2022 Skoda Slavia debuts in India

In Middle East and Europe, the entry-level Skoda Fabia got replaced with the new Scala a couple of years ago. But in some markets like India, Skoda killed the Fabia long ago, replacing it later with Skoda Rapid, a car based on the VW Polo. But now, they have a proper offering to take that space. Welcome to the 2022 Skoda Slavia.

The Skoda Slavia’s design elements are derived from the VW Virtus, another compact sedan sold in South America. The Slavia is built on the localised version of their global MQB platform, dubbed MQB A0-IN. The new sedan from Skoda gets a generous wheelbase of 2,651 mm despite its compact dimensions.

Digital Instrument Cluster, 10-inch infotainment screen, leather seats, ambient lighting and a bunch of other 2022-appropriate features squeeze their way into the Slavia. Along with this, the trademark Skoda practicality gets a space too, with more than 521-litres of cargo space. Fold the rear seats down, this gets bumped up to 1,050 litres.

In India, VW pulled the plug on their popular diesels, leaving only the petrol engines. The Slavia gets 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre turbocharged units, just like its crossover sibling, the Kushaq. The smaller 1.0-litre TSI engine makes 115 hp and 175 Nm, paired to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed auto box.

The bigger 1.5-litre engine increases the outputs to 150 hp and 250 Nm. Mated to either the 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch auto box, this engine should make the compact sedan a hoot to drive.