Skoda Slavia derives power from a 1.0-litre TSI petrol and a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine; to rival Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Skoda Auto India has hosted the global debut of the Slavia midsize sedan today and it will be launched in early 2022 in India. The brand says the Slavia stands for prestige and style and is the third model coming out of the MQB A0 IN architecture following the Kushaq and VW Taigun midsize SUVs. It will also have high volume potential in the international markets according to the brand.
The Czech Republican automaker has taken the responsibility for the India 2.0 project with more than a billion euro investment over the last three years. The Skoda Slavia five-door midsize is said to have a crystalline design language taking inspiration from Indian traditions and culture. The heavily localised platform enables more than 90 per cent local content and Skoda says the Slavia will play an integral role in achieving the 5 per cent market share the company had earlier planned for.
Acting as a replacement to the Skoda Rapid, the Slavia is more premium and has bigger proportions than the outgoing model and even some of its rivals. It will rival Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Hyundai Verna in the C-segment for sedans. It measures a length of 4,541 mm, a width of 1,752 mm (widest in the segment) and stands 1,487 mm tall with a wheelbase length of 2,651 mm.
| Skoda Slavia Dimensions | Measurements |
| 1. Length | 4,541 mm |
| 2. Width | 1,752 mm |
| 3. Height | 1,487 mm |
| 4. Wheelbase | 2,651 mm |
| 5. Bootspace | 521 litres |
Compared to the outgoing Rapid, the Slavia is 128 mm longer, 53 mm wider and 21 mm taller along with a 99 mm longer wheelbase. Drawing plenty of inspiration from Superb and Octavia, the Slavia features a sharp-looking headlamp cluster with dynamic lines, a prominent grille section, sporty fog lamps, wide central air intake and bumpers.
Amidst being widest in its class, the Slavia also has a large bootspace capacity of 521 litres and the interior is designed to offer good room for occupants according to Skoda. Other exterior highlights are coupe-like roofline, newly designed 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, a sculpted bootlid, inverted L-shaped LED tail lamps, SKODA lettering on the boot, etc.
| Skoda Slavia | Specifications |
| Engine | 1.0L Turbo Petrol/1.5L Turbo Petrol |
| Power | 115 PS/150 PS |
| Torque | 175 Nm/250 Nm |
| Transmission | Six-Speed MT, Six-Speed AT, Seven-Speed DCT |
The interior is a thorough upgrade compared to the Rapid and it has several commonalities with the Kushaq. It comes with a large 10-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a two-spoke steering wheel with mounted controls, in-car Skoda Connect features, cruise control, push-button start/stop, leather seats with ventilated front seat function, wireless charging, a fully digital instrument cluster, six airbags, rain sensors, TPMS, ESC as standard, multi-collision brake, reverse parking camera, etc.
Skoda has confirmed that the Slavia will be sold in three trims namely Active, Ambition and Style, and it will be available in a total of five colours namely Candy White, Brilliant Silver, Carbon Steel, Tornado Red and the exclusive Crystal Blue. The Slavia derives power from the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI petrol engine kicking out 115 PS and 175 Nm, and it will be linked with a six-speed manual or a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
The 1.5-litre four-cylinder TSI petrol kicks out 150 PS and 250 Nm, and it will be hooked with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Pre-bookings for the Skoda Slavia have commenced across authorised dealerships and deliveries will begin from the first quarter of 2022.
