Skoda Slavia 1.5 TSI vs Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI: Which of the twin to choose?

Skoda Slavia has been officially launched in the country as the latest and the most-promising mid-size sedan in a long time. Taking on the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the Slavia has several aces up its sleeves and while there's no diesel engine option, Skoda is offering the model in two petrol units - a 1.0-litre TSI and a more capable 1.5-litre TSI.

The Slavia is the second product under the MQB-A0 platform and much like Kushaq SUV launched last year, is an India-specific model. But unlike Kushaq which competes in the highly lucrative mid-size SUV space, the mid-size sedan segment is rather dicey because volumes have been coming down in recent times. Skoda believes a big reason for this is the lack of new products in the segment, something Slavia is looking at changing.

Skoda expects to sell around 3,000 units of Slavia each month initially, and possibly more thereafter, and while there are plenty of reasons for choosing this model, which of the two engine options should one ought to go for?

Slavia vs Slavia: Exterior highlights

There is no difference between the two Slavia models in terms of its exterior highlights. The sedan with the smaller engine is offered in three variants - Active, Ambition and Style while the 1.5 TSI comes only on the top Style variant. The exterior highlights on the Style variant include hexagonal front grille with chrome surround, LED projector head lights, LED DRLs, 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome under the window line, strong character lines on the side and smart LED tail light design.

Slavia vs Slavia: Cabin highlights

Regardless of which Slavia variant and engine option you may choose, the generous back-seat space can be taken for granted. There's a whole lot of legroom, kneeroom and headroom. Then there is that mammoth 521-litre boot which is the largest in the segment. The rear seats have a split fold function which opens up even more cargo space.

The top variant also gets a 10-inch infotainment screen, support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Skoda Connect Apps, wireless phone charging, four Type C charging points, cooled glovebox, ventilated front seats, steering-mounted controls and an all-digital driver display, eight-speaker system, among others.

Slavia vs Slavia: Drive traits

The biggest difference, and obviously at that, between the two engine options comes in the drive performance. The 1.0-litre TSI is quite peppy and is paired with either a manual transmission unit or an AT. It produces around 113 hp and offers 178 Nm of torque.

But if one is expecting an outright enthusiastic drive experience, then beating that 1.5 TSI motor would be quite hard. The more capable Slavia has oodles of power and torque - 148 hp and 250 Nm. Paired either with a manual transmission or with the much-acclaimed DSG, this particular engine gives the Slavia a big bragging right over anything else the segment has on offer.

Quick yet planted, the Slavia 1.5 TSI is a driver's delight but one may not always have the ideal conditions in India to put it to its limits.

Slavia vs Slavia: Pricing

The Slavia 1.0-litre TSI starts at ₹10.69 lakh (ex showroom) and goes up to ₹15.39 lakh (ex showroom) for the top-end Style variant with AT.

The more powerful Slavia, however, is priced at ₹16.19 lakh (ex showroom) for the one with manual transmission while the DSG is going to set you back by ₹17.79 lakh (ex showroom).

So which one would you choose? There is absolutely no doubt that if you have the budget for it, the 1.5-litre TSI Slavia is the one to go for. It is a delightful car with a demon for a heart and is likely to satiate your need for speed.

But it is significantly pricier than its 1.0 TSI twin. If this engine was a shoddy mover, the other option would have been even more attractive. But that's the thing, it isn't. If on a rather tight budget, this option makes a whole lot of sense, also because there is otherwise no difference in looks , space and feature list.