Skoda has revealed the much-awaited facelift of the Slavia sedan in India. It comes in six trims including the sporty Monte-Carlo. These are Classic, Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige and Monte-Carlo. Pre-bookings are now open and deliveries will start commencing at the start of the festive season. The company hasn’t revealed the prices yet.
The facelift brings notable changes to Slavia. It has made the car look more interesting and feel more premium and comfortable inside. It has also had the introduction of a new 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission in place of the previous 6-speed automatic.
The biggest styling changes have happened at the front. The facelift gets a larger grille with dotted Chrome elements running through, connecting headlamp units on either side. The headlamps themselves have been redesigned slightly. They now feature LED projectors with redesigned internal elements.
Another notable change is the redesigned front bumper. The fog lamp housings are triangular in shape and look good. There is also an elegant Chrome garnish at the front. Overall, the front end now looks sharper and more attractive. The proportions on the other hand, remain largely unchanged.
The side view remains almost the same as that of the pre-facelift model. You will, however, notice a set of new diamond-cut alloy wheels, and a new garnish on the front fender. The base-spec Classic variant comes with 150-inch wheels while the rest of the pack have 16-inch wheels. A brushed aluminum treatment can be seen around the windows. The rear design remains familiar. The LED tail lamps, however, get sequential turn indicators and redesigned internals.
Skoda has also revised the new Slavia’s colour palette. It comes in 10 colour options, two of which are new- Arctic Silver and Cappuccino Beige. Deliveries of the latter will start in December 2026. The other options are Brilliant Silver, Candy White, Carbon Steel, Shimla Green, Steel Grey, Cherry Red, Lava Blue, and Deep Black.
A Monte-Carlo version is available from launch. It has a sportier styling and comes with dedicated badges and a different interior colour scheme. The Monte Carlo can be had in six dual-tone colours while the other trims are only available in mono-tones.
Several changes can be spotted in the interior design and feature list. The overall dashboard layout remains the same as before. The trims and materials used, however, have improved on the facelift. Higher variants now get a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster with integrated turn-by-turn navigation. (Lower ones come with a smaller, 8-inch unit).
The infotainment size also differs between variants. Lower ones get a 7-inch touchscreen while the mid and higher-spec trims get a larger 10.1-inch unit.
In addition to these, features like ventilated front seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, 360-degree camera, wireless charger, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, AI assistant powered by Google Cloud, single-pane sunroof, are also offered. Another big attraction is at the rear. The rear seat continues to be comfortable and now gets a massage function as well. We had previously seen this addition on the faceliftted Kushaq. Honestly, it can contribute fairly to the overall occupant comfort.
On the safety front, the Slavia facelift comes equipped with six airbags and 25 other safety features. The new model will likely live up to the safety standards set by the outgoing Slavia,.
The facelifted Slavia continues to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform and uses the two proven engine options- 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol. The smaller engine can be had with two gearbox options- 6-speed manual and a new 8-speed torque converter automatic. It makes 115hp and 178Nm. The 1.5-litre engine can only be had with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission. It produces 148hp and 250Nm.
The Slavia belongs to the mid-size sedan segment. It continues to compete with the likes of Honda City faceliftfacelifted Hyundai Verna and the Volkswagen Virtus. Interestingly, the Virtus is set to get a facelift sometime in the near future.
India is now an important market for Skoda. It in fact the fourth largest market for the company. Models like the Kylaq and Kushaq have been selling well. Skoda expects the facelifted Slavia to continue the momentum. The carmaker plans to make our country a major manufacturing and export hub.