If you enjoy spirited driving and want a fun, feature-packed, yet spacious sedan that keeps the family happy with a good balance of comfort and tech, the Slavia 1.5L DSG is a great choice.
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11,000 KMs and 479 Days of Slavia 1.5L DSG Ownership
Note: Click on the images for higher resolution.
It’s been over a year since we brought home our Skoda Slavia 1.5L DSG. The car has been through daily city traffic, two long 2000+ km road trips, rural roads, and a few ghat sections.
The odometer now reads 11,365 KMs, and here’s our experience with the car so far. Hopefully, this will be helpful for anyone considering the Slavia.
Key details:
- Model: Skoda Slavia 1.5L DSG
- Purchase Date: 11th May, 2023
- Kilometers Driven: 11,365 Kms
- Fuel Type Used: Primarily XP95, occasionally XP91 (used three times)
- Number of Services: 1 (first service, labour cost: free)
- Mods: None
Skoda Slavia — Pros:
- Build quality: Solid exterior build, gives a reassuring feeling.
- Engine & gearbox: The 1.5L TSI paired with the 7-speed DSG works seamlessly. There’s no noticeable turbo lag, and gear shifts are smooth.
- AC: The AC performs well, even up to 40°C. No tripping issues so far.
- Ride & handling: Excellent ride comfort and handling. The car feels stable on highways and around corners, with good steering feedback.
- Comfortable seats: The seats offer good support, reducing fatigue during long drives.
- Headlight performance: Good throw and spread, covering most of the road ahead.
- Sound system: The 8-speaker setup, including the subwoofer, delivers impressive sound quality.
- Braking: The brakes perform well, giving you confidence.
- Wireless connectivity & charging: Wireless connectivity and the wireless charger work well.
- Fuel efficiency: Mileage ranges from 10 KM/L in heavy traffic to 17.4-18 KM/L on highways.
- Boot space: Ample boot space, accommodating large amounts of luggage.
- Feature set: Useful features like, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, adjustable front armrest, rear armrest, Isofix anchors, ambient lighting, etc.
- The Lava Blue colour stands out beautifully during the day and at night.
- Instrument cluster: Displays a lot of useful information and is easy to customize. Good clarity on both the cluster and the infotainment system.
- Connected car tech: Basic connected features like geofencing, fuel log, trip data, drive score, and speed alerts work well and update quickly.
- NVH levels: The cabin is quiet, with road and wind noise only noticeable at speeds over 100 km/h.
Skoda Slavia — Cons:
- Reverse camera: Missing adaptive guidelines, and the camera quality is below average.
- Interior rattles: Rattling noise from the piano black trim on the dashboard.
- Wheel nut caps: Loose wheel nut caps from the factory, had to get new ones.
- Ventilated seats: Not very effective on really hot days.
- Suspension: The suspension feels stiff, which can be uncomfortable for elderly passengers.
- Ground clearance: Though 179 mm is good, the sedan’s low approach and departure angles mean it scrapes on larger speed breakers and potholes.
- The car, especially the rear, attracts a lot of dust, making maintenance difficult.
- Touch-based AC controls: The touch controls for the AC are difficult to operate while driving.
- Piano black trims: These are hard to maintain and prone to smudges and scratches.
Any major issues or niggles?
Thankfully, there haven’t been any significant issues so far. However, a couple of minor problems have surfaced:
Rattling noise: This issue emerged early on. During the first service in March, the service centre addressed it to some extent. While the noise has reduced noticeably, it’s still present, especially on rough patches of road, though not consistently.
Brake squealing: The brakes made squealing noises on ramps and in heavy traffic, which was particularly irritating in stop-and-go situations. Thankfully, this issue has been fixed.
D1 to D2 jerk: This is a known issue in all VAG 2.0 cars. Before the service (around the 7,000 KMs mark), the jerk in D1 and D2 was terrible. Even on small imperfections or flat speed breakers, the gearbox would shift from D2 to D1.
