[MotorDev]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Very well written review MotorDev. Congratulations to you and your family on the purchase and wish you many happy miles of ownership. Make a pact with your dad that he will hand this car over to you when he decides to do the next upgrade and not sell it. Just for writing this beautiful review, you deserve that and by then the after market world would have figured out 50 different upgrades you can do on this car.
Wish you all the best.

Absolutely, thanks a ton!

[AlokSharma]

Fantabulous review MotorDev. It was a treat to read the whole review. I have already booked the Slavia 1.5 DSG a fortnight back in Lava Blue colour and reading your review has made me call my SC to request him to speed up the delivery process. I can't wait to lay my hands on this beautiful piece of art.

You have covered every aspect in painstaking detail.

I am sure you will soon be writing and reviewing cars as a profession.

[Raghav07]

Wow! Such a detailed and impressive review! The way you wrote about the Slavia's driving experience, I thought you were driving it! Also great to see fellow teenagers writing reviews on their dads cars.

The blue on your Slavia really shines after the enhancement process. The Anniversary Edition also makes the car a touch more premium.

This review has to be 10/10, its not everyday you see a fellow teen car enthusiast writing such a detailed review.

I would really like some tips from you, as I am planning to post 2 reviews on our Venue and Innova Crysta, and considering your review made it to the home page, I would really like some advice.

Also, you didn't leave out anything and the photos were high quality, which made the review even better.

Hope you continue to post about your Slavia, and I wish you all the best for high school and your board exams ( I am a 16yo 11th grader in Chennai).

[MotorDev]

Originally Posted by AlokSharma

Fantabulous Review MotorDev.It was a treat to read the whole review. I have already booked the Slavia 1.5 DSG a fortnight back in Lava Blue colour and reading your review has made me call my SC to request him to speed up the delivery process. I can't wait to pay my hands on this beautiful piece of art.

I am sure you will soon be writing and reviewing cars as a profession.

Thank you very much, and congratulations on your new Skoda Slavia !

Originally Posted by Raghav07

Wow! Such a detailed and impressive review! The way you wrote about the Slavia's driving experience, I thought you were driving it! Also great to see fellow teenagers writing reviews on their dads cars.

I would really like some tips from you, as I am planning to post 2 reviews on our Venue and Innova Crysta, and considering your review made it to the home page, I would really like some advice.

Hope you continue to post about your Slavia, and I wish you all the best for high school and your board exams ( I am a 16yo 11th grader in Chennai).

Thank you so much! It's nice to see another teenager here. Although I'm no expert, here are some tips for your ownership review :

• Pros and Cons first: Starting with the pros and cons is a great way to give readers a quick overview of your experience.
  
  
• Include photos: Pictures are worth a thousand words. Adding photos (up to 30 per post) can make your review more engaging.
  
  
• No typos, be clear: Keep your writing error-free and to the point. It helps everyone understand what you're saying.
  
  
• Take your time: Don't rush. Spend the time you need to write a balanced and unbiased review.
  
  
• Divide into sections: Break down your review into segments like performance, interior, and more. It makes it easier to read.
  
  
• Add an index: Including an index might seem minor, but it significantly helps readers find specific information quickly.
  
  
• Assembly line: You can use the assembly line to write your review in total privacy.

All the best with your ownership review on the Venue and the Innova. I'll be looking forward to reading it!

[Raghav07]

[/quote]


Thank you so much! It's nice to see another teenager here. Although I'm no expert, here are some tips for your ownership review :

• Pros and Cons first: Starting with the pros and cons is a great way to give readers a quick overview of your experience.
  
  
• Include photos: Pictures are worth a thousand words. Adding photos (up to 30 per post) can make your review more engaging.
  
  
• No typos, be clear: Keep your writing error-free and to the point. It helps everyone understand what you're saying.
  
  
• Take your time: Don't rush. Spend the time you need to write a balanced and unbiased review.
  
  
• Divide into sections: Break down your review into segments like performance, interior, and more. It makes it easier to read.
  
  
• Add an index: Including an index might seem minor, but it significantly helps readers find specific information quickly.
  
  
• Assembly line: You can use the assembly line to write your review in total privacy.

[/quote]

Thank you for your valuable inputs! These will greatly improve the review.

[/quote]
All the best with your ownership review on the Venue and the Innova. I'll be looking forward to reading it![/quote]

Haha Thank You! I will let you know when it's done, it is going to take a while and I need to find time (struggle of being a Class 11 car blogger; you don't have time!).

[MaverickKT]

Originally Posted by MotorDev

• The 10-inch infotainment system with subwoofer and amp provides excellent sound quality and responsiveness.

