March 2023 - Skoda Slavia Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This Slavia Variants Explained article includes the buying recommendations for all 1.0L and 1.5L petrol variants based on the latest March 2023 ex-showroom prices. This article also includes the dimensions and engine specs of the next-generation Hyundai Verna 2023.

Also Read: Honda City Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Kia Carens Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Skoda Slavia Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Skoda Slavia petrol are:

• SUV-like 179mm ground clearance gives sedan-lovers a reason to skip SUVs or crossovers
• Its length and high ground clearance give it great road presence
• The 1.0L turbo petrol engine is an all-rounder and offers better drivability than a 1.5L non-turbo petrol engine because of the wider torque band with higher torque output
• With the cylinder deactivation tech, the 1.5L turbo petrol engine can switch between high-efficiency mode and high-performance mode based on the throttle input
• Option of manual as well as automatic transmission with both engines gives buyers enough choice to meet their needs

The Skoda Slavia petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• The base model is too basic and misses out on several must-have features like auto AC, rear AC vents, front and rear armrests, alloy wheels, cruise control and projector or LED headlamps
• No diesel engine leaves the Verna and City as the only options for diesel sedan buyers  Not applicable as City and Verna no longer come with a diesel engine option
• The 1.5L turbo petrol engine carries a huge premium for performance and doesn’t justify the cost of upgrade over the smaller 1.0L engine
• The dual-clutch automatic is yet to establish its long-term reliability and for Rs. 1.60 lakh over the 1.5L manual, it also costs a lot more than the Rs. 1.0 lakh industry standard.
• The torque converter automatic with the 1.0L engine is an old and reliable piece of technology but its fluid coupling makes it extremely inefficient in stop-and-go traffic, which is the main reason why we buy an automatic transmission.

What Is The Price Of Skoda Slavia Petrol Variants?

The Skoda Slavia is available with 4 engine-transmission combinations:

• 1.0L turbo petrol with 6-speed manual transmission
• 1.0L turbo petrol with 6-speed TC automatic transmission
• 1.5L turbo petrol with 6-speed manual transmission
• 1.5L turbo petrol with 7-speed DCT automatic transmission

The smaller 1.0L turbo petrol engine is available in 4 variants, with prices starting from Rs. 10.99 lakh for the Active manual and going up to 15.79 lakh for the Style Sunroof automatic. The 1.5L engine is only available in the top-spec Style Sunroof variant and costs Rs. 16.79 lakh with the manual and Rs. 18.39 lakh with the automatic.

Check Skoda Slavia on Road Price

The Slavia automatic carries a premium of Rs. 1.20 lakh to Rs. 1.60 lakh over the manual variants. The larger 1.5L turbo petrol engine of the Slavia is Rs. 2.40 lakh to Rs. 2.60 lakh more expensive than comparable 1.0L turbo variants.

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Skoda Slavia Petrol Active - Base Model Standard Features & Review

The base Active variant of the Skoda Slavia sedan only comes with the 1.0L turbo petrol-manual and costs Rs. 11.29 lakh (ex-showroom). The most notable features of the Slavia Active base model are:

• 5x adjustable headrests
• 5x 3-point seat belts with pretensioners
• ESC
• 7-inch touchscreen with wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Steering-mounted controls
• 15-inch steel wheels with covers
• LED DRLs
• LED taillamps
• LED cabin lights
• Tyre pressure sensor
• Remote central locking
• Fabric seats
• Manual AC
• All power windows
• All padded door armrests
• Rear defogger
• Manual-day/night inside mirror

The Slavia seems to offer most of the must-have features right from the base variant. However, considering the asking price of the car, we believe that you might still miss the following features in this variant:

• Cruise control
• Projector or LED headlamps
• Front and rear armrests
• Auto AC with rear AC vents
• Rear camera

For this price, we expect a car to have these features. So, we won’t suggest buying the base Active variant of the Skoda Slavia.

