Skoda Slavia long term review, 9400km report

The Skoda Slavia is a big tease. Drive it in the maddening city traffic and the turbo lag and lazy initial throttle response will lead you to think it’s a sedate driver, but depress the throttle just a little further and it instantly tells you there’s more, much more. Give in to that lure and you’ll be rewarded with a meaty mid-range and a strong top end, and coupled with the manual gearbox, it’s wicked fun. So yes, it’s always a tease in the city, egging you on to wind it up and drive faster and further. Sadly, I had no opportunity to do just that, but I did get to see how it performs as a regular city commuter – managing traffic and carrying out mundane tasks like transporting boxes during our office shift. 

In traffic, it’s no bother, apart from the traffic itself because the clutch is easy to use and the gear lever is smooth too. Over Mumbai’s unevenly surfaced Western Express Highway, the ride is superb and it soaks up everything the road throws up. While the body has held up very well so far, the dashboard and AC vents, however, have begun to vibrate, and that’s really a very un-Skoda-like problem. The AC cooling issue that we had earlier is back – the AC works fine, but you have to set the temperature about 2-3deg lower than you otherwise would to get your desired comfort. These two niggles aside, it’s done well.

We just shifted to a new office, very close to our previous location, so I decided to transfer boxes containing my stuff myself, and the Slavia’s 521-litre boot easily swallowed it all. Space is really impressive for passengers too. My sister-in-law – who’s always had her eye on the Superb – was really impressed with the Slavia, and that was before even sitting in it. “It’s nice and elegant and looks very spacious too. Is it a good alternative to the Superb if I’m on a budget?” she wanted to know. It’s easy to see why people would think this; at a little over 4.5 metres, the Slavia is long and it looks so too.

The Skoda grille and styling cues like the clear angular headlights and crisp lines give it a very sophisticated look and, of course, it’s really comfy at the rear. The seats are nicely contoured and supportive, the armrest falls to just the right height, and there’s a good amount of legroom. 

So while it’s impressed me as a regular commuter, I’m going to make the time and take it out to wind up that 150hp, 1.5-litre engine. That, coupled with the manual gearbox, and underpinned by an able sedan chassis, is a recipe that needs to be devoured. And soon, because it’s getting increasingly difficult to find.