Skoda Slavia vs rivals: engine specs and dimensions compared

Skoda has finally launched the Slavia in India, with prices for the 1.0-litre TSI variants ranging from Rs 10.69 - 15.39 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Prices for the more powerful 1.5-litre TSI variants will be announced on March 3. Skoda has also commenced deliveries of the new Slavia from today. 

Skoda hopes to revive the mid-size sedan segment with the Slavia, where it will rival the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Volkswagen Vento. The Vento will, however, be replaced by the new Volkswagen Virtus when it goes on sale in May this year. Here we are taking a look at how the Slavia compares against its rivals in terms of dimensions, engine specs and price, on paper. 

• Skoda Slavia considerably larger than rivals, smaller only than Honda City
• 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?

The first thing to note about the Slavia is that it’s a big car. The Slavia is 4,541mm long, 1,752mm wide, 1,507mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,651mm, which incidentally is 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 is 128mm longer, 53mm wider, 41mm taller and has a 99mm longer wheelbase. The Slavia is the widest, and tallest, sedan in this segment and it also has the longest wheelbase. 

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. Meanwhile, all sedans here ride on a set of 16-inch alloy wheels in their top-spec form.

In terms of boot space, the Slavia comes out on top with its 521 litre capacity, while the Rapid has the least amount (460 litres). 

Skoda Slavia vs rivals: engine, powertrain comparison

Just like the outgoing Rapid, the Slavia is a petrol-only model, powered by a pair of TSI turbo-petrol engines. The 1.0-litre TSI  engine that has been carried forward from the Rapid, produces 5hp more in 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 both turbo-petrol and a naturally aspirated petrol engine options.

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 Slavia's 1.5-litre engine has 29hp more. 

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 1.0 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 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.

Skoda Slavia vs rivals: price

In terms of pricing, the Slavia has a higher starting price than the Verna, Ciaz and Vento, although it is Rs 50,000 cheaper than the Honda City. At the top-end, the Slavia is again the most expensive of the lot, but the premium can be justified as the Slavia gets turbocharging and torque converter automatic gearbox compared to naturally aspirated rivals with CVT automatics. 

However, these are only the prices of the 1.0-litre TSI variants, which means the 1.5-litre variants will be significantly more expensive than any other sedan in this segment. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, meanwhile, is the most affordable mid-size sedan.