plus inflation, I feel price is justified. If I have to upgrade from my Rapid under 20L, I literally don't see any option other than Slavia 1.5 TSi. To each his own, I would any day prefer a car with great engine-gearbox combination and has the basics right instead of the one with voice operated sunroof.

Style 1.0 AT has 80k difference & MT has an exact 1L gap. The gap is not so much in the 1.5 TSi though but its still lower



G. Ground clearance:

The very reason buyers are ditching Sedans is low ground clearance and here we have a sedan with good ground clearance and it still is a problem for some. I personally would prefer a sedan with good ground clearance and enjoy best of both worlds. In the past, Linea with raised ground clearance, Volvo S60 cross country were great attempts but unfortunately they couldn't strike a chord with the masses because many want their cars to look imposing, tall, butch etc which is the trend right now. People like me and Dr Vikas who drives Octavia were very impressed with the ground clearance and practicality. Plus, when compared to raised hatchbacks, a car sitting lower to ground gives the engineers a bit more liberty to play with suspension tuning and hit a right balance between ride & handling.


I will happily drive this to Ladakh



Much cleaner underbody than Rapid/Vento. No rear spring protrusion or hanging handbrake cable



For comparison



H. After sales support:

Skoda is very infamous for their after sales support and there have been cases of reliability issues in the past and recent saga with EPC errors. I fortunately have been lucky in this front despite having the dreaded DQ200 and many in my circle have had good experiences only so far, personally speaking, I see they are trying to make a difference and efforts can be seen, kindly go through my ownership review. Also, with Skoda getting rid of some dealer recently instills confidence that they are in the right direction. Only advice would be to make your complaint escalation system more cohesive and efficient, so that whatever complaints we make to you directly should be assessed internally & not directed back to the dealers. We can't escalate everything through Zac all the time.

Let's talk about the experience now:

First of all, it's a brave move by Skoda to offer a brand new Sedan in the market where buyers are clearly steering towards pseudo SUVs. We have already seen demise of cars like Elantra, Altis, Civic, Accord, Yaris and the list continues and it's a no brainer that the threat still looms around the remaining handful of cars available in the market right now. At the end of the day, manufacturers are here to run businesses and if they ain't making profit they will eventually phase out sedans. It will be a big loss for people like me, who are die hard sedan lovers and who don't think twice to venture out with our cars to territories where other FWD Suvs are anyways going. I don't want to see that day when I don't have options to choose in the 3 box format. If I could remember the cars I used to draw behind my school notebooks, well, they were sedans. Enough of my rants now!

I got the chance to drive Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSi on the roads of Goa, it was a convoy drive from Taj Exotica to some isolated helipad on the outskirts where we got to experience the crazy 150 PS 1.5 TSi. We got mixed driving condition to experience the Slavia right from narrow streets of Goa to a NH to small ghat section to a private road to push the cars. The drive was very well organized and I experienced it on both good roads & potholes ridden roads to get a fair idea of the suspension setup.


To be continued in the next post as I have reached limits for photos...

[sachin_cs]

Looks:

Skoda has always given us good looking cars with one exception(no offence to Yeti owners, I found it too quirky). Slavia is no different, it is a beautiful full-sized sedan and it looks smoking hot in red, I couldn't help but imagine a Monte Carlo version, it will look killer (Zac if you are reading). The car looks well proportioned and the design will age well. The complaint with Kushaq was it looks smaller than the competition, well Slavia is the most imposing of the lot at the moment. The design language is on par with the global design language seen in the new Fabia (as has always been with the Rapid & global Fabia). I particularly liked the attention to detail in the headlights and those eye-lashes. The length of the car is evident and it looks like a big car, I won't compare it with Rapid, won't compare it with Octavia either, it reminded me more of the Laura. Laura had a tall rear, good ground clearance and looked badass & so does the Slavia.


