Earlier this week, Skoda revealed the facelifted Slavia in India. The long-awaited update did not disappoint. It brought a bunch of tasteful,visual updates and feature additions to the sedan, along with a new 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission. Here is all you need to know about the new Slavia.
Skoda hasn’t revealed the prices of the new Slavia yet. It is, however, accepting pre-orders for the sedan. Interested buyers can use the Skoda website to pre-book the vehicle by paying Rs 15,000. The media first drives will likely commence in the second half of September. That’s when we would get to drive the updated car. Price announcement is likely to follow shortly. This is a pattern we had previously seen with the Kushaq facelift as well. Deliveries are expected to commence around the festive season.
Skoda will offer the updated Slavia in six trims, including the sporty Monte Carlo. These will be Classic, Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige, and Monte Carlo. The 1.0L engine is available only on the first five trims. The Monte Carlo can only be had with the 1.5L engine, and sits at the absolute top.
The facelift has given the Slavia a sharper design. It now looks more appealing and comes with mildly redesigned LED projector headlamps, a larger grille section with fine detailing, new front bumper, triangular fog lamp housings, and a Chrome garnish on the lower section of the bumper.
The updated Slavia rides on a new set of diamond-cut alloy wheels- 15-inch units on the Classic variant and 16-inchers on higher ones. Brushed aliminium treatment can be seen around the windows and there is a new garnish on the front fenders. The proportions and silhouette remain unaltered while the overall appearance has been made more sophisticated. The rear design remains largely unchanged. The LED tail lamps now have revised internals and sequential turn indicators.
The Monte Carlo variant looks even more attractive. It is the only trim that offers dual-tone colours- six of them. Additionally, it gets dedicated ‘Monte Carlo’ badges, a unique interior colour scheme and more such details.
The TV commercial released by Skoda shows these changes in detail. You can watch it above.
Talking of colours, the new Slavia comes in 10 colours, two of which are new- Arctic Silver and Cappuccino Beige. Deliveries of Cappuccino Beige cars will begin only in December 2026. The other shades are Brilliant Silver, Candy White, Carbon Steel, Shimla Green, Steel Grey, Cherry Red, Lava Blue and Deep Black.
Inside, the basic dashboard layout remains unchanged. The material quality has, however, been improved. There is an increased sense of premiumness to the cabin. The new car gets a larger, 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster with integrated turn-by-turn navigation. This, however, comes only on higher trims. Lower ones use an 8-inch digital display.
The touchscreen is another big change. The new model comes with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. (Lower variants get a 7-inch unit). There is wireless Apple Carplay, Android Auto and AI assistant powered by Google Cloud on offer. Other features on the new car include ventilated front seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, a 360-degree camera, wireless charging and a single-pane sunroof. No ADAS is on offer.
The rear-seat experience has improved on the facelift. There is ample room at the rear. Skoda has also integrated a massage function into the rear seat. This is a move we had previously seen with the Kushaq facelift as well. Honestly, it is a feature that may would appreciate in real-life.
The updated sedan gets six airbags and 25 other safety features. The outgoing Slavia already has a strong reputation for occupant protection, and the same is likely to continue on the new model.
The facelifted Slavia continues to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform and is powered by the same two engines- 1.0L TSI turbo-petrol and 1.5L TSI turbo-petrol. The former makes 115hp and 178Nm, while the latter produces 148hp and 250Nm. The smaller engine comes with two transmission options- six-speed manual and a new 8-speed automatic (torque converter). We first saw this transmission swap with the Kushaq facelift. The new transmission makes the drive smoother and more hassle-free. More importantly, it is expected to be more efficient than the 6AT it replaced.
Previously, a six-speed torque converter unit used to do duty on the 1.0L version. The larger, 1.5L TSI version is offered exclusively with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.
The Virtus, as you know, is the Volkswagen version of the Slavia. It uses the same platform and engines. Volkswagen is now working on a similar facelift to the Virtus as well. Changes are likely to stay similar. The styling is expected to improve, more features are likely to be added (Volkswagen may skip the rear-seat massage function though) and the 8-speed torque converter would replace the six-speed unit of the outgoing car.
The inclusion of the new 10.25-inch driver’s display with integrated turn-by-turn navigation and the 360-camera, we think, will be the most useful changes on the new model. Of course, the new transmission will make life better for Virtus owners. Like the Slavia, the Virtus facelift will also continue with the same set of engines and platform as the outgoing model.
The launch of Slavia facelift will make the mid-size sedan battle more fierce. This segment currently has four strong players- Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia. The Verna and City have already received facelifts. The Slavia’s update has made it more competitive in the fight. The Virtus facelift, expected later this year, will complete the lineup. Buyers will then have a pool of updated sedans that match evolving expectations, to choose from.