Skoda Slavia facelift gets sharper looks and more tech

Skoda has given the Slavia sedan a facelift in India, bringing sharper styling, more technology and a few worthwhile mechanical updates to its compact four-door.

The Slavia is primarily built for the Indian market, and isn’t offered in Australia. But some of its updates offer an interesting look at the equipment making its way into more affordable cars overseas.

A sharper-looking Slavia

The biggest changes are at the front, where the Skoda Slavia gets a redesigned grille, revised headlights and a new bumper. The headlights now have a segmented look that flows into the grille, while the grille itself takes inspiration from the Kushaq SUV.

Around the back, the tail-lights have been redesigned with a more T-shaped appearance. A dark strip now connects them and carries Skoda lettering. There are also two new wheel designs and an updated colour palette.

The most exclusive option is Arctic Silver, which will be limited to just 500 cars. Other additions include Steel Gray and Cherry Red, with the latter replacing Tornado Red.

The sporty Monte Carlo variant is available from launch and adds black exterior details, including a new lower bumper insert and an exclusive black wheel design.

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You get more tech inside

The cabin gets a bigger technology upgrade than the exterior. A new 10.1-inch infotainment system is joined by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and also gets an AI Companion powered by Google Cloud’s Automotive AI technology.

There’s also an Area View 360-degree camera, while rear passengers can now make use of a massage function. Depending on the variant, ventilated seats are available as well.

The Monte Carlo gets a darker cabin with burgundy accents and carbon-look details, while other versions use lighter colours for a more understated feel.

The 1.0 TSI gets an eight-speed auto

The engine range carries over, with the Slavia continuing with 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre TSI turbo-petrol engines. The 1.0 TSI produces 85kW and 178Nm and can now be paired with either a six-speed manual or a new eight-speed torque-converter automatic. It replaces the previous six-speed automatic.

The 1.5 TSI makes 110kW and 250Nm and continues with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG. Skoda has also upgraded the brakes on 1.5 TSI versions, replacing the rear drums with disc brakes.

Could the sedan come to Australia?

There’s no indication that it will. Skoda describes the Slavia as part of its “Made in India, for India” range, although it is exported to selected markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

For now, Australian buyers looking for a Skoda sedan will have to stick with the models already sold here, such as the Octavia. Still, the facelift gives us a look at how Skoda is evolving its smaller, more affordable models, even if this particular one isn’t heading our way.