[TorqueLord]

Originally Posted by raghavs90

Hi BHPians!

I own a Slavia 1.0 AT Style and I recently moved from Gurgaon to Mumbai. The second service is due (have clocked 28.5K now) this month and I need a recommendation for the best SKODA ASS Centre in Mumbai.

Hi,

This is my first post on the forum and am delighted to be a part of the community!

I also have a Slavia Style 1.0 AT and have done about 11k in 2 years. I get my car serviced at Mody Skoda in Kurla (they also have locations Goregaon if that's closer to you) and I have had a good experience for the last couple of years. I took the 4 year package and I haven't paid anything extra. They sometimes try to tack on a couple of extra things (wheel balancing/alignment, AC disinfectant, car shampoo etc) but back off when you say no. They offer pick-up and drop from home for Rs 500, which I use, as the area in Kurla where their service center is super crowded and I don't want to drive there.


I also wanted the advice of the forum on the AC issue in the Slavia 1.0. When I purchased the car I knew it had a weaker AC, but the issue seems to have gotten worse with time. Even when I keep the auto AC on at 20-21C the cabin doesn't seem to cool well. And we are just in April, and I dread to think what will happen over the next 2 months. Is there a solve for this, or will I have to make my peace with sub-par cooling. I did a Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai run a couple of weeks ago, the AC performance was very bad - either the car got too cold when I lowered the temperature or it got very warm when I increased the temperature. Setting the auto-ac at 22-23C seemed like a pointless exercise. My 7 year old got sick by the constant temperature changes from cold to high, and I have half a mind to get a car with a better AC. Requesting inputs from the community on whether there is a solve here?

[raghavs90]

Hey!

Thanks for your inputs.

I literally just booked a service for tomorrow at Mody Skoda in Kurla. Someone recommended JMD Skoda to me, but on further research I found that it has changed ownership and also the name and is now called Regent Skoda. And apparently it is not very good now. The reviews seemed very average. On digging up further, Mody Skoda Kurla reviews seemed pretty decent, so I went ahead and booked a service for tomorrow. Fingers crossed and hopefully it is a good experience. Yes, as per google maps, it does look like quite a crowded area, but I'd prefer to visit the first time and meet the service advisor and ensure all happens well. Peace of mind, atleast to some extent.

With respect to the AC, I kind of second that. But honestly after having owned 4-5 VAG cars over the years, this is something I've (unfortunately) gotten used to and I was kind of prepared for it going into this purchase. Had switched from my A7 Octavia to the Slavia and even on my Octy, the AC was a bit subpar. Out of all the VAG cars, the only car in which the AC has not been disappointing is my 2016 Polo which is back home in Delhi and its AC chills like anything even when set at 22-23 degrees.

Will report back with my service experience

[hieronymous]

Ownership review of my Slavia 1L AT, 6300 Kms in 7 months

I recently came back from a trip to Munnar and Kodaikanal in my Slavia and crossed the milestone of 5000 Kms and this is as good a time as any to post my ownership review.
I also wanted to give back to the Team BHP community who helped me make the final purchasing decision in buying the Slavia.

This is my very first car which I bought in September 2024. 2024 was a year of suprises for me, I hadn't imagined buying a car at the beginning of the year yet here I was buying a sedan.
Me and my partner had done a road trip to Wayanad and Mysore in her 2010 model Swift MT and she had done the driving duties as I had forgotten driving a four wheeler after getting my licence in 2016.
Considering the fact that she lived far from Bengaluru and I was getting exhausted taking KSRTC buses to meet her, it made sense to buy a car and also since I would be getting married to her soon, there was no reason not to get one.

After three months of driving lessions (one per week) in two different MSDS schools in Sarjapur and Koramangala, I finally had the confidence to drive a car. in BLR And then the most interesting part, the search for a suitable car began.
The budget was initially ₹15-16L but I finally increased it to ₹20-22L which gave me a lot of choices.

The things that were dear to me in a car were, good build quality, high safety ratings and relatively easy to drive and maintain. I ruled out hatchbacks early on as they were way under budget.
Then came the dilemma between crossovers vs sedan. But aesthetics wise, I was always leaning towards a classic 3 box sedan body style.
The crossovers just weren't aesthetic enough for me and involved quite a few compromises like smaller boot space etc. I ruled out Kia as safety wasn't really core to their design, the looks also were personally meh to me.