Could you confirm if the subwoofer is present in your vehicle? couldn't find any pics related to it in the review.

I think one other user on the official thread also received a 10" infotainment system but no subwoofer/amp with Lava Blue Edition.

[MotorDev]

Originally Posted by MaverickKT

Could you confirm if the subwoofer is present in your vehicle? couldn't find any pics related to it in the review.

I think one other user on the official thread also received a 10" infotainment system but no subwoofer/amp with Lava Blue Edition.

Hi there, I've already shown a picture of the car's subwoofer and amplifier in the Instrument Cluster, Infotainment System and Speakers section. Anyway, here's a photo of them in our car:

The subwoofer is placed inside the spare wheel:

The amplifier is placed beneath the passenger seat:

[MaverickKT]

Originally Posted by MotorDev

Hi there, I've already shown a picture of the car's subwoofer and amplifier in the Instrument Cluster, Infotainment System and Speakers section. Anyway, here's a photo of them in our car:

The subwoofer is placed inside the spare wheel:

Attachment 2498116


The amplifier is placed beneath the passenger seat:

Attachment 2498117

Yes, I might have missed it. But thanks for confirming though.

The answer I got from sales rep is that subwoofer was offered on Lava Blue Edition initially but it was removed post July and they weren't even aware of many things before I asked them.
May be Skoda is randomly throwing it in few vehicles still stocks last..

[GForceEnjoyer]

A very late congratulations on obtaining your blue beauty! The Lava Blue colour is absolutely stunning, a shade absolutely worth getting PPF and ceramic coating for.

However, the word stunning isn't nearly enough to describe the sheer depth of detail and the wonderful quality of writing that you've demonstrated here! I read each word of the review without getting bored, and speaking as someone who has spent a total of barely 5 minutes inside a Slavia (got to check out a display car in Delhi airport of all places), I'm now a million times more familiar with this beautiful machine of yours.

I'm in awe at the way you've expressed your passion while also being very unbiased. Congratulations on having your very first review go to the Team-BHP reviews section.

Wishing you many, many more happy kilometres and a fuss-free ownership experience. Keep writing, cheers!

[MotorDev]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

A very late congratulations on obtaining your blue beauty! Wishing you many, many more happy kilometres and a fuss-free ownership experience. Keep writing, cheers!

Thank you for your kind words!

[MotorDev]

Oh, wow! It's been ages since I last shared something in this thread. Figured it's about time for an update. Four months feels like an eternity! The car has covered 4500 kilometres so far, and she's holding up pretty well.

Recently took a trip from Bengaluru to Vijayawada and wanted to share some cool pics -

- The highway was completely clear:

- Tirupati's natural beauty is something else.

- Escaping the urban chaos feels so refreshing:

- Great power, but yeah, the mileage takes a hit. Still, totally content considering the speed!

- Caught an awesome view from the hotel window in Tirupati:

- Even when the beauty is a bit dirty...

- You're amazing just the way you are !

- A little dusting here and there, and she shines like new:

So far, we're loving the car to bits . It feels so grounded and stable, and surprisingly, the seats are incredibly comfy! Got a trip to Vizag planned for the 26th. I'll be updating this thread more frequently. Stay tuned for a 5000km update after the trip.

Until then, signing off!

[MotorDev]

It's been approximately 8 months since the Slavia DSG joined our family, and it has covered around 6200 km up to this point. Here's the update at the 6000 km mark -

Positive Aspects

• The car's performance is great with no lag in city speeds. It smoothly shifts to D7, balancing mileage and power. You can feel the 150 horsepower when you press the pedal hard.
  
  
• The DSG gearbox is fantastic! It operates incredibly smoothly, and you won't even feel the gear changes. The shifts are seamless, responsive to input, and always in the right gear.
  
  
• The speakers are excellent, delivering awesome bass quality! The beats are impressive, and having the subwoofer in the boot creates a theatre-like effect.
  
  
• The headlight throw is good, and the spread is impressive, covering most of the road ahead.
  
  
• Passengers don't sense high speeds when travelling at speeds of about 120 km/h and above. The NVH levels are good, and the overall stability of the car is excellent.
  
  
• The suspension is a bit stiff to my liking, but a stiff suspension = great handling. It handles corners like a charm, making it a joy to drive, especially considering the numerous twists and turns in my area.
  
  
• The brakes work exceptionally well! Initially, there was a grinding sound at 4000 km, but it turned out to be brake-disc wiping. Fortunately, the sound has disappeared, and now the braking performance is good, instilling confidence.
  
  
• The seats strike a perfect balance, being neither too hard nor too soft. They are very comfortable, and despite a continuous 600 km trip with minor breaks, there was very little fatigue. The seats of this car are underrated for their comfort.
  
