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Originally Posted by Hatari My Slavia 1.0L AT Sportline. Delivered 2 days ago.
Have been very impressed with it. My first Auto and it is so seamless to drive.
Ride quality is excellent.
Detailed review to follow. |
Short term - 2 week review. Approx 600 kms done.
Its been an absolute pleasure driving the Slavia AT. It continues to impress.
The basic car details/pics will be well known and documented, shall avoid.
The engine/acceleration review will need to wait as I need to run it in for 1500kms before pushing the limits.
I am curious on how the 1.0 compares from 120-160kmph on the highway vs the 1.6 Verna, which was a beast.
Kolkta has a strict 60kmph speed limit with speed cameras spread all over. Im itching to push it.
The Lava blue had me at Hello. Though ive always preffered the grays - the silver was too light and the grey too dark. Daughter wanted Red! Blue needed a bit of selling to her.
Also, have never liked blacked out alloys. But this combination of Blue + piano black design looks jaw dropping in the flesh.
The Cabin and ride quality feel several notches above my old Verna. Suspension is superb, takes the bumps very well. There are a few turns on flyovers that can be taken at speed, there are bumpy joints on these and the Slavia tackles these with more authority vs the Verna, to settle firmly back on the road.
I pushed it on another smooth fast turn and was plesantly surprised by how non chalant it was. No fuss, no oversteer, close to zero body roll. Gives one the feeling it could easily have been taken faster.
Its quiet inside - with only the growl of the engine, which is deeper than the Verna was at low revs. Though friends have remarked they can hear honking while ive been on handsfree speaking to them on the phone. I assume the mic is more sensitive than the Verna.
The first full tank gave me 8.50 kmpl. Im told this will improve, not bothered as my daily distances are not that high.
Driving an Auto in the city is a different experience - it has made me a better driver, more relaxed and I keep to my lanes more now. It changes the way you approach city traffic.
I need to find a way around the turbo lag on a low gear at low speed when a slight burst of acceleration is required to overtake etc (between 1000-1600 rpm)
THe LED headlights are good, much brighter than Verna's halogens and far more lateral throw, which is very handy in city & highway.
Cabin space across is better vs the Verna. Rear seeat bottle holders essential. Larger boot is a big plus. I carry my cricket kit, golf bag and trolley daily.
Seats are good, firm.
The higher ground clearance/door height is very beneficial. While opening my door after parking on the street, there was scraping of the bottom of the door with the footpath in the Verna.
In the Slavia, the door clears the same footpath by 1-1.5 inches.
Tires are grippy, normal psi is 33 - advised to take the rear as high as 48 when travelling with a fully loaded boot and 5 pax! Anyone tried this? I have never inflated any tire to this degree.
The sunroof brightens the Cabin well, as upholstery is black (Verna was beige).
Android Auto 2.0 now means I can get rid of my old mobile phone holder. The phone lied tucked away from sight.
Negatives/Room for improvement
- Music system is good though at high decibles lacks a bit of clarity.
- Handling touch screen AC controls is a pain point, good thing it doesnt require frequent adjustments. Being winter in Kolkata, proper review to follow in Summer.
- The fog lights can be turned on only when the headlight is on, would have preferred fog light controls in isolation, as indoor areas do not require full headlights, only fog lights.