Skoda is getting ready to reveal the Slavia sub-compact sedan for the Indian market that will replace the aging Rapid. Following the initial announcement and a preview of a camouflaged prototype, the company published two sketches of the car hinting at restrained, but fairly modern notchback looks. As usual, designers tend to use oversized rims and stretch the proportions of cars in their sketches, especially in those used to showcase a design. Thus, the Slavia looks aggressively longer, lower, and wider than what it really is, with clever use of lighting and shadows bringing more drama.
However, having seen pictures of
camouflaged prototypes we know that the Slavia has a sculpted front bumper with
a face looking similar to the Fabia, and a profile sharing similar cues with
the VW Virtus. The rear end though is pretty unique with the LED taillights and
the integrated spoiler lip sending Audi A4 vibes. The designers are referring
to a coupé-style silhouette thanks to the sloping roofline.
As you might expect, the Slavia will be
smaller than the Octavia and the Superb. More specifically it will measure
4,541 mm long, 1,752 mm wide, 1,487 mm tall, with a 2,651 mm wheelbase. This makes it slightly longer
than the aforementioned VW Virtus which measures 4,482 mm in
length.
We already know that the Slavia will be
based on the MQB-A0-IN platform exclusively developed by Skoda for the Indian
market, with 95 percent of its components sourced locally. The engine range
will include the 1.0 TSI three-cylinder producing 113 hp mated
to a six-speed manual transmission, and the more powerful 1.5 TSI four-cylinder
producing 148 hp that will be optionally offered with the
seven-speed DSG. Skoda has confirmed the official debut of the Slavia will take
place before the end of November. This will be the second model from the India
2.0 project following the Skoda Kushaq B-SUV. Both models will be produced in Pune,
India.