Skoda Slavia Petrol Active vs Ambition Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Slavia Ambition gets only the 1.0L turbo petrol, but you have an option of a 6-speed manual as well as a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission with this engine. The Slavia Ambition petrol-manual costs Rs. 12.99 lakh, which is Rs. 1.70 lakh more than the base model. The Ambition automatic is Rs. 1.30 lakh more expensive than the manual and costs Rs. 14.29 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Ambition variant gets the following additional notable features over the base Active variant:

• 1-inch larger touchscreen
• Cruise control
• Auto AC with rear AC vents
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Ambient lighting
• Front and rear armrests
• Extra speakers
• +4x USB ports
• Rear camera
• Extra horn
• Detailed MID
• Split rear seatback
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Cooled glovebox

While many of the additional features are good-to-have, many are downright must-haves for a car costing about Rs. 13.0 - 14.0 lakh (ex-showroom). The only feature we think you might miss in this variant are projector or LED headlamps. Halogen reflector headlamps don’t do justice to the Slavia’s sleek design.

The upgrade from Active to Ambition is not completely value-for-money, but for a good ownership experience, we suggest you consider at least the Ambition variant. For Slavia automatic buyers, this is also the most affordable option. While the Rs. 1.30 lakh price gap for the automatic is slightly higher than we expect, it’s not too high either. So, it’s worth considering for buyers who don’t want to stretch their budget.

Skoda Slavia Petrol Ambition vs Style Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Style variant of the Slavia only gets the 1.0L turbo petrol engine with manual transmission. Automatic transmission is not available with this engine. It costs Rs. 14.20 lakh, which is Rs. 1.21 lakh more than the Ambition 1.0L petrol-manual.

For this additional price, the Style variant gets the following extra features over the lower Ambition trim:

• LED projector headlamps with auto function
• Fog lamps with cornering function
• Machined alloy wheels
• 2 side and 2 curtain airbags
• Leather upholstery
• Ventilated front seats
• Height-adjustable front passenger seat
• Telematics (connected car technology)
• Wireless phone charger

For this price, we expected the Style variant to offer sunroof, which is available in the Honda City. Other than that, this variant seems reasonably loaded and well priced too considering the incremental price over the lower variants and the additional features. But, we’ll still suggest skipping this variant and upgrading to a higher variant.

Skoda Slavia Petrol Style vs Style Sunroof Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The top-spec Style Sunroof variant of the Slavia gets all 4 engine-transmission combinations. The list includes:

• 1.0L turbo petrol with 6-speed manual
• 1.0L turbo petrol with 6-speed torque converter automatic
• 1.5L turbo petrol with 6-speed manual
• 1.5L turbo petrol with 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

With the 1.0L engine and a manual transmission, the Style Sunroof variant of the Slavia costs Rs. 14.70 lakh, which is Rs. 50,000 more than the Style variant. The automatic transmission adds another Rs. 1.20 lakh to the ex-showroom price as the Style Sunroof 1.0L automatic costs Rs. 15.90 lakh.

For the additional Rs. 50,000, the Style Sunroof variant adds a larger spare wheel, 8-inch full-colour LCD instrument console, auto dimming inside mirror, auto wipers and, of course, a sunroof. The jump from the Style to Style Sunroof variant is so small, that it’s completely worth it. The Style Sunroof variant offers better value for money than the Style and lower variants of the Slavia 1.0L petrol.

For the automatic buyers, this price jump is a little steep over the Ambition automatic. But, the Rs. 1.20 lakh price premium over the Style Sunroof manual seems somewhat reasonable. The features largely offset the slightly higher price. So, if you want the Slavia manual or automatic with some feel-good features, then you should consider the Style Sunroof variant. With the 1.0L engine, the Style Sunroof is our top recommended variant for Slavia buyers.

The 1.5L turbo petrol engine costs Rs. 2.30 lakh to Rs. 2.50 lakh more than the 1.0L Style Sunroof variants. In our proprietary value-calculation algorithm, the additional performance doesn’t even come close to justifying the asking price Skoda are charging for the 1.5L engine.