Right after coming out of the airport, spotted this beauty. A difficult shoes to fill



Looks hot



Within seconds you can figure out he's a proper car guy



Briefing






My partner in crime



Yours truly



Clicked in the Rainforest



Notice the length



Two brave soldiers taking the onslaught of SUVs






So happy to see all three in one frame



Kushaq looks sexy in carbon steel



At closed airstrip


















Lower Grill pattern is similar to its predecessor and its reminiscent of the Czech Industry



Crystalline elements



And it continues in the rear



Led number plate lights and rear cam



Integrated spoiler of the sort



Trapezium shaped fuel filler cap



Notice the sloping roof line



Request sensors on both the F-door handles and chrome to satisfy that Indian obsession



Hidden spray jets in typical Skoda fashion



Notice the bulges on the bonnet



Sunroof is more important than safety I tell you


To be continued..

[sachin_cs]

Driving the Slavia:

This is the part I was eagerly waiting to talk about. I got to experience the 1.0 TSi 114 BHP/178NM with 6 AT AQ250 and 1.5 TSi with a whopping 148BHP/250NM paired with DQ200. I had the option to experience the manuals on both the engines but I decided to focus on the automatics as they are the future and I don't think I will be going back to manuals anymore after driving the DSG.

1.0 TSi:
This EA211 motor is a gem of an engine. It's impressive how a 3 cylinder engine could be so silent and the performance is fair for what competition offers. Since it comes with a torque converter, the drivetrain allows you to have a much better launch and there's no inherent lag as observed in DSG. I was impressed with the performance on offer from such a tiny engine, times have changed for sure. 0-80 performance is really good and then after it starts to wane if I compare it with my Rapid TDi, that 250NM torque on Rapid propels it like a locomotive. BHPian Dr Vikas also felt the same, since he drives an Octavia L&K 1.8 DSG, he also felt the 1.0 slightly sluggish. Coming to the Torque Converter, this was the best tuned TC gearbox I have driven in a long time, it doesn't rob away the power like other TC or CVTs do, shift time is great and so is the way it puts the power down. Also the gearbox masks away the turbo lag beautifully and if you still don't like it then you can play with S-mode or paddle shifters.

Who should buy one?

• Someone who has a lot of city driving
• Doesn't necessarily drive pedal-to-metal all the time
• Who wants a fun to drive car but doesn't want to spend 20 big ones
• All the DSG fence-sitters

Flag off for batch 2. I was in the batch-1



Paint it red



Slavia was the head turner wherever we went



It's always fun driving in the convoy



Arriving in style to drive the monster 1.5



Chiseled lines



Trying to act cool with a walkie



Digital display gels so well with the classy cabin



Driving the 1.5 TSi:

Since the embargo has been lifted, I can speak my heart out. Earlier whenever someone asked me about it, I was like- what is 1.5? What is TSi? . Since we were driving in a convoy, it would have not been possible to fully experience the 1.5TSi, so, we were taken to a private road and were given 2 rounds to experience how does it feel to put down 150 horses on the road. The moment I got behind the driver's seat, I noticed how smooth and refined the petrol motors is compared to my TDI. Slotted it into D and drove off at slow speed to join the main road, the car felt like a normal 1.0 TSi and nothing special about it. Joined the main road, pushed the lever to slot it into S mode, mashed the throttle and God! It flies, there was so much torque steer, I was seeing the traction control light continuously flashing, the push into the seat feeling, speedo needle well past 3 digits in no time, the engine note after 4000rpm roars, it was so much drama that I reached the point from where I had to take a right. I slammed on the brakes, the car slowed down beautifully and I entered the corner at speed and the car behaved the way it should. Into the last corner, the car carried its composure and I came to a halt. Pressed the brake from the left leg, accelerator from the right and nothing happened, Typical DQ200! Lifted the left leg and the car started moving and then boom, that pull from the engine is crazy. You have got to experience this engine in person, I'm sure it will be very difficult to drive anything else. It's a beautiful piece of art, specially more so in the Slavia as it sits lower to the ground and it allows you to push it harder than you would do in tall cars. Soon we reached the starting point & this time I hopped onto the passenger seat and my brother on the driving seat, it was fun experiencing it from the passenger seat and you can feel the moment of inertia playing its game. It was a short drive on the Slavia 1.5 but I could already feel the adrenaline rushing through my body. A few years ago, 150bhp was something one could only get in a Jetta, Octavia, Civic and other D2 segment cars and now we have a 148BHP paired with DSG in a C segment car. I absolutely loved it, if I ever plan to upgrade from my Rapid, it has to be the 1.5 TSi or above, else it would be a downgrade for me. The 1.5 TSI engine produces similar torque like the diesel at 250NM and the characteristic is quite like the diesel too, a good low-end torque and only more refined.


