The new Skoda Slavia will mark its launch under the brand‘s India 2.0 strategy with larger dimensions and more premium features
Teased and spied on test on many occasions, the new Skoda Slavia was finally revealed late last year. Set to mark its entry into the mid-size sedan segment, the Slavia will be positioned below the Octavia in the company lineup. It would take the place of the Rapid, which has now been discontinued after a 10 year run.
Skoda Slavia, premium mid-size sedan will come in with a brand new design. It will command the segment with its larger dimensions, state of the art connectivity features, host of safety equipment and a powerful engine lineup.
The new sedan has been developed in India and will be manufactured at the company’s Pune facility with up to 95 percent localization. It is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform and comes in tailored to the specific needs of buyers in the country. Bookings for Skoda Slavia have been opened with deliveries set to commence in the first quarter of 2022.
Skoda Slavia Design
The Slavia measures 4,541mm in length, 1,752mm in width and 1,487mm in height. It gets a wheelbase of 2,651mm. These dimensions, when compared to the outgoing Rapid makes the Slavia 128mm longer, 53mm wider and 21mm taller with its wheelbase also being is 99mm longer. These dimensions make Slavia the widest car in its class. It also has the longest wheelbase. Boot space stands at 521 liter capacity.
Skoda Slavia will be offered in three trim levels – Active, Ambition and Style and will get five colour options of Tornado Red, Crystal Blue, Candy White, Reflex Silver and Carbon Steel. It gets a trademark Skoda front grille with chrome surrounds and vertical black slats, sleek LED headlamps and L shaped LED DRLs. Testing of the sedan continues ahead of launch. Latest spy shots are credited to automotive enthusiast Nikhil Bhavsar, who has shared the images via Rushlane Spylane.
It also sports a sloping roofline and strong character lines running along its front fender to tail lamps. C shaped LED tail lamps are seen at the rear. The rear also boasts of distinctive ‘ŠKODA’ badging in block letters and a full width chrome strip. The Slavia rides on 16 inch dual tone alloy wheels.
Skoda Slavia – Interiors, Features, Infotainment
The new Skoda Octavia will be defined by its outstanding interior features, state of the art infotainment and a range of safety equipment. A segment leading wheelbase will relate to added legroom for passengers while the overall cabin feels roomier.
The cabin layout is akin to that seen on the Kushaq. It gets a multi-layer dashboard with a 10 inch touchscreen infotainment system (7 inch on entry level Active trim and 8 inch on Slavia Style) with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity besides Skoda’s in-built connected car tech.
A twin spoke multi-function steering wheel with mounted controls, electric sunroof, digital instrument cluster, hexagonal AC vents, wireless charging pad, leatherette upholstery, ventilated seats and auto dimming internal rear view mirror will also be a part of its interior makeup.
Skoda Slavia – Safety, Engine Specs
Safety equipment includes a total of 6 airbags, rear parking camera, multi collision braking system, hill hold assist, tyre pressure monitor, ISOFIX child seat mounts and an electronic differential system with ESC. MyŠKODA Connect offers a Vehicle Health Report on the smartphone along with remote vehicle access, parking location and over the air software updates. It also signals the driver in case of speeding or travelling outside of a specified area.
Powertrain options on the new Skoda Slavia includes a 1.0 liter TSI, 3 cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine making 114 hp power and 178 Nm torque. The 1.5 liter, 4 cylinder TSI turbo petrol unit offers 148 hp power and 250 Nm torque and comes equipped with active cylinder technology (ACT). The engines get mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard along with the option of an automatic gearbox.
Upon launch in India, Skoda Slavia will have to compete with the Maruti Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna while it will also soon face competition from the soon to be launched Volkswagen Virtus.