Skoda Slavia Facelift Launched from ₹9.99 Lakh — 8-Speed AT and Rear-Seat Massage

Prices Held, Kit Added

Skoda Auto India has launched the Slavia facelift with prices from ₹9.99 lakh to ₹18.84 lakh ex-showroom, holding the entry price of the outgoing model while adding a substantial amount of equipment. The sedan, now in its first major update since 2022, is offered in six variants: Classic, Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige and Monte Carlo. Deliveries are set to begin next week.

The headline mechanical change is a new eight-speed torque-converter automatic for the 1.0-litre TSI engine, replacing the older six-speed unit. Skoda describes it as a segment-first for the 1.0 TSI. The engine itself is unchanged at 115 PS and 178 Nm, and the larger 1.5-litre TSI continues at 150 PS and 250 Nm with a seven-speed DSG. The 1.5-litre versions also gain rear disc brakes.

Comfort Becomes the Selling Point

The most talked-about addition is a rear-seat massage function for the two outer rear seats, which Skoda calls a segment-first. Higher variants get electrically adjustable and ventilated front seats, a 360-degree Area View camera with front and rear parking sensors, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The infotainment unit grows to 10.1 inches and gains an AI Companion built on Google Cloud's Automotive AI Agent, alongside wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A variable-geometry air-conditioning compressor should improve cooling in Indian summers.

Visually, the Slavia gets new LED headlamps and tail lamps with sequential indicators, a revised grille and bumper, new 16-inch alloys and two new colours, Arctic Silver and Cappuccino Beige. The Monte Carlo variant adds blacked-out elements, red accents and dedicated badging. The sedan retains its five-star Global NCAP rating and comes with Skoda's Super Care package offering a four-year, 1,00,000km warranty. Notably, the Slavia still does not offer an ADAS suite, which some rivals now do.

What This Means for You

Skoda has kept the Slavia's strengths, its punchy turbo-petrol engines and European driving feel, and fixed the comfort and convenience gaps that cost it against the Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Virtus. The new eight-speed automatic should make the 1.0-litre noticeably more relaxed in city traffic. The missing ADAS is a real omission if that matters to you, but for buyers who prize driving pleasure and rear-seat comfort, the facelift is a strong package. Weigh the options on our Compare page and check the on-road price in your city.

(Sources: Skoda Auto India, Autocar India, CNBC TV18, India Today. Cover: cover-2-skoda-slavia-launch.jpg)