Two manuals and two DSGs



That first glimpse plastered a wide grin



1.5 TSi in all its glory



I couldn't stop staring




Some random observation:

Brakes:
As explained by Mr Patel from the Skoda team, the brakes have electric-assist & not hydraulic assist, so what it means in real life- the brake boost is ever ready irrespective of the engine speed and offers a crisp braking experience. I can confidently say that its a very big improvement over Rapid and if we replace the tyres with Michelins, it will get even better.




Tyre:
Finally a sensible tyre choice in sea of 195/55s, 185/55s. Dear manufacturers, we live in India and we do need a higher sidewall to survive. It also results in better ride quality, I'm sure the active variant with 195/65 will have a far supple ride. 205/55 R16 fill the wheel wells properly. BHPian Dr Vikas sir had to say that an upgrade from Goodyears to some performance tyres would further make the car a lot more enjoyable experience.


Cabin:
For anyone who is used to VAG cabin, Slavia is very welcoming and it doesn't take time to find a perfect driving position. Ergonomics fall in place, with good seat adjustment along with rake-reach steering makes up for a good driving position for all sizes. I personally like to sit at the lowest seat position and Rapid-Slavia both are equally good in that aspect. Whether you drive a humble Kwid or an Innova, you will feel that the car is chuckable and within the first few kilometres you will feel like car cocoons you and shrinks around you. You won't feel the size & I didn't have any difficulty driving in narrow streets.


If you have driven a VAG sedan, you will feel right at Home





Digital cockpit looks pretty



Quarter glass, sunroof, light interior make up for an airy cabin



Drive the Slavia & Rapid back to back and you will realize Rapid is a time machine, it will take you back by a decade




Music system:
4 speakers, 4 tweeters and a sub with a total output of 380W make up for a nice music experience, especially bass lovers will enjoy it. More than that, I loved the wireless Android auto, it makes the experience so seamless and there's no tangling wire in the cabin. Someone, please help me with a DIY on RCD340G plus to make it support wireless AA.





Notice the tweeters on A-pillar



Rear Bumpers:
Rear bumpers protrude out from the body and might as well save the bodywork during small rear shunts.

Bumper should serve the purpose as the name suggests






Underbody:
When a car is designed in India, designed for India & Made in India, please provide a full underbody protection. Even my Rapid didn't come with it and I got it installed from my dealer and I have realized over 3 years that how important investment it was. It has literally saved me from spending lacs on car repair, once I was on a single lane road doing 60kmph & suddenly a big stone on my lane dropped from a truck driving ahead but I couldn't steer right as there was oncoming traffic and on the left was a ditch, I knew I couldn't stop the car in such short distance so I had no option but to drive over that stone, all the beating was taken by the underbody cover and there was not a single scratch to the engine & gearbox. Had it not been for the underbody protection, my repair bills would have run into lacs. I can't stress enough on its importance.




Horns:
Dual horn note is similar to what I have in my Rapid, what was interesting was- I saw these horn mesh for the first time.





Kushaq:
We also got to experience the Kushaq for a fair amount of time as all our local commute like airport pickup-drop, restaurant hauls were in the Kushaq. It's a nice car but if I have the money then I will any day go ahead with the Slavia.


Clicked this at Martin's corner






Octavia:
At the 1.5 TSi drive location, I also got to experience the rear seat of the new Octavia and it is a very comfortable cabin, quality exudes from the materials used but due to the black roofline, big front seats & lack of sunroof, it does make the cabin bit dark. On the positive side, it feels like a proper luxury car.




After returning to Raipur, I drove my Rapid for 30kms and I really appreciate that even after 3 years of usage the car drives the way it did on day 1, TDi is a gem of an engine and it allows you to have fun with the car. The only thing I was missing was the refinement from the Slavia and that modern interior.




Would I replace my Rapid with a Slavia?
Ans. No.
I will rather add one red Slavia 1.5 to my garage, the last time I went gaga over a car was back in 2011 when Rapid TDI was launched, then Octavia vRS 230 in 2017 and now this. I will happily buy the DSG and also extend the warranty for 6 years and drive in peace and have fun with it. Life is too short to drive boring cars right!