It didn’t stop there; it would hold D1 until 4,500 to 5,000 RPM before shifting to D2 in a very harsh manner, making everyone lurch forward. I also noticed that this was more pronounced during cold starts.
I mentioned it to the SA, and he said they would run a scan on the DSG using OBD to check for any errors. I assume they might have reset the DSG (I’m not sure) because now the experience is buttery smooth. Yes, it still occasionally shifts to D1 on rough patches, but the transition to D2 is no longer harsh.
First service details:
- Engine oil replaced (4.7 litres): Rs. 3,149
- Oil drain plug replaced: Rs. 190
- Sunroof lubrication: No charge
- Oil filter replaced: Rs. 206
- Pollen filter replaced: Rs. 466
- Windshield washer fluid: Rs. 130
- 12V socket fuse replaced (blown fuse): Rs. 38
- New wheel nut caps installed (old ones fell off): Rs. 228
- Wheel alignment and balancing: Rs. 1,121
- Misaligned A-pillar trim fixed: No charge
- Dashboard rattling noise addressed: No charge
- Brake squealing issue fixed and cleaned: Rs. 741
- AC disinfectant (requested): Rs. 1,012
- Engine coating (requested): Rs. 800
Total damage to the pocket: Rs. 8,081 (including add-ons like AC disinfectant, engine coating, and parts like wheel nut caps)
- First service cost without add-ons and parts: Rs. 4,141
- First service cost including wheel alignment and balancing: Rs. 5,262
I was surprised that the air filter was only cleaned and not replaced. The service team mentioned it would be replaced during the second service.
The mileage has definitely improved. Previously, it was 11.6 km/l in normal traffic, and now, under similar conditions, it stretches to 13.3 km/l. The engine has also become smoother at higher revs and feels more open on the highway compared to the initial months.
Service experience (Raja Skoda Service, Mahadevapura):
The service was good, and the overall cost was reasonable. However, the charges for wheel balancing and alignment seemed a bit high. The service team also fixed the slight off-centre issue with the steering, even though we hadn’t mentioned it when we left the car. The car was delivered on time, and the service advisor provided regular updates. Fortunately, there were no scratches or damages to the car, unlike some past reports from other Team-BHPians. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and I would recommend Raja Skoda Service, Mahadevapura, to everyone.
Skoda’s Blaupunkt dashcam issue (Fixed):
The connecting wire (12V connector) broke, and finding a replacement was a hassle. Blaupunkt’s ASS wasn’t helpful. We asked the service centre for the dashcam connector wire, but they said they couldn’t provide just the wire and that we’d need to buy the entire dashcam instead.
They charged Rs. 1,180 for the installation of the dashcam.
After some research, I found a high-quality dashcam wire on Amazon for just ₹500. The 10-foot-long wire worked perfectly, and the dashcam is now functioning fine.
Are we happy with our decision?
Yes, we are extremely happy. My dad enjoys driving the Slavia, and it never fails to bring a smile to his face. The car is comfortable, well-equipped with features, and the service costs have been reasonable. Overall, the experience has been great so far, and the car has exceeded expectations in many areas.
Would I recommend the Skoda Slavia 1.5L DSG?
No: If you prefer a car for sedate driving and primarily use it for city commutes, the DSG may not be ideal. In that case, the 1.0L AT variant might be a better fit. Also, if you’re looking for a no-nonsense car that can run reliably for 10-15 years without much hassle, the Honda City could be a better option .
Hell yeah : If you enjoy spirited driving and want a fun, feature-packed, yet spacious sedan that keeps the family happy with a good balance of comfort and tech, the Slavia 1.5L DSG is a great choice.
Living with the Slavia:
At Food Pyramid NH16:
Interesting observation: the number plate light has an Audi logo. That’s cool, lol!
Piano black trims are hard to maintain, and small scratches are an eyesore:
The ceramic coating and PPF have held up well after 1 year, with only minor swirls that aren’t visible to the naked eye. The picture below is unedited:
When the front ventilated seats are turned on, air flows from the bottom of the seats to the rear passengers’ legs, which feels good on a hot day:
A parting shot. Cheers!
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