Skoda is all set for the world premiere of the Slavia sedan on November 18. It will be the brand’s second model under the India 2.0 project and a much-needed replacement for the ageing Rapid. Ahead of its global debut, Skoda has revealed a few key specifications of the Slavia – dimensions and engine specs – and here we are going to take a look at how it compares against other sedans in this segment, including the outgoing Skoda Rapid.
- Skoda Slavia considerably larger than Rapid, smaller only than Honda City
- Will be powered by 115hp, 1.0-litre TSI and 150hp, 1.5-litre TSI engines
- Transmission choices include 6-speed manual, 6-speed auto and 7-speed DSG
Skoda Slavia vs rivals: how big is it?
| Skoda Slavia vs rivals: dimensions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skoda Slavia | Skoda Rapid | Honda City | Maruti Ciaz | Hyundai Verna | Volkswagen Vento | |
| Length | 4541mm | 4413mm | 4549mm | 4490mm | 4440mm | 4390mm |
| Width | 1752mm | 1699mm | 1748mm | 1730mm | 1729mm | 1699mm |
| Height | 1487mm | 1467mm | 1489mm | 1485mm | 1475mm | 1467mm |
| Wheelbase | 2651mm | 2553mm | 2600mm | 2650mm | 2600mm | 2553mm |
| Wheel size | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch |
The first thing to note about the Slavia is that it’s a big car. Skoda has revealed the dimensions of the Slavia to be 4,541mm long, 1,752mm wide, 1,487mm tall and a wheelbase of 2,651mm, which is incidentally identical to that of the Kushaq, as both models are based on the same MQB-A0-IN platform.
Compared to the outgoing Rapid, the new Slavia will be 128mm longer, 53mm wider, 20mm taller and have a 98mm longer wheelbase. The upcoming Slavia will be the widest sedan in this segment and also have the longest wheelbase. That should ideally translate to good shoulder and leg room on the inside.
The Slavia narrowly misses out from being the longest sedan in this class, as that title goes to the Honda City which is just 8mm longer. The Slavia's size is more exaggerated when compared to the VW Vento, which is the shortest sedan in this segment – 151mm shorter than the Slavia. The Slavia is also among the taller sedans in this class, along with the Honda City, and that could also translate to good headroom. All sedans ride on a set of 16-inch alloy wheels.
Skoda Slavia vs rivals: engine, powertrain comparison
| Skoda Slavia vs rivals: engine and gearbox | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skoda Slavia | Skoda Rapid | Honda City | Maruti Ciaz | Hyundai Verna | Volkswagen Vento | |
| Engine type | 3 cyl turbo-petrol/4 cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 4 cyl naturally aspirated | 4 cyl naturally aspirated | 4 cyl naturally aspirated/3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol |
| Displacement | 999cc/1498cc | 999cc | 1498cc | 1462cc | 1497cc/998cc | 999cc |
| Power | 115hp/150hp | 110hp | 121hp | 105hp | 115hp/120hp | 110hp |
| Torque | 175Nm/250Nm | 175mm | 145Nm | 138Nm | 144Nm/172Nm | 175mm |
| Manual gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 5-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed |
| Automatic gearbox | 6-speed torque converter/7-speed DSG | 6-speed torque converter | 7-step CVT | 4-speed torque converter | 8-step CVT/7-speed DCT | 6-speed torque converter |
Just like the outgoing Rapid, the Slavia will be a petrol-only model, powered by a pair of TSI turbo-petrol engines. The 1.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine has been carried forward from the Rapid, produces 5hp more on the Slavia, with torque figures remaining the same. A key difference to note here is that rivals like the Honda City and Maruti Ciaz are offered only with a naturally aspirated petrol engine, while the Verna gets a turbo-petrol and a naturally aspirated petrol engine.
In terms of power and torque, the base 1.0-litre engine is already more powerful than the outgoing Rapid, the Vento and the Ciaz, and is identical to the naturally aspirated engine on the Verna. It is, however, 5hp down on the turbo-petrol engine of the Verna and 6hp down on the City’s 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine. That said, the Slavia is the torqueist of the lot, thanks to turbo charging. Notably, although the Ciaz is the least powerful, it is the only sedan to feature a mild-hybrid system.
However, the Slavia has some real bragging rights with its larger 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo–petrol engine. With 150hp and 250Nm, this engine is considerably more powerful than every other engine in this class, and also has the most amount of torque. Compared to the next most powerful sedan, which is the Honda City, the Slavis's 1.5-litre engine has 29hp more. It should really be the performance benchmark in this segment.
In terms of gearbox options, all sedans are offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox, although the Ciaz only gets a 5-speed unit. For the automatic gearbox, the Slavia gets a torque converter unit just like the outgoing Rapid, Vento and Ciaz, while the City gets a CVT gearbox. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Verna is offered with a CVT gearbox with its naturally aspirated engine and is also the only other sedan in this class to be offered with a dual-clutch transmission (7-speed) along with the Skoda Slavia (8-speed) – both with their more powerful turbo-petrol engines.
It’s also worth noting that the Honda City and Hyundai Verna are also offered with a 1.5-litre diesel engine, although that has been left out of this comparison as most other sedans are petrol-only models.
Also See:
Skoda Slavia prototype video review
Skoda Slavia prototype review, test drive
https://ift.tt/3w2dTCv
