Skoda Slavia sedan is an exclusive for India: Five things to know

Skoda Slavia is the next big launch scheduled by the Czech auto maker as it digs in its heels for a possibly formidable push for space in the Indian auto market. Skoda Slavia will be the second launch of the year for the company after it drove in the Kushaq mid-size SUV here.

Slavia is being touted as a premium mid-size sedan that could possibly further drive up sales number for the company here. It, however, is a bit of a gamble because the mid-size sedan space has been on a decline in the country for some time now. As such, Slavia's success could also mean a success story for the entire segment even if not many details about this particular car have been revealed so far.

Skoda, meanwhile, claims it has also been working on improving its sales and post-sales network across India, a crucial part of scripting a success story. Will the Slavia reap the benefits of such a move? Time will tell.

Here are five things to expect from Skoda Slavia ahead of its launch:

Skoda Slavia India launch timeline

Skoda Slavia will make its India debut before anywhere else in the world. It perhaps is yet another indication of how much focus Skoda is putting on the market here. It is likely to be based on the MQB-A0-IN platform that also underpins the recently-launched Kushaq.

Skoda has confirmed that Slavia will come in in 2021 but has not yet put out an exact launch date.

Skoda Slavia rivals

Slavia, as mentioned, is a premium mid-size sedan and therefore, will take on the likes of Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento. This segment also featured Toyota Yaris till recently but this particular model has now been discontinued owing to dwindling sales numbers.

Skoda Slavia exterior profile

Skoda only issued a silhoutte of Slavia from its side and while not much can be ascertained yet from the profile, numerous spy shots have emerged in international press from the car's testing rounds in Europe. These show that the vehicle is likely to be longer than the Rapid and may have a taller suspension to tackle Indian roads better.

Skoda Slavia cabin and features

Expect Skoda to play the feature game well yet again if the Slavia has to succeed in the Indian market. Because it is being put up as a premium offering, expect the cabin tomake use of plush materials and be equipped with a host of features like large infotainment screen, multiple speakers, host of connectivity options and charging points.

Skoda Slavia expected engine options

Once again, Skoda has not confirmed details about the engine under the hood of Slavia but it is expected that Skoda will equip it with its turbo petrol units mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox.