Škoda Slavia: an excellent sedan that we don't want in Europe

Named after the first bike launched by Škoda's founding fathers Václav Laurin and Václav Klement, the new spacious sedan looks more or less like a Fabia with a boot lid. But, if we look at it a little differently, it bears a striking resemblance to the Volkswagen Virtus, which is a model sold exclusively in South America, where it basically serves as a sedan for the Polo model. New to the Indian market, it is 4,541 millimeters long, 1,752 mm wide and 1,487 mm tall, with a generous wheelbase that stretches to 2,651 mm.

The interior is a strongly derived cabin of the Fabia model. Which is certainly a big improvement over the old Rapid and it also looks more upscale than Skoda's other Indian car, the Kushaq compact crossover.

With LED lights front and rear, a digital instrument panel and a 10-inch touchscreen, the Slavia meets the standards of a car that will go on sale in 2022. It even has ambient lighting and leather-trimmed and ventilated front seats. Škoda successfully packs this with the high level of practicality you'd expect from Škoda, such as a whopping 521 liters of cargo space, which can be expanded to 1,050 liters by folding down the rear seats.

There are no diesels under the hood, as only 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI gasoline units will be available. The three-cylinder mill manages to squeeze out 115 horsepower (85 kilowatts) and 175 newton meters of torque, which is directed to the front axle via a six-speed manual or optional automatic with the same number of gears. The four-cylinder "unit" of the engine has a power of 150 hp (110 kW) and 250 Nm, which you "squeeze out" through a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox.

The Skoda Slavia will be built on the local MQB-A0-IN platform in Pune with up to 95 percent components sourced from local suppliers. It won't be in Europe. Although she would tempt many people with her trump cards.