Suggestion to Skoda-
I understand that the car has been engineered by keeping strict crash safety norms but we need an actual test too. Look at Tata & Mahindra, they are riding high on the safety aspect of their offerings and their products have become a self-advertisement in itself. Join the bandwagon and allocate resources from your marketing team and sponsor cars to Gncap, it will bring more footfalls to you. Indians have started taking note of the safety aspects and people do make smart choices when it comes to their family's safety.

In the end, it was wonderful meeting all the like-minded people from all over India. More manufacturers should organize such events for their customers to understand their brand & products and also invite enthusiasts to manufacturing facilities. IIRC, Nissan does invite their customers to the Chennai plant. Others can follow too, in the end, we are the end-users of your products and who are better than the customers themselves to give you an honest feedback.

Big thanks to Zac, Tara, Vibhu, Sandeep, Meghan, Kinjal, Tripti, Dr Vikas, Nilesh and everyone who was part of the experience & especially the management team for making it worth travelling all the way to Goa.

Thank you for reading, Chao!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage on the weekend

[Rajeevraj]

Great report and thanks for sharing. Gives some good context and perspective to us Rapid and Vento TSI and/or DSG owners. Eager to experience the Slavia and plan to head for a test drive soon. Maybe due to the bias towards sedans, but as you mentioned , after a very long time, a car that really excites.

[sid2017]

Wow, really great review.
I own kushaq 1.5DSG and it is absolutely gem of an engine-gearbox combination.While so much negativity was going on , I still went ahead for that engine because I simply couldn't like anything else.
I see Slavia to be an improved version of Kushaq and fixes the inferior bits from the Kushaq like the interior color scheme, the road presence, digital cluster etc. Being a sedan it should drive better. I could understand when people complained about Kushaq but Slavia ticks almost all the right boxes and is priced fairly for what it offers.

I think prospective customers should get a long test drives of Slavia, only long drives makes you appreciate the VAG cars. Slavia is not a car to be rejected from your computer or from your perception about a brand. Test drive , if you dont like, fair enough.

Now , skoda should make the changes in Kushaq and make it similar to Slavia 3-4 months down the line. Even after that , Slavia will always be better car than Kushaq.
There are only two things better in Kushaq, one is rear sitting position and second is ingress.I would still go for Kushaq because I want a compact car.

[Dr.Vikas]

Thanks sachin cs for the crisp review touching most of the queries in the minds of customers waiting out there and also of many petrol heads who keenly follow things happening in & around Auto sector.

Indeed, it makes a great sense of you being an Automobile engineer, revealing every fine aspect of the Car in a significant manner with reasoning & its aetiology.
People like me having come from a non technical background, usually tend to go with sentiments and do lack presenting such a detailed compilation in a precise manner.
Kudos to you for being one of the first to publish this review.

Finally, it was a wonderful meeting to guys like you even though it was just for the first time..
Thanks again,

[sunikkat]

Wow, that is some review. Thanks for such a detailed feedback.
After the 1.5 TSI review came online, the negative sentiments have reduced. Strongly believe this is a very capable product and the pricing is spot on.

I saw a blue one on the road today, guess it was being taken to Tafe Access service center. Can be mistaken for Octavia when you see it front on. Other than the high ground clearance, I liked it.

Hope Skoda get some good numbers, atleast it is required for sedans to survive in India

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Great report and thanks for sharing. Gives some good context and perspective to us Rapid and Vento TSI and/or DSG owners. Eager to experience the Slavia and plan to head for a test drive soon. Maybe due to the bias towards sedans, but as you mentioned , after a very long time, a car that really excites.

Thank you Rajeevraj for your kind words. I felt it was necessary for someone to address the queries/doubts/misconceptions about the car and I hope I have delivered on that front. I also have to admit, I’m a big fan of your Vento, it looks anything but 7 years old. Huge respect for someone who can keep his black car shining like new

Originally Posted by sid2017

Wow, really great review.
I own kushaq 1.5DSG and it is absolutely gem of an engine-gearbox combination.While so much negativity was going on , I still went ahead for that engine because I simply couldn't like anything else.
I think prospective customers should get a long test drives of Slavia, only long drives makes you appreciate the VAG cars. Slavia is not a car to be rejected from your computer or from your perception about a brand. Test drive , if you dont like, fair enough.
Now , skoda should make the changes in Kushaq and make it similar to Slavia 3-4 months down the line. Even after that , Slavia will always be better car than Kushaq.