Besides the bragging rights, the 1.5L turbo brings with its big-car-like performance. From a value-for-money standpoint, considering the incremental cost over the lower variants, the upgrade to the 1.5L engine doesn’t make financial sense. You should buy this engine only if you want the higher performance and are comfortable with paying the high price.

Which Variant Of The Skoda Slavia Petrol Should You Buy?

Among the Slavia petrol-manual variants, the Active variant seems too basic for the asking price. So, we’ll suggest compromising a little bit on value and buying the higher Ambition variant for a far better ownership experience.

If you have a bigger budget and are considering the Style variant for some good-to-have features, then we’ll suggest skipping it and jumping straight to the Style Sunroof variant. It not only offers all of Style’s features, but also offers better value for money than the Style variant. You’ll also get a much better ownership experience from the Style Sunroof variant for a nominal price jump over the Style variant. This is our top recommendation for Skoda Slavia buyers.

The 1.5L turbo petrol engine of the Skoda Slavia offers phenomenal performance for a C-segment sedan. But the asking price for this performance is so high that we can’t outright recommend this upgrade. Since the upgrade to the 1.5L petrol engine is not a value-for-money upgrade, we’ll leave the decision to upgrade in your hands.

The buying recommendation for the Skoda Slavia petrol-automatic is also similar to that of the manual. The Ambition is the variant to buy if you don’t want to stretch your budget, but the Style Sunroof is our top recommendation. And finally, the Style Sunroof 1.5L is an expensive upgrade, which you should only consider if you’re comfortable with compromising on the value for money for the better performance.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Skoda Slavia Petrol?

The Skoda Slavia comes with 2 petrol engine options - a 1.0L turbo petrol and a 1.5L turbo petrol. Both of these engines get a 6-speed manual transmission option. The smaller petrol engine also has the option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic while the larger petrol engine gets a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The 1.0L petrol engine is small in displacement but its power output of 115PS is on par with the segment rivals. Since it’s a turbocharged engine, its torque output of 178Nm is higher than all of the normal petrol engines even though they have larger displacements. The torque of this 1.0L engine is also available at lower RPMs and for wider rev range. So, the 1.0L turbo petrol engine will offer better drivability than 1.5L normal petrol engines of its rivals.

The Slavia also has a larger 1.5L turbo petrol engine, which offers 150PS of power and 250Nm of torque. The Slavia 1.5L turbo comes with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The mileage or fuel efficiency details of the Slavia petrol are also pretty good with both engines. In this regard, the Slavia 1.5L makes good sense as it offers a mileage figure similar to the 1.0L along with better performance. However, you can’t expect the 1.5L engine to deliver high fuel mileage if you drive it aggressively. Because of its cylinder deactivation technology, the Slavia 1.5L can deliver mileage figures that are comparable to the 1.0L if you’re driving it normally while keeping torque in reserve for a quick overtake.

The new generation Verna 1.5L turbo gets the bragging rights for highest power and torque output in its class. Only the City hybrid matches the Verna 1.5L’s torque output of 253Nm.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

What Are The Dimensions Of The Skoda Slavia?

The Skoda Slavia is a big car but the City is the longest in its segment. The new Verna is the widest car in the class with the longest wheelbase and the largest boot, even if they’re only marginally better than the Slavia’s.

If you like sedans but are considering buying an SUV only because you need better ground clearance, then the Slavia fits your requirement perfectly. The Slavia has a 179mm ground clearance, which is only 1mm less than that of the XUV300 and significantly better than its sedan rivals. Only the Virtus rivals the Slavia with similar dimensions.

*Estimated

What Are The Colour Options Of The Skoda Slavia?

The Slavia is available in the following 5 colour options:

• White
• Red
• Grey
• Silver
• Blue

The blue and silver colours are also available in dual-tone exterior colours with grey roof.

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.