Funnily enough, barring the Kushaq 1L AT all the cars I drove were MT. I had this mistaken notion that I wanted to buy an MT car for better "control" or a more "engaging drive experience"
but that was quickly dissolved once I drove in peak Bengaluru traffic and like a newbie that I am, repeatedly stalled the TD vehicles going from Neutral to the first gear in peak traffic.
I took one drive in the Kushaq 1L AT which was the last TD I took and was sold on buying an Automatic transmission vehicle.

Here are the models I test drove and what I felt about them in brief.
VW Taigun 1.5L MT -> Looked less imposing, smaller boot space and the back side seating felt cramped. Solid build quality.
VW Virtus 1.5L MT -> Liked the sporty look although I like the more sedate looks of the older Jetta. Eager to accelerate, responded instantly to A-pedal input.
Slavia 1L/1.5L MT -> Classy looking sedan, fell in love with the looks instantly. Easy to manouever in peak traffic, tried driving it in and around Silk board and through some tight spaces in HSR and felt at home.
The bigger engine would accelerate with a feather touch on the A-pedal.
Kushaq 1.5L MT -> Looked small. The higher seating position made it easier to see blind spots compared to the Slavia. More body roll compared to Slavia. The 1.5L engine was more eager to accelerate than the 1L engine which was rather sedate.
Kushaq 1L AT -> The AT made me feel quite relaxed while driving and I instantly felt at home.
Honda Elevate MT -> Felt very sedate to drive. The extremeley tall seating position made it hard to see any blind spots. It looked small to me compared to Creta or Seltos.
Verna 1.5MT/1.5 Turbo MT -> Design language was futuristic and something that resonated with me. Spacious cabin. You could make ice cream in the AC. The Turbo was itching to be launched.
Low GC meant a more engaging drive but also had to be wary of illogical speed breakers of which there are many in BLR. Once I drove the Turbo, there was no going back to the NA engine.
The NA engine was sedate. Drove it in some tight spaces and I felt comfortable.

Tl;dr -> It was a tight race between the Slavia and the Verna 1.5Turbo In the end, the more solid build quality and the driving dynamics of the Slavia won.
Skoda had a "sale" in August 2024 where they gave a discount of ₹1.55L on the ex-showroom price of Slavia and Kushaq.
The top trim of 1.5L DSG was unfortuntaley out of stock and hence I bought the top trim of 1L AT in the crystal blue colour. I paid a booking amount of ₹20,000 and was immediately alloted a VIN by Skoda, the car was manufactured in March 2024.
The final on-road price in BLR was ~18.9L. I got my own insurance from outside. Skoda also gave me a complimentary 3-year SMP and 5-year extended warranty.
I bought this from Skoda Rajajinagar, the dealer just handled the delivery of the vehicle. I was allowed to do a PDI before buying the vehicle, their stockyard was in Yelahanka and they made no fuss in allowing me to do a PDI.
I had a PDI done from Zekardo and they gave me the OK to go ahead.
The leasing provider in my company handled all the financing and it was butter smooth. My car was delivered to me within 2 weeks of me placing the order.



I have driven this car in a variety of conditions, out on lone highways, twisty sections in ghat roads, off-road like conditions in secluded places and this car has performed swimmingly.
I have done a variety of road trips to places like Mangalore, Mysore, Chikkamaglur, Munnar and Kodaikanal and this is always fun to drive. In its price point there are few cars that can beat it when it comes to how sheer fun it is to drive.
I only recently discovered the Sport mode on this car and I am a certified addict and it makes me wonder how much fun the DSG gearbox would be
Since I mostly drive this on highways and rarely drive it in the city, the mileage I get is between 10-14KM/L on a tank to tank basis. I fill XP95 from IOCL if its available but more often than not use regular petrol from Shell or IOCL.

The good

- Straight line stability and the driving dynamics are top notch. I can't tell how fast the car is at 60, 120 and at even higher speeds.
Out on empty stretches of the highway, this eats up miles swimmingly and every moment of driving is engaging. There's little NVH at higher speeds. I have driven for 10+ hours in this and I feel no discomfort. This is the ideal get out of town car.
- The suspension setup is perfect for highway runs. The brakes are powerful and there have been some near misses on the highway although me driving at sane speeds and the brakes have helped me avoid any mishaps.
- The build quality is solid and the door thud is reassuring. There's plenty of boot space for a large family. The seats are comfy.