Well, congratulations for owning one of the most fun to drive crossover of India under 30L, Kushaq indeed is a very good all rounder and I’m sure you are having a blast with it. I absolutely agree with your point that prospective customers should head out and take a proper long test drive to understand the car better. And yes, Skoda should address Kushaq and make it on par with the Slavia. Happy motoring brother, I’m so happy that you went against the tide and bought something with which you connect .

Originally Posted by Dr.Vikas

Thanks sachin cs for the crisp review touching most of the queries in the minds of customers waiting out there and also of many petrol heads who keenly follow things happening in & around Auto sector.
Indeed, it makes a great sense of you being an Automobile engineer, revealing every fine aspect of the Car in a significant manner with reasoning & its aetiology.
Finally, it was a wonderful meeting to guys like you even though it was just for the first time..
Thanks again

Thank you so much Dr for the lovely words and also thanks to your keen observations which helped me compile this review on time. It was a pleasure meeting you and though we were meeting for the first time, I felt like I have known you for years, that’s the beauty of automobile community. Looking forward to meeting you soon.

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Wow, that is some review. Thanks for such a detailed feedback.
After the 1.5 TSI review came online, the negative sentiments have reduced. Strongly believe this is a very capable product and the pricing is spot on.
Hope Skoda get some good numbers, atleast it is required for sedans to survive in India

Thank you sunikkat for the compliment, even I feel that the 1.5 TSI is changing perception because there’s nothing under 20L which even comes close to Slavia in terms of performance. I hope Honda brings their turbo & hyundai plonks 1.4 turbo to keep the segment exciting.

Originally Posted by GTO

Going to our homepage on the weekend

Thank you GTO!

[Mr.Ogre]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

My take on the Slavia:

F. Prices:

I don't know how some people were expecting it to start at 9L, I mean it's a full sized sedan, comes standard with ESP-XDS-Multi collision braking and the likes along with European build quality, I don't see a point. Kushaq if you ask me, yes it was overpriced for what it offers and Slavia I think is fairly priced (baring some variant), just to give you a context, the similarly equipped Style AT/MT of Slavia is almost 1L cheaper than Kushaq in my city and offers more features. In 2019, a decade old platform Rapid ambition DSG was retailing at 15L onroad, Style/Monte carlo would cross 16+, Vento Highline+ was touching 17L, if you do some calculations, bring in the development cost, newer & bigger car plus inflation, I feel price is justified. If I have to upgrade from my Rapid under 20L, I literally don't see any option other than Slavia 1.5 TSi. To each his own, I would any day prefer a car with great engine-gearbox combination and has the basics right instead of the one with voice operated sunroof.

.[/i]

A thousand likes just to this observation of yours. Me too would any day pick a car or a bike with a great engine-gearbox combination and has the fundamentals right rather than the one that has few buttons, creature comforts extra. But I would also add reliability and ease of service to that. Back in 2017 I sold my 2013 Honda City ivtec to get the Ford Figo diesel (Titanium). Shopping for a new car was never on my list, I was happy with the City. It was fast, frugal, reliable, safe but for some reason I could not connect to it. It lacked fun. Then Ford launched the new Figo diesel with a 1.5 litre engine. Small size, good amount of power, oodles of torque and an astonishing power to weight and torque to weight ratio. Fortunately I had never driven earlier generation Figo, so for me this iteration appealed to my heart. One test drive and I just could not resist the temptation. Sold my City in a month and got home the Figo. The point is I don't care what size it is ( I do love hatchbacks more than any other form), or if it has a few features missing, it is a car/motorbike, it needs engine-gearbox and basics right for me to be able to enjoy driving/riding it. During that time Figo did that for me. And I did have very good time till the time I sold it before I came to Australia.

The new Slavia 1.5 Tsi (M) is what I would have upgraded to from the Figo diesel if I was in India now. It is that kind of car.

