Skoda Slavia long term review, 14,500km report
Our manual gearbox-equipped Slavia 1.5 TSI is both exhilarating and quite useable, depending on the conditions.
Published on Nov 26, 2023 08:00:00 AM
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Favourite – something you always return to. Something you enjoy, over and over and over again. That car for me is Skoda’s Slavia 1.5 TSI. Put simply, it’s a car I always get back to after having driven something else, a car that ticks a large number of my ‘must-have’ boxes.
The Slavia’s always been a car that has super-strong fundamentals. Power, performance, refinement, ride and handling, and a tough build... tick, tick, tick, tick. And what makes it net the ball is that it also comes with a great combination of frills. It gets a class-leading, subwoofer-equipped audio system (a feature I use all the time), crystal-clear phone connectivity, a bright and clear touchscreen and cooled seats. And, of course, the manual gearbox and well-weighted steering elevate the driving experience.
![Skoda Slavia sunroof Skoda Slavia sunroof](https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Reviews/_Long Term Web Resized and Watermarked._007.jpeg&c=0&w=700)
Wish I had an automatic today however. Ahead of me is a long line of cars inching forward, bumper to bumper. To make matters worse, bikers weave in and out of gaps in a merry dance and there’s a bunch of three-axle trucks who are trying to part traffic like Moses.
![Skoda Slavia manual Skoda Slavia manual](https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Reviews/_Long Term Web Resized and Watermarked._008.jpeg&c=0&w=700)
Of course, it’s the clutch that gets tiring first. This is partly because the spring-weighted clutch isn’t ideal for smooth and especially slow getaways. So I have to be more deliberate and more measured to get it to crawl or get off the line. And this means the use of more muscle to hold the clutch.
![Skoda Slavia AC vent Skoda Slavia AC vent](https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Reviews/_Long Term Web Resized and Watermarked._009.jpeg&c=0&w=700)
Once traffic thins and flow improves, I find myself thoroughly enjoying the tactile pleasure of shifting gears. The gear lever is beautifully built and a real pleasure to use, the selector mechanism is superbly weighted, and what adds to the experience is that the gears click home with a satisfying rifle-bolt-like ‘clop-clack.’ When I park and switch off at the end of the day, the Slavia throws up a stat I blink at in disbelief – it says I’ve driven for 2.46 hours today. It didn’t feel that long. Guess that says a lot about how good the seat is, and that’s despite the seat height adjustment being far from ideal. Raise or lower the driver’s seat, and it tilts forward or back; absolutely galling.
![Skoda Slavia seat Skoda Slavia seat](https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=https://cdni.autocarindia.com/Reviews/_Long Term Web Resized and Watermarked._005.jpeg&c=0&w=700)
But an early morning start the next day quickly reminds me why few cars, at even twice the price, aren’t this much fun. Empty, serpentine elevated roads; don’t you just love ’em! The Slavia 1.5 TSI really should have gotten a vRS badge. And yes, despite being a bit of a chore at times, the manual gearbox just adds so much to the driving experience. Manuals; enjoy them while you can.
Also see:
Skoda Slavia long term review, 12,000km report
Hyundai Verna vs Skoda Slavia vs Volkswagen Virtus: Performance incentive
Skoda Slavia long term review, 9400km report
Fact File | Petrol |
---|---|
Distance covered | 14,521km |
Price when new | Rs 16.19 lakh (ex-showroom, India) |
Test economy | 11.3kpl (overall) |
Maintenance costs | None |
Faults | None |
Previous Report | May 2022, July 2022, January 2023, April 2023, August 2023 |
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