The bad

- The Turbo lag is very evident when driven in B2B traffic and that's the achilles heel of this car. Driving it in B2B traffic is a pain.
- The reverse camera could have been better. The image quality on it is pretty poor for its price range.
The Verna had a much better camera, I don't mind the exclusion of ADAS but the camera could have been better. Although I haven't faced any issues because of the poor visibility yet.
- The stock horn is not loud enough and the horn placement on the steering wheel makes it the tiniest bit more difficult for me to reach and honk.
- The ventilated seats are more gimmicky. Once the temperature of the cabin has equalised it barely makes any difference.
- Minor glitchiness in the Maps app in Apple CarPlay.
- False TPMS warnings from time to time. Nothing wrong with the tire pressure but I get the TPMS warnings occassionally.

The ugly

- The AC is inadequate in really hot summers. I have been to Mandya and the heat there is unimaginable and the AC takes a lot of time to cool the cabin even at the lowest setting. The Verna AC would chill you to the bone.

Conclusion

My only regret is not buying the 1.5L DSG, something which quite a few BHP-ians had recommended when advising to buy the biggest engine and the top trim. Perhaps that is something to keep in mind when I buy my next car
~6000 Kms is not a long term review but this car has been fill it, shut it and forget it type so far and long may that continue. I will keep updating this thread with my obervations as I put more kms on the ODO.

[Hamala53]

Originally Posted by hieronymous

I recently came back from a trip to Munnar and Kodaikanal in my Slavia and crossed the milestone of 5000 Kms and this is as good a time as any to post my ownership review.
I also wanted to give back to the Team BHP community who helped me make the final purchasing decision in buying the Slavia.

I very honest and interesting review of the sedan.
Can you please give some inputs on the road trip from Bangalore to Munnar like the route taken/road conditions/ restaurants/time taken etc as I am planning a trip to Munnar in the last week of this month.
Thank you in advance

[hieronymous]

The route we took was BLR -> Dharmapuri -> Salem -> Dindigul -> Theni -> Munnar. We left at 7AM from BLR and were in Munnar by 6PM with quick stops for breakfast, lunch and tea. Driving in TN was a breeze compared to driving in KA roads. Drivers are more patient and roads are better too, NH 44 especially. There are lot of diversions on portions of NH 844 and even on NH 44, there are quite a few barricades too but otherwise driving in TN was enjoyable.

I forgot where we stopped for breakfast in TN but it was a homely dosa place. For lunch, we stopped at Sri Murugavilas clay pot cooking, the biryani there was a bit spicy to our liking but still authentic Tamil cuisine and they have some unique dishes like Mutton brain.

Munnar didn't have that much traffic and barring a few sections, roads in Munnar are good and I had fun driving in the twisty sections there. We stayed in Munnar for 3 nights.

[venus1975]

Originally Posted by hieronymous

The ugly

- The AC is inadequate in really hot summers. I have been to Mandya and the heat there is unimaginable and the AC takes a lot of time to cool the cabin even at the lowest setting. The Verna AC would chill you to the bone.

This question is to the auto experts in this forum who can shed some light on this issue:

Please help me understand why making the AC work flawlessly is such a big deal for a company like VAG. Does it require fundamental design changes that will cost them a bomb? Or do they have to make big compromises with fuel efficiency to achieve better cooling? Or they just don't care?

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by venus1975

This question is to the auto experts in this forum who can shed some light on this issue:

Please help me understand why making the AC work flawlessly is such a big deal for a company like VAG. Does it require fundamental design changes that will cost them a bomb? Or do they have to make big compromises with fuel efficiency to achieve better cooling? Or they just don't care?

If I have to guess, it is due to cost cutting they might have opted for low capacity compressor. It's akin to fitting one ton capacity AC in a room which may actually need a 2 ton AC. I don't see any other fundamental challenge with design; because other players do provide adequate AC even in lower class cars.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by venus1975

This question is to the auto experts in this forum who can shed some light on this issue:

Please help me understand why making the AC work flawlessly is such a big deal for a company like VAG. Does it require fundamental design changes that will cost them a bomb? Or do they have to make big compromises with fuel efficiency to achieve better cooling? Or they just don't care?

Its just a wrong configuration of the AC in order to make the car more fuel efficient. Many have fixed it including the company itself just by coding changes and without any hardware changes. For the 1.0L engine this problem was more severe but not so for the 1.5 even though both engines have the same compressor. The reason is due to the engine management system cutting off AC compressor now and then due to different reasons and hence not much of cooling was observed.