[any23]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

My take on the Slavia:

F. Prices:

I don't know how some people were expecting it to start at 9L, I mean it's a full sized sedan, comes standard with ESP-XDS-Multi collision braking and the likes along with European build quality, I don't see a point.

I must say you have keen eyes to observe and point out things that matters, I am really glad to read that the raised GC doesn't effect the ride and handling of the car (though it is a stance killer). I am totally sold for this car, but as you mentioned even I will not like to replace my 2018-Rapid 1.6MPI for now.

On pricing point I still feel Skoda must have gone aggressive for the "AAM JANTA" (general public). Pricing was a crucial aspect to revive a dying segment and pull crowd from SUV segment to Sedan segment, add to it the competitors City & Verna. A introductory pricing strategy would have helped garner more interest and footfalls to showrooms, we are not in a position to comment on this for now, let us wait and see how the sales figures come out for Slavia and I hope it just don't t settle down to 2-2.5k monthly figures as was in case for Kushaq.

[JoshMachine]

Loved your observations, Sachin .
Thanks for sharing!

Since you have been driving the predecessor of the Slavia for quite some time (IIRC close to 45k kms?), your views in this thread are going to help a lot of potential new & upgrade customers to make their decisions, either ways.

Good that you ended the observations by saying that you don't want to REPLACE the Rapid with the Slavia, but ADD to it
The Rapid/Vento of the 'yesteryears' (the Virtus is also coming soon) are too dear to us folks, the TDi DSG combo is a rare gem to replace.

[punto_]

Awesome review! I have picked up a preowned Abarth which has less than 10k on the Odo in Dec 2020. After using it for a while I understand the importance of having a quick car with awesome handling. My first car was Punto D and it handled very well but lacked power. Abarth takes the handling to the next level with additive power.

Salvia from its announcement has kept me interested and I’ve checked out the car in person few days ago, it looked good. I would love to TD the 1.5 DSG soon (I fear this may push me to sell off my Abarth and buy this ) — if I were to buy a car today this will be my pick and your review has sold the car to me fully!

[JigarKansagara]

My oh my! What a review. You surely made me fall in love with this car, and especially the 1.5 TSI. I don't have the budget for that car right now but If I did have the budget, I would book one today. Surely will try to buy it when I have the resources.

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by Mr.Ogre

Me too would any day pick a car or a bike with a great engine-gearbox combination and has the fundamentals right rather than the one that has few buttons, creature comforts extra. But I would also add reliability and ease of service to that. Back in 2017 I sold my 2013 Honda City ivtec to get the Ford Figo diesel (Titanium).

From a Honda city to a Figo, something difficult for a layman to understand but in my mind it makes complete sense . Figo is such a lovely car, back in 2020 we almost picked up a Freestyle but somehow my sister sensed the Ford fiasco and she got herself an Altroz. The 1.5 in Ford was a delight to drive, it’s sad that they didn’t have a good ending.

Originally Posted by any23

I must say you have keen eyes to observe and point out things that matters, I am really glad to read that the raised GC doesn't effect the ride and handling of the car (though it is a stance killer). I am totally sold for this car, but as you mentioned even I will not like to replace my 2018-Rapid 1.6MPI for now.

Glad you like the review, ride & handling is completely in line with how a Skoda should be. I see we have same carbon steel shade in our Rapids.

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Loved your observations, Sachin .
Thanks for sharing!
Good that you ended the observations by saying that you don't want to REPLACE the Rapid with the Slavia, but ADD to it
The Rapid/Vento of the 'yesteryears' (the Virtus is also coming soon) are too dear to us folks, the TDi DSG combo is a rare gem to replace.

Thank you sir for your kind words & I’m almost close to touching 50k on my Rapid and it has been flawless experience so far, just came home from a drive and I’m still smiling. As you rightly said, cars like 1st gen VRS, Jetta, vento/rapid DSG, 2017 vrs are all keepers. I will nurse my Rapid to it’s extinction.

Originally Posted by punto_

Salvia from its announcement has kept me interested and I’ve checked out the car in person few days ago, it looked good. I would love to TD the 1.5 DSG soon (I fear this may push me to sell off my Abarth and buy this ) — if I were to buy a car today this will be my pick and your review has sold the car to me fully!

Well, you know who to contact before selling your Abarth