Soon, Skoda India will launch a Monte Carlo edition of the Slavia sedan. This was confirmed by Petr Solc, the newly appointed director for sales and marketing at Skoda India, who has just replaced Zac Hollis.
Here’s what he said about Skoda introducing the Monte Carlo edition of the Slavia sedan in India,
We are going step by step. Of course, we are happy that we have introduced the Monte Carlo version of the Kushaq and we are looking if would it make sense perhaps for us to bring more of the special editions. Like a Monte Carlo on the Kushaq, but also on the Slavia. This is definitely also our ultimate goal to ensure that both these products are well established in the market.
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The Monte Carlo edition of the Slavia is likely to retain the mechanical bits of the sedan while getting cosmetic enhancements. Both the 1.0 and 1.5 TSI variants of the Slavia could get the Monte Carlo editions, and are likely to be based on the Style trim. Key styling bits and feature enhancements expected on the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo edition include a special red exterior paint job to reflect the Czech car maker’s racing heritage, all black wheels, red brake calipers, black accents on the body, a black contrast roof, red and black accents in the cabin, and a 10.1 inch touchscreen infotainment interface.
The Slavia sold in India currently gets two engine options – a 1 liter-3 cylinder turbo petrol with 108 Bhp-175 Nm, and a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbo petrol with 148 Bhp-250 Nm and cylinder deactivation. While 6 speed manual gearboxes are common across both engines, the smaller motor gets a 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox as an option while the bigger engine gets a 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox as an option. The Slavia 1.5 TSI is the enthusiast pick of the lot, and with a red-black Monte Carlo paint scheme, will be what a lot of car enthusiasts will want to drive home.
While the Skoda Slavia, along with its Volkswagen badged cousin – the Virtus – is one of the fastest C-Segment sedans money can buy in India, it’s also among the most practical sedans thanks to its towering ground clearance of 179 mm. In fact, the tall ground clearance is one of the major selling points for both the Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus. The Monte Carlo edition of the Slavia will retain this crucial bit. Any changes to suspension – to make it sportier – isn’t likely to come at the expense of ground clearance.
As for pricing, expect the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo to be priced about Rs. 70-80 thousand more than what the equivalent Style trim commands. Currently, the Style trims of the Slavia 1.0 and 1.5 TSI start from Rs. 14.2 lakh and Rs. 17 lakh respectively. The Skoda Slavia competes with cars such as the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the Honda City, the Hyundai Verna and the Volkswagen Virtus. The car is built at Volkswagen’s Chakan manufacturing facility near Pune, with a high amount of localization.
Via Car&Bike