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

If I have to guess, it is due to cost cutting they might have opted for low capacity compressor. It's akin to fitting one ton capacity AC in a room which may actually need a 2 ton AC. I don't see any other fundamental challenge with design; because other players do provide adequate AC even in lower class cars.

[Vipin Kumar]

Originally Posted by Bane214

Yes it’s recommended to use 95 octane petrol in 1.5 TSI engines. This is also mentioned in the owners manual and near the fuel cap as well. Many owners have also reported smoother running of engines with 95 octane fuel.

What about 1.0L TSI? Does this engine also require 95 Octane?
Also, isn't the 95 Octane costlier by Rs 15 approx? Does it result in higher FE on highways?

[dmplog]

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

What about 1.0L TSI? Does this engine also require 95 Octane?
Also, isn't the 95 Octane costlier by Rs 15 approx? Does it result in higher FE on highways?

95 octane fuel is recommended for 1.0 TSI as well though the engine can work with 91 octane too.
Fuel efficiency is up by 2-3kmpl and engine refinement is noticeable

[aswin88]

Hi BHPians,

I recently purchased 1.5 DSG Prestige Slavia in Hyderabad. I have clocked 2.5k km in 2.5 months so far. I am loving every bit of it, it's such a hoot to drive. I'm looking to get a rear diffuser installed on my Slavia. When I enquired Skoda ASS, it seems like diffuser is part of the aero kit retailing at 22k and they can't sell the diffuser alone. Aero kit comes with diffuser, lip spoiler, side skirts and front splitters. 22k seems like a rip off. Are there any aftermarket ones where I can get the rear diffuser for Slavia? Any leads would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[machamamadude]

Originally Posted by aswin88

I recently purchased 1.5 DSG Prestige Slavia in Hyderabad.

Looks like PPS Kothaguda- were you able to get a good deal? Last time I visited in March they said even the Corporate Discount wasn't being offered anymore. I don't know if I'm horrible at negotiations or if they're not able to offer any deals. Had my eye on the Sportline 1.0 AT edition.

[pranavk2118]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

Congrats on the new car.
1.5TSI needs RON95, RON91 only for exception cases.
So XP95 and Power95 are your options.

Thank you so much for the information and wishes.
It’s such a great feeling—can’t wait to take it for some fun drives.

Originally Posted by Bane214

Congrats on the purchase.
Yes it’s recommended to use 95 octane petrol in 1.5 TSI engines. This is also mentioned in the owners manual and near the fuel cap as well. Many owners have also reported smoother running of engines with 95 octane fuel.

Article on autocar as well on the same subject https://www.autocarindia.com/advice-...ormance-434836

Thank you so much for the information and wishes,
Finally got my hands on the Deep Black Slavia Monte Carlo 1.5 DSG — and man, this thing is damn hot! That black paint just hits different, especially under streetlights or sunlight. It's got that clean, aggressive stance that turns heads without even trying. On the road, it looks like pure class with a side of 'don’t mess with me'. Honestly, black isn’t just a color here — it’s a whole vibe. Sleek, sharp, and straight-up mean in the best way. Totally in love with this beast!

[TorqueLord]

Originally Posted by hieronymous

- The AC is inadequate in really hot summers. I have been to Mandya and the heat there is unimaginable and the AC takes a lot of time to cool the cabin even at the lowest setting. The Verna AC would chill you to the bone.

.

I have found a "hack" for the AC which works for me. I realized that my frustration arises because the auto-AC doesn't work properly, and even a 22 or 23C does not feel like it. Instead of using the auto-AC, I have started to set the fan speed as per my requirement. When you do this, the AC does not get cut off and the cabin chills pretty well. I keep the fan-speed at 4 initially to cool off, and bring it down to 3 after a few minutes. I went on a 200km round-trip over the weekend and didn't have any complaints about the AC.

[monish_m]

Originally Posted by hieronymous

Ownership review of my Slavia 1L AT, 6300 Kms in 7 months

The ugly

- The AC is inadequate in really hot summers. I have been to Mandya and the heat there is unimaginable and the AC takes a lot of time to cool the cabin even at the lowest setting. The Verna AC would chill you to the bone.

Looks like it is something to do with the AC settings (compressor getting cutoff) and the newer versions have the fix -

https://youtu.be/dN6fKnvNZYc?si=nl_M3MJP9ZAVDMJZ

Good news is that this can be be fixed by coding the correct settings - need to try it out.