Final Report: The twin-clutch auto, 150hp Skoda Slavia, with its cool matte paint job, hits the spot when it comes to both driver appeal and practicality.
But the performance from the engine, especially in the meaty midrange, is deeply satisfying, and often, with this car, I tended to plan intracity excursions just to be able to enjoy its performance to the fullest. It truly is an absolute delight on fast-flowing empty roads and is in sharp contrast to most other vehicles at this price point.
That said, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed using the bright, clear and responsive touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay gels perfectly with the unit; I find myself switching to Google Maps often nowadays to decide which route to take, and having the app one touch away really helps. And I love the clarity of the speakerphone on the move. It’s great to know that I can hear the person at the other end of the line clearly, and equally important is that I can be heard over the line perfectly. This is certainly not the case in many rival cars.
Manual upshifts and downshifts hit the spot when you have the pedal down hard.
Skoda’s Slavia has been in our long-term fleet ever since it went on sale in India. Initially, we had it in manual form, with that delicious six-speed elevating the driving experience considerably; we now have the twin-clutch automatic-equipped version in this slate grey shade – both powered by the 150hp 1.5 TSI engine. This Slavia, like the previous one, first and foremost does a convincing job of showcasing just how good a well-configured and engineered sedan can be, even in this age of the SUV.
Add to that the luscious matte paint contrasted by those bright red LED tail-lights, and you have a car that draws more attention than any SUV I’ve driven recently. Sure, the matte paint needs extra care, and you have to instruct the person who washes your car to be extra careful not to scratch the surface when removing dried dirt and bird excrement. But the ice-cool look of the car more than makes up.
.jpg&c=0&w=700)
Electrically adjustable front seats add comfort and convenience.
Then, there’s the added practicality of the massive 521-litre boot, which can swallow enough luggage for five easily, and an SUV-like 179mm of ground clearance. You have to be careful when opening the boot and push the lid all the way back, or else it has a tendency to drop back down and knock you on the head.
The convenience of the twin-clutch automatic did help as well, especially in traffic. I thoroughly enjoyed using the paddles on good driving roads, the quick shifts of the twin-clutch DSG massively contrasting other not-as-fun automatics, delivering a driving experience that can otherwise be had only on more expensive cars. However, the plastic paddles behind the wheel don’t feel well-built. In start-stop traffic, the gearbox tends to pause momentarily, which coincides with the zone where the turbo isn’t fully awake yet, making it worse.
While the 1.5 TSI does deliver power, punch, performance and smoothness, it isn’t the most responsive engine and sounds a bit strained when wrung out. It certainly isn’t as rev-happy or as responsive at higher engine speeds as the smaller 1.0 TSI unit.
.jpg&c=0&w=700)
The aircon isn’t the most effective, especially on very hot summer days.
On the inside, powered seats prove to be a good upgrade. They make it so much easier to make small adjustments to my driving position, especially on long drives, where a slight change in seat angle or distance from the pedals can help take the pressure off your back. And cooled seats make quite a contribution, too. This is especially true in the summer months when getting into a hot car. Wish the aircon were more powerful. I had to lower the temperature setting and increase the fan speed when it got really hot outside, with the air-conditioning not coping as effortlessly in the summer heat due to a less powerful fixed-volume compressor. And then, despite some typically solidly built bits like the door pads and the glovebox, some parts on the dash, such as the vents and the screen’s shroud, seem to work themselves loose.
What also helps is that the speakers go nice and loud; the audio system seems to be well-specified, and the subwoofer in the spare wheel adds some well-timed punch.
Something that continues to infuriate is the digital instrument panel. The tachometer is shrouded once you are past 80kph, the odometer disappears if you are in cruise control mode, and the reset button for the trip is on the touchscreen. However, Skoda has made amends, with the instrument panel on recent cars showing the tachometer when the 80kph speed warning comes up.
.jpg&c=0&w=700)
The boot lid needs to be pushed all the way, or else it closes again, often painfully.
With the twin-clutch automatic not having a torque converter, which saps both power and efficiency at low speeds, the car delivered 15-17kpl on the highway and between 10kpl and 12kpl on a regular basis in the city.
Summing up,the Slavia 1.5 automatic is a car that gets a double thumbs up because it does both practical transport and fun-to-drive all at once. Apart from not having ADAS, it is reasonably well-equipped, has a comfortable rear seat, gives you a good sense of security and has a 5-star safety rating. So, if you are looking for an SUV in the Rs 15-25 lakh space, make sure you also take a look at the Slavia.
Also See:
