The new Skoda sedan’s launch will be followed by VW’s upcoming Virtus – both are expected to share same powertrains and underpinnings
Skoda India head, Zac Hollis, had earlier confirmed the launch of a new mid-size sedan in the coming few months. This new sedan will be sitting above the Rapid and below the upcoming Octavia, which is due for launch on 10th June. Codenamed ANB, it is likely to be christened as Slavia or Laura upon launch. It will be underpinned by VW-Skoda Group’s highly localised MQB A0 IN architecture.
Skoda Slavia C-segment sedan has now been spotted testing in detail near Pune by The Fat Biker. This new sedan, as mentioned in our previous articles, will be longer and wider than the Czech carmaker’s current mid-size sedan offering Rapid. In all probability, the new sedan will be sold alongside Rapid and is expected to be launched in India by the end of this year.
Exterior Design
Front fascia of the car flaunts a signature Skoda butterfly grille that is flanked by projector headlamps and halogen turn indicators on both sides. A pair of halogen fog lamps are positioned below the headlights on the front bumper. The design is strikingly similar to Russia-spec Skoda Rapid.
The rear-end of the car is largely inspired by Octavia although the latter will be slightly bigger in proportions. The new sedan is even expected to share some body panels with its German cousin- the upcoming Volkswagen Virtus. Since the test mule was heavily wrapped in camouflage, details on its exterior design are very limited at the moment. But one thing can be noticed, that it will have a huge boot space, most likely 500+ liters.
Expected Powertrain, Transmission Options
In terms of mechanicals, this new sedan called ANB is most likely to be powered by the same engine options which are going to be on offer with Kushaq. These will be a 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI turbo petrol engine that can produce 114 bhp and 175 Nm of peak torque.
Higher trims will be offered with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder TSI turbo petrol motor that pumps out 148 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. A 6-speed manual gearbox will be offered as standard on both power plants with the option of a 6-speed torque converter on the smaller engine and a 7-speed DSG automatic on the larger motor.
The new sedan will also be heavily-loaded with features with a plush cabin as Rapid has a very basic cabin that now looks more dated. From the spy video below, one can notice that the new sedan will get Skoda’s latest 2 spoke steering wheel, which will also be on offer with Octavia. It also gets a sunroof.
Future VW, Skoda Products in India
Both Volkswagen and Skoda are presently contemplating on all body styles of passenger vehicles that could be developed in India using the India-specific MQB A0 IN platform. The automakers are also planning to develop a hatchback under their respective brand logos based on the same underpinnings that give us an indication of possible launches of new-gen Polo and new-gen Fabia in India. Skoda is also planning to launch a new CNG variant of the current Rapid in the near future.