  
• Wireless connectivity paired with a wireless charger is a blessing. It never disconnects and works seamlessly, functioning like a charm.
  
  
• The crucial question, "Kitna deti hai?" In well-driven city traffic conditions, it gives around 15 km/l. In mixed city conditions, it's approximately 12.5 km/l, and in bumper-to-bumper traffic, it's around 10 km/l. On the highway, driving like a maniac yields about 11.6 km/l, but with careful driving, we've achieved a maximum of 17.4 km/l. Hoping for an increase after the first service, but overall, satisfied with the current mileage. The ACT technology can be intrusive at times, but it delivers what it's meant to. We've consistently filled up the car with XP95.
  
  
• The AC works effectively and occasionally makes you shiver even at 21°C. No issues here.
  
  
• The steering is responsive and provides feedback. It feels light at city speeds but gains weight effectively as the speeds increase.
  
  
• The instrument cluster and the infotainment system function seamlessly without any lag.
  
  
• The car looks fantastic, especially in its lava blue shade, attracting a lot of attention on the road.

Areas of Concern

• There's been a noticeable increase in rattling from the dashboard, particularly on bad roads. I suspect the flimsy ambient light might be the cause of this issue.
  
  
• When bottles are placed in the door pockets and a bassy song plays, they vibrate, creating an annoying buzzing sound.
  
  
• The driver window auto up/down feature works, but the window comes up more slowly compared to the other windows. I plan to address this during the first service.
  
  
• Škoda's Blaupunkt dashcam isn't performing well. The plug's quality is so poor that the filament inside it has fallen off and dropped into the 12 V socket hole. According to the service advisor, the entire unit containing the 12 V socket needs to be removed to extract the filament. If anyone has ideas on how to extract it without removing the entire unit, your assistance would be greatly appreciated!
  
  
• The brakes produce a considerable amount of blackish residue on the alloys. I'm not sure what it is, but after a long highway trip, the alloys turn black. Additionally, there is a squealing sound on ramps and occasionally in traffic, though not consistently.
  
  
• The reverse camera quality is subpar, and the image appears very grainy. Škoda should address this issue promptly for an improved experience.
  
  
• The placement of buttons for door unlock and ACT is more focused on the passenger and should have been inclined towards the driver for better convenience.
  
  
• The ventilated seats, although good, don't seem as effective on a hot day as we anticipated. While they make some noise, they don't deliver the expected level of performance.
  
  
• Škoda could have improved the experience by adding a damping effect to the grab handles on the roof. They currently make a lot of noise when released.
  
  
• The quality of the switches for the roof-mounted LED reading lamps is poor; they are quite hard to press and operate. Škoda could have considered using push buttons similar to those found in Honda for a better user experience.
  
  
• The placement of the cruise control is confusing and distracting due to its incorrect positioning.
  
  
• Answering a call from the steering is a distracting process. This seems unnecessarily inconvenient .

The Š K O D A emblem looks cool -

The beast waking up from its slumber!

A light show at the back -

Doesn't it look beautiful ?

Trip to AP!

Embarking on an epic 2000 km, 13-day adventure through Andhra Pradesh - here's the travelogue!

Trip Stats:

Total Distance: 2032 km
Best Mileage: 17.4 km/l
Worst Mileage: 8.7 km/l
Fuel: XP95

Let the trip begin

Kicking off on December 20, 2023, our journey started fashionably late, as we usually are. You know the drill – packing, checking doors and gas, etc. An hour or more to hit NH75, and let me tell you, that hour was more like navigating the moon. Broken roads, or to be brutally honest, no road at all – just village vibes.

NH75 finally welcomed us, and we made a pit stop at the Highway Star PVT.LTD food courts for breakfast. Recommended for everyone – petrol pump, ample parking, clean washrooms, plus McDonald's and Domino's. A few meters back is Aradhya Grand for a solid breakfast.

Back on NH75, we transitioned to NH69 after a few clicks. Thank you, Mr Nitin Gadkari, for the fantastic highways. Keeping speeds at 120 km/hr has become the norm now. I remember a time when there was just a small highway, and now we have six lanes!

The car is a joy to drive, especially on the highway. Overtaking is a breeze, even with four passengers and a trunk full of luggage. Brakes inspire confidence, stopping in a straight line without any nervousness. Dad was thoroughly impressed, declaring no turning back from the VW group.

Skoda's goof-up – the cruise control placement. Our old 4G City's system was a breeze compared to this confusing stalk. Admittedly, it affected the mileage, but we still managed 15 km/l on the trip between Bangalore and Tirupati.

Tirupati welcomed us with a great lunch at Pai Viceroy. Highly recommended! We stayed at Starlite Suites Tirupati. Due to the holiday season, hotels like Pai Viceroy and Minerva Grand were booked. Starlite Suites turned out amazing – double bedrooms at a reasonable price, pretty much like regular hotels.

The next day, we headed early to Vijayawada. The first 2 hours of the road were horrible – broken patches everywhere. Lost a lot of time there, but as soon as we hit the highway, we covered the lost time. Quick lunch at Padmavathi Vilaas near Nellore – an amazing lunch indeed!

After about 5 hours from Padmavathi Vilaas, we reached Vijayawada and called it a day. These 5 hours were awesome – smooth roads and a pleasant experience. The stiff suspension translated into excellent stability and handling, and the NVH levels of the car are top-notch.


December 26 - En Route Vizag:

The sun rose bright as we embarked on the trip to beautiful Vizag. Highways from Vijayawada to Vizag were free, though the road quality wasn't stellar. The Chennai-Kolkata Highway NH16 lacked XP95 petrol pumps, so filled up XP95 in bigger cities like Vijayawada before the trip. Reached Hotel Jas near Vizag outskirts on the highway for lunch – an awesome lunch spot with high ratings on Google. Finally, reached Vizag without fatigue.


December 31 - Vizag to Vijayawada:

Back to Vijayawada as schools were about to start. Traveled and took a day break on January 1 in Vijayawada.


January 2, 2024 - Vijayawada to Tirupati:

New year vibes, and we had to get back to Bangalore. Started from Vijayawada to Tirupati with a driver who successfully extracted an awesome mileage of 17.4 km/l! This car is a proper 4-seater. Three people at the back for short trips are fine, but long trips might be a squeeze. Finally reached Tirupati and stayed at Minerva Grand Tirupati. The breakfast here is amazing, with an array of chutneys – unfortunately, I was down with fever, so couldn't enjoy all the chutneys that day.


January 3, 2024 - Tirupati to Bangalore:

Started at 10:30 am in Tirupati and reached Bangalore at 2:30 pm. A bit sad as exams awaited the next day, and the daily routine was about to kick in. Nevertheless, created lots of memories.

The Car

Issues faced – None. The car's performance throughout the trip was awesome. The seats were supportive, and there was no fatigue whatsoever. The sound system kept us entertained, and the car proved to be an excellent chauffeur car. Overall, loved the trip and the car – can't wait for another adventure in this beauty!

Delicious food – craving another bite!






Beautiful artwork adorning a hillside -




Stunning views in Vizag -

Until next time. Cheers!

[Kickdown]

Good updates. Thanks for writing it up. Always interesting to read about long term experiences on the VAG 2.0 cars.

Originally Posted by MotorDev

[list][*]There's been a noticeable increase in rattling from the dashboard, particularly on bad roads. I suspect the flimsy ambient light might be the cause of this issue.

Dashboard rattling noises is something I see on almost all the user experience reports when it come to Skoda cars. Here, as well as on other platforms. Wonder why Skoda isn't doing something about it. If they are then its clearly not working.

Also wonder if the same is true for Virtus and Taigun as well. I somehow don't see much rattling complaints from Volkswagen owners. I maybe wrong or ignorant.

[MotorDev]

Originally Posted by Kickdown

Dashboard rattling noises are something I see on almost all the user experience reports when it comes to Skoda cars.

Also, I wonder if the same is true for Virtus and Taigun. I somehow don't see many rattling complaints from Volkswagen owners.

VW cars have fewer rattling noise issues due to their straightforward interiors, while Skodas may experience such problems due to the presence of less sturdy materials, such as the ambient light strip, to name a few.

[Game_of_Roads]

Originally Posted by Kickdown

Dashboard rattling noises is something I see on almost all the user experience reports when it come to Skoda cars.
I somehow don't see much rattling complaints from Volkswagen owners. I maybe wrong or ignorant.

I've had multiple conversations with Skoda Bangalore ASS's "Master Technicians"and as per their experience almost all of the squeaking/rattling in the Slavia comes from 2 sets of plastic trims of sub par quality and thickness - the broad glossy black insert that runs just above the glovebox and the golden/copperish colour trim that houses the ambient light. I've checked this multiple times and find this claim to be accurate. I also did some DIY foam tape fixes underneath and between the glossy black strip and the glovebox and the squeaking from the side has reduced a lot. Only on really hot days and when parked a lot under the sun does the squeaking/rattling from these parts come back.

I feel the VW counterparts actually seem to use better plastic trims and their design for these glossy trim elements seems more integrated with the dash from all sides than being layered one on top of the other like in the Skoda design and consequently squeak and rattle lesser.