India-bound Skoda Slavia sedan: What it’ll look like

Skoda is working on a new mid-size sedan for the Indian market. It is expected to be called Slavia because Skoda has filed a trademark for it and they already have a sedan called Slavia in the international market. Zac Hollis, Skoda’s director of Sales, Service & Marketing, revealed that the Slavia can get launched by the end of this year and the deliveries can start from next year. Here, we have a render of the upcoming sedan done by Auto.CZ.

From the render, we can see the front looks quite sharp and follows Skoda’s design language. There is a butterfly grille in the front that we have seen on every Skoda vehicle. There are sharp LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps and LED fog lamps.

On the side, there are simple and clean lines and new alloy wheels. At the rear, there are sleek tail lamps with Skoda lettering on the boot. It also gets a shark-fin antenna. The render is finished in a unique shade of green.

Also read: Skoda Rapid CNG under testing for the Indian market

Slavia shares underpinnings with Kushaq 

Skoda has already started the testing of Slavia on the Indian roads. Slavia will be sharing a lot of components with the Kushaq mid-size SUV. It will also use the MQB-A0-IN platform which has been specifically developed for our country. It is a lower-cost version of the MQB-A0 platform that multiple Volkswagen subsidiaries use in foreign markets.

This means it will have a wheelbase of 2,651 mm. The MQB-A0-IN is already being used by the Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and the upcoming Volkswagen mid-size sedan. Slavia will also sit above Skoda Rapid. Zac Hollis has already confirmed this and has also revealed that Slavia is larger than the Rapid.

Engine and gearbox

Slavia will be using the same set of engine and gearbox options as the Kushaq. So, there will be a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI on offer. There will be no diesel engine. The 1.0 TSI produces 115 PS of max power and 178 Nm of peak torque whereas the 1.5 TSI puts out 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque.

The 1.0 TSI will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The 1.5 TSI will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The 1.5 TSI also gets cylinder deactivation technology. So, when cruising at a constant speed the ECU can shut off two of the cylinders of the engine. This helps in saving some fuel.

Interior and features

From the previous spy shots, we know that Slavia will come with a dual-tone cabin theme. Skoda will be using a black and beige combination. It would get the new-generation infotainment system that we have seen on the Kushaq. The air conditioning vents will be mounted below the screen.

There will be a two-spoke multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, automatic climate control, push-button to start/stop the engine, keyless entry, multi-information display and premium speaker system, electric sunroof, wireless charger, ventilated front seats and much more.

Also read: Skoda Kushaq SUV”s official launch & price announcement timeline revealed officially