The upcoming Skoda Slavia is based on the heavily localised MQB A0 IN platform just like Kushaq
Skoda has officially revealed the much highly anticipated Slavia which will replace the outgoing Rapid. Upon its launch, Slavia will take on other mid-size sedans in the Indian market like Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Ciaz. Bookings of the upcoming sedan have already commenced whereas deliveries will start after its official launch in Q1 2022.
The Czech carmaker has put in lots of effort to make Slavia a worthy rival to models mentioned above so that it could eventually turn up to be the segment leader in mid-size sedan space. Let us look at how Slavia stacks up against its immediate competitors and its outgoing sibling and cousin- Rapid and Volkswagen Vento.
Skoda Slavia Sedan Vs Rivals – Dimensions
The first thing that comes to mind is that Slavia is a much bigger sedan than the ageing Rapid which always felt a little puny in comparison to its rivals. In fact, Slavia now comes second to City as far as overall length is concerned. The wheelbase is the longest in the category along with Ciaz whereas the Czech sedan trumps all in width.
It has a height of 1487mm which is marginally shorter than the class-leading 1489mm of City. Compared to the outgoing Rapid, the new Slavia is 128mm longer, 53mm wider, 21mm taller and has a 99mm longer wheelbase. The increased dimensions should result in much better cabin space for Slavia. In terms of boot, Slavia clearly outclasses all its rivals with a luggage capacity of 521 litres.
Engine, Transmission Options
Another crucial aspect is the powertrain underneath the hood of the car. Slavia gets two engine options- a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder SI turbo petrol engine and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder TSI turbo petrol engine. While the 1.0-litre unit is more than good enough, the 1.5-litre TSI unit has no match in this category as far as output is concerned. The latter dishes out a class-leading output of 148 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque.
The smaller 1.0-litre unit puts out 114 bhp and 178 Nm of peak torque which makes this engine the 2nd torqueist among all petrol mills in this space. However, unlike City and Verna, Slavia misses out on a diesel powertrain. Honda City might also receive a punchier 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine in the upcoming top-spec RS trim next year.
Although Ciaz gets the least powerful motor in its segment, it is also the only one to be offered with a mild-hybrid system. Skoda also has a variety of transmission options to offer with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard. Automatic gearbox options include a 6-speed torque converter for the 1.0-litre unit and a 7-speed DSG for the 1.5-litre unit.
Ciaz lags behind in this space since it offers only a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 4-speed torque converter. CVT gearboxes are available in Verna and City along with a 6-speed manual as standard in each. So as far as petrol powertrains are concerned, Slavia surely has a clear advantage.
