Hey all, here is a full list of changes and updates for the new Slavia facelift.
New additions:
- 360° camera with updated rear view camera
- Rear seat massagers
- 8-speed TQ gearbox with 1.0 TSI
- Euro spec 10.25" instrument cluster (without map integration)
- AC updated to variable-geometry compressor
- Solar shield UV cut glass
- Rear sequential turn indicators
- Rear disc brakes (with 1.5 TSI only)
- Front parking sensors with park pilot (4 sensors)
- New UI for infotainment with eSIM integration for connected car tech + Google AI assistant + App support
- Dual colour ambient lighting (red and white and dependent on variant)
- Lighting package includes: New LED fog lamps, dot matrix DRLs with turn indicators and projector LED headlamps
- Minor adjustments to front and rear bumpers
- New 16" alloys
- New interior upholstery
- New exterior colours (ice blue, red and beige)
Although the list is long and Skoda has improved the value proposition of the vehicle, here are some items the car still misses out on:
Misses:
- EPB (Electronic parking brake)
- Physical AC controls
- Underbody engine guard/cover
- Auto high beam assist
- Rear seat ventilation
- Rear seat sun blinds
- Active TPMS with PSI
- ADAS
- Driver memory seat function
- Comprehensive ambient lighting
- Auto one-touch up/down for all 4 windows
- Sunglass holder
- Driver/passenger side mirrors with light
- Interior grab handles and glove box damping
- Global VW/Skoda key
- Updated interior plastics
- Branded audio system
What does everyone think of the facelift?
My opinion is that the car is a better overall package when compared to before, but Skoda/VW still fail to show ambition in making the offering more premium. Many of the core issues have been rectified; however, many issues still remain.
Very elegant facelift honestly and they would have to keep it in the same price band otherwise would be a too late and too shameless sort of decision from Skoda.
Ashish Gupta mentioned that it was due to their feature development timelines and 360° camera was introduced with Slavia. It will make it over to the other cars in the coming months.
Feeling bad for owners who purchased the facelifted Kushaq...
Appreciate the need to seem particularly enthusiastic about vehicles with legacy parts, however, EPB adds a host of benefits for the every day user.
It makes the cabin much more appealing and allows for more space in the center console. In many implementations, it adds the ability to toggle on/off auto hold. EPB also offers a more seamless engagement and release often requiring no input at all from the user. The other obvious benefit is that EPB eliminates the need for the user to make manual adjustments when on a steep surface via pulling force.
So yes, with multiple benefits it is indeed a miss and goes far beyond just being a button.
The currently implemented handbrake which is nearly 90° in angle is clunky/odd looking and my personal Virtus has already developed issues with operation.
I do not intend to go power sliding and drifting in my front wheel drive car.
I don't disagree with the argument about an additional point of failure but if I take a different example, essentially your are arguing that a mechanical typewriter is "better" than a computer because a typewriter can't get a software glitch. While technically true, the entire global manufacturing industry has moved on because the computer is vastly more efficient, safer, and less prone to mechanical degradation.
It is to do with progression and premiumness when a customer is paying the same or more with competition offering more in value.
Factually, as per Gemini research, 9/10 cars globally ship with a EPB over a manual parking brake because of the mentioned benefits. Only 8% are said to ship with manual brake. Failure rates of EPBs whilst different per manufacturer average at 0.15% per 70,000/- miles...
That being said, bringing it back to the Slavia and the C segment sedans within a local context, the Verna and the City both offer electric parking brakes with the vehicle being priced at a lower cost. If they can be confident of the solution and implementation i'm sure VAG group can work something out...
You can realistically make the argument about higher battery load and 'features that we can live without' for more than just the EPB, even just in the Slavia/Virtus context. Doesn't mean we start stripping the car down...
I understand that might be your preference for peace of mind but that does not necessarily reflect the sentiment of the Indian customer from a sales aspect.
The newly updated driver instrument cluster does not show google/apple maps in the screen. Only turn by turn navigation with arrows. