Finalized the Skoda Slavia: Should I go for the 1.0 AT or the 1.5 DSG

Right after the TD of 1.0 AT Slavia, we took the 1.5L DSG, and the very first thing I felt improved was the creep function.

BHPian piyushkdwivedi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello,

After an extended comparison and search hunt in Bengaluru, we've planned to book Slavia Style Automatic. This will be our second car after the Honda Amaze VX Manual Petrol 2020 model. The Honda Amaze is intended to be sold next month as my company lease is completing, and then Slavia would be our next lease car. But the big question in my head is 1.0L or 1.5L? Let me explain below.

Driving Background:

I've been driving for about seven years and love to take long drives, though being in Bengaluru, most of the commute has happened in traffic (yeah - the known Bengaluru traffic). The Honda Amaze has been a great car in terms of reliability and comfort. But when it came to performance, it severely needed more on highways. Maintaining a good 100-120 kmph speed had no issues in Amaze, but due to lesser torque, the pickup took ages to cope with that speed. This struggle was significantly higher when the car was loaded to maximum load.

After hitting the odometer of 40,000 km, the Honda Amaze is planned for sale soon. And with that, I started looking for our next car.

Requirement:

The comfort of Sedan has overtaken all the wishes of having mid-size SUVs. We drove one of our friends, the Kia Sonet, the Hyundai Venue and even the Creta (all in the auto gearbox), but at the end of the day, the Honda Amaze's comfort always felt home-like. My wife also supported me to go for a C-segment sedan. The Amaze needed more space in the boot and rear seat, though. In a nutshell, the following are our requirements:

• Primarily drive in Bengaluru city traffic for my wife and me.
• Automatic gearbox - I tire of handling manual Honda Amaze in Bengaluru's traffic. My wife also wants the convenience of Auto.
• Occasional long highway drives, including hill stations.
• We are absolutely OK with a four-seater; we are not so keen on a comfortable five-seater.
• Comfort is a preference.
• Performance is the hunger. I want something that will significantly uplift Honda Amaze Petrol's performance.
• Lucrative features are welcomed if performance and comfort are matched.
• Fuel mileage is not a serious concern, but good numbers are better.
• Since the subsequent lease is for four years only, I will keep the upcoming car only for four years - just like the Honda Amaze.

Next Car Shortlisting:

With the confidence of choosing a Sedan in a C-segment, our obvious choices are Honda City, VW Virtus, Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna.

Test Drive - Hyundai Verna:

After the launch of Verna, my wife and I were excited to look for a new Verna! But we immediately rejected the design of the car. Rest everything couldn't give us the courage to ignore the design and looks. Hence, no test drive was done, even though its 1.5L engine would be lucrative.

Test Drive - Honda City (CVT):

Oh god, Honda never disappoints. It has such an airy cabin and comfortable ride quality. Undoubtedly, it's the best in this price bracket for rear seat comfort. My wife and I sat in the rear seat and asked the sales executive to drive. The cabin felt like a 30L premium car. But when I sat in the driving seat, the instrument cluster and centre console didn't give a 'new car' feeling like I came from a Honda Amaze. It's all the same as the Honda Amaze with better touch/feel of buttons & steering.

The engine was undoubtedly better and gave me an uplifted feeling. Still, when I took it to Old Madras (Hoskote) highway in Bengaluru, the CVT felt like a Honda Activa in acceleration. It was smooth but less peppy than I thought in Turbo drives from my friend's cars. The design of the Honda City also feels dated now. Hence, we made up our mind to try something other than Honda!
The lucrative thing here is ADAS. But we don't need it over the Turbo engine.

Test Drive - Skoda Slavia (1.0L AT):

We visited Raja Skoda in KR Puram, Bengaluru, and the moment we entered, we saw a Crystal Blue in the front. My wife and I literally saw each other and blushed. It is such a beautifully designed and lengthy car. We sat inside and checked out everything.

• The display car had an 8-inch display, and the music quality was better than Honda City, but Verna had a better feel of music. Slavia's music became great after setting the bass and treble to maximum. Anyway, the music quality is acceptable in this case.
• After checking out Honda City, the rear seat in Slavia felt slightly compact, but since this car is intended for my wife and me, it wasn't a deal breaker. Slavia is a four-seater only as the plastic cover touches the elbow at the corners of the rear seat near the door, which was a cushion in Honda City. This would make the passengers at the rear uncomfortable if a third person sits in between.
• The ride handling was outstanding when we drove it on an approximately 40 km stretch. Breaks were sharp and needed me to learn initially.
• Something I didn't like was the eagerness of the car to launch from a standstill whenever I lifted the break-paddle.
• Whenever I floored the accelerator paddle, there was significant 3-cylinder engine noise with a grunt sound. This was much better than Tata Nexon's 1.2L turbo 3-cylinders, though.
• When I was trailing in traffic, bonnet to bonnet, I felt the car struggled to keep the RPM and needed extra throttle to get in a comfortable range.
• The AC performance is good, but where I keep 22 degrees in Honda Amaze, I need to keep 19 degrees in Slavia. Then, cooling matches. But when I used to keep 18 degrees in Amaze, I didn't know what I do in Slavia!

Test Drive - Skoda Slavia (1.5L DSG):

Right after the TD of 1.0 AT Slavia, we took the 1.5L DSG, and the very first thing I felt improved was the creep function. The car moved slowly after lifting its brakes, whereas 1.0L AT was dangerously aggressive during creep. I tried hard to move the 1.0L, only centimetre-centimetre, but I couldn't. 1.5L DSG would definitely be better to close the gaps in bonnet-to-bonnet traffic.

• The car was as smooth as Honda's i-vtec on the highway, probably due to the 4-cylinders.
• I couldn't get the TD long enough to convey the difference between 1.0L AT and 1.5 DSG. But it was clear that 1.5L DSG would be easier to cruise on the highway without the grunt vibrations of 1.0L.
• I was frequently getting 2-cylinder mode even in city drive. During that, the instant fuel consumption was consistently above 18 kmpl. This was really good, considering I can manage light foot throttle if needed.

Test Drive - VW Virtus (1.0 AT):

We got a test drive of the Virtus after leaving the Skoda showroom and felt that the black alloys and seats of 1.5 GT variants were not to our taste. 1.0L Topline felt attractive, though. Hence, we didn't take a 1.5 DSG test drive. Rest everything was almost similar to Slavia.

The suspension comfort on the flyover joints was slightly better managed in Slavia, but my wife didn't feel this much.

The Slavia's dashboard looked slightly better to us.

There aren't any significant reasons to reject Virtus, but we decided to go ahead with Slavia because of two reasons:

• Slavia's Crystal Blue or Lava Blue colours are our choice. The front grill is also attractive. Virtus's blues couldn't get our attention. Mind it - Virtus's Lava Blue differs from Slavia's Lava Blue (I don't know why!).
• Slavia has better discounts every month compared to Virtus.

Now, the big question: Should we go with Skoda Slavia 1.0 AT or 1.5 DSG?

• It's a difference of almost INR 2 lakhs. Is the 1.5L so worth to spend that money?
• The drive is mainly in the city, with two passengers. Would this still be an excellent choice to go with 1.5L?
• I am petrified of DSG's woes. Is it a good idea to take that risk?
• Can the DSG failure be covered in insurance (whatsoever rider if needed)?
• I need to sell Slavia after four years. So which one will give better resale value?
• Regarding fuel economy, if the 2-cylinder mode is inactive, is 1.5 DSG not at all worth in city traffic?
• Since I am looking for car delivery in early December 2023 (as my current lease ends in Nov 2023), will I get better discounts on 1.5L to make the price difference smaller with 1.0L AT?

I will pick a Lava Blue colour in 1.0 AT or 1.5 DSG. When enquired, a few dealers said that the chrome garnish kit and the door logo projector are included in the ex-showroom price, but a few declined this. Is there any cheating going to happen here?

Please help me choose the right one!

Thanks, Piyush.

Here's what BHPian MotorDev had to say on the matter:

Hello, we own a Slavia 1.5 DSG and would be happy to help answer your queries.

Q1: Is the 1.5L engine worth the extra cost of almost INR 2 lakhs?

A1: Yes, it's definitely worth it. The 1.5L engine with the DSG transmission provides a smooth and powerful driving experience.

Q2: I mainly drive in the city with two passengers. Is the 1.5L still a good choice?

A2: It's an excellent choice for city driving, offering a smooth experience. However, DSG gearbox reliability in city traffic can be a concern.

Q3: I'm worried about potential issues with the DSG transmission. Is it a risk worth taking?

A3: Yes, although it's worth considering that there might be at least one failure over time, the overall driving experience makes it worth the risk.

Q4: Can insurance cover the DSG failure?

It varies; some have claimed insurance while others paid out of pocket. It depends on your luck.

Q5: Which one will have a better resale value after four years?

Resale value depends on current market trends, but keeping a high-end variant for only four years might not justify the investment.

Q6: Is the 1.5 DSG worth it for city traffic if the 2-cylinder mode is inactive?

Yes, even without the 2-cylinder mode, the 1.5 DSG performs well and returns good mileage (11.5 km/l B2B) in city traffic.

Q7: Will I get better discounts on the 1.5L model for early December 2023 delivery?

Discounts vary by dealer and negotiation skills.

Q8: Are the chrome garnish kit and door logo projector included in the ex-showroom price for the Lava Blue colour?

Despite what some dealers say, the extra accessories are included in the ex-showroom price for the Lava Blue colour. You can show them the below picture for clarification:

Here's what BHPian rahul_jo had to say on the matter:

I've asked this very thing multiple times on this forum and even spoke about this with folks offline.

I spoke to someone who drove his Slavia quite aggressively from the beginning and has already accumulated over 30,000 kilometers.

Drag races, consistent random acceleration at every possible opportunity and no reported issues so far.

He loves to take off hard and brake even harder whenever there is an empty stretch.

When I pointed out that he should go easy on the engine. He chuckled and said, what is the point of buying a quick car when you can't even enjoy it.

He said - "The harder you drive it, the longer it'll last".

Can't agree much with the last line, however, so far (touch wood). This new updated DSG doesn't seem to have the old issues.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.