Skoda India has finally begun the production of its much-awaited mid-size sedan, the Slavia. The Slavia is the third model under Volkswagen and Skoda’s India 2.0 strategy. Needless to say, the Slavia is a crucial product for the brand considering that it is replacing the much-loved Rapid. Bookings for the Slavia are already underway and it is expected to launch in March 2022.
Official statement
Zac Hollis, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India, said, “The Slavia is an all-new value luxury sedan for India, specially developed and meticulously designed considering the requirements and expectations of our customers. In times where interest for crossovers and SUVs is high, the SLAVIA is a measure of ŠKODA AUTO’s confidence that it is the product and not the category or body shape that will drive customer demand. We have already clocked in substantial growth over the last year and are rapidly expanding our network and customer touchpoints to bring more customers into the ŠKODA family. The SLAVIA will carry forward the thrust and provide impetus and excitement to fans of ŠKODA AUTO India and customers looking for a set of wheels that offers a fantastic driving experience and is gorgeous inside out.”
What to expect
Although Slavia is set to replace Rapid, the dimensions say otherwise. It is based on the MQB A0 IN platform and stands at 4,541mm in length, 1,752mm in width, and 1,487mm in height. Slavia is 12mm longer, 53mm wider, and 21mm taller than the Rapid. In terms of design, being a Skoda, it gets the traditional look upfront with the piano black butterfly grille with chrome surrounds.
The headlights are sharp and widen as they move outwards. At the side, the look is quite clean with a Skoda badge on the fender and character lines that run from the badge to the back of the car. At the back, the look is simple with L-shaped taillights, Skoda lettering over the boot lid, and a chrome line running along with the diffuser. The cabin gets the new Skoda interiors with the dual-tone color scheme, two-spoke steering wheel, 8-inch new virtual cockpit, and the new 10-inch infotainment system.
The digital display is an all-new unit, unlike the infotainment screen which is taken from the Kushaq. The steering is wrapped in leather and gets chrome scrollers and inserts on and around the controls. The car also gets a sunroof and ambient lighting to elevate the overall look of the cabin.