During my first month with our Skoda Slavia, I had basically morphed into a kid visiting Hamleys for the first time, grinning my way through the gears (six-speed manual for the win), all engaged in traffic-light drag races, just because I could.
Now that the novelty of daily driving a 150 horsepower, turbocharged manual sedan has worn off, I am way more relaxed although I have to admit, much of it is down to the Slavia. The more I drive it, the more I am impressed by its urban friendly qualities and features. During my commute which usually straddles Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, I come across moderate to heavy traffic, bottlenecks and more often than not, diversions which make it nerve-wracking, but the solid build and sound insulation make the Slavia’s cabin a quiet haven from the chaos outside.
What we like?
Infotainment system and audio quality
Everything about the infotainment system in our Slavia is top notch. Be it the display clarity under varied lighting, touch response and more importantly, the user interface. It’s slick and simple to use although I do wish Skoda could have added a physical knob to adjust the volume. Currently it’s a two-step process directly from the screen and it takes some getting used to.
Our car also has a banging 380W audio system with four bass speakers and four tweeters. There’s also a subwoofer in the spare wheel well and best of all, an amplifier under the front passenger seat. The sound quality is really good in terms of clarity and vocals. I especially like that this system isn’t too bass-heavy even after you adjust it towards the max end on the equalizer. Overall, it is easily among the best audio systems I have heard in a sub-20 lakh rupee car. Having said that, it’s really unfortunate that the Slavia is no longer sold with this infotainment and audio set up.
In fact, the Slavia now gets a smaller 8-inch Panasonic-sourced display and a slightly downgraded system because of the global shortage of semiconductors. Skoda has also removed the subwoofer which I think is a big miss and I hope the brand can retrofit the original setup with the subwoofer once the supply chain is back to normal.
Wireless Android Auto
The Slavia is among the few relatively affordable cars to have wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. I have an Android phone and it has worked perfectly every single time when it comes to steady connection. Skoda has also bundled a few apps including Gaana, BBC news and audiobooks which is a nice touch.
Passenger side height adjustment
Another nice touch is the fact that even the passenger side front seat can be adjusted for height. It’s an oversight in many similarly priced cars but not in the Slavia and I am glad there is extra adjustability for the co-driver.
Steering wheel controls
The two-spoke steering not only looks real classy with its chrome outlining and gloss black inserts but is also highly usable. Firstly, the rim is nicely sculpted around 10-and-2 positions and secondly, the metal finished rotary dials on either sides (one to adjust the volume and the other to browse through the menu) are solid and they feel really satisfying to use.
Wireless charging pad
The placement for the wireless charging pad is ‘simply clever’ indeed. So it’s just ahead of the gear lever and the pad itself is placed at an angle which helps in keeping the phone in contact for continuous charging. Also, the angle frees up the flat area ahead that I have been using to store loose items.
Ventilated seats
This year’s monsoon is well and truly over and now that the October heat is upon us, I am glad the front seats on the Slavia have cooling function. May be this isn’t the best time of the year to think about ventilated seats, but I have to add that they have made driving under the sun more bearable. So you get two levels of cooling and even though you do hear the fan working on level 2 (when there is no music playing, that is), it isn’t bothersome.
What we don’t like?
Rear view camera
The visuals from the rear view camera are grainy and that’s a shame because this 10-inch display is properly high definition. Forget 360-degree angles, our Slavia doesn’t get adaptive guidelines for the single rear view either.
Ambient lighting
There is ambient lighting inside this cabin but then again, it’s barely there. It’s actually a thin light panel embedded into the copper-like strip that runs along the dash and that’s about it. Usually you also have subtle light strips on the door pads or under the center storage bin but it’s all missing inside the Slavia’s cabin.
Digital instrument cluster
I like the clarity of the 8-inch digital instrument cluster and its orange theme that goes well with the rest of the cabin. What I don’t like though is that this display isn’t very configurable. There are three different configurations that one can choose from but strangely enough you cannot have the speedometer and the tachometer together in one display. And while I like the detailing on the inner plastic housing that surrounds the cluster, the display itself has blank areas on either ends. It’s a lot of digital real estate that seems to have been wasted.
Sunshades
The Slavia is a lovely rear seat car. It has lots of usable space and the rear bench is also properly supportive and comfy. There’s nothing that I feel that rear seat occupants would miss except retractable sunshades for the rear windscreen. If only the Slavia had this nifty little feature to make afternoon drives a bit more pleasant.
Details
Make: Skoda
Model: Slavia
Version: Style 1.5 MT
Kilometres on the odo: 6,950km
Price: Rs 19.78 lakh (on-road Mumbai, when tested)
Pictures by Kapil Angane
Keyword: Skoda Slavia 1.5 MT Long Term Review: Features and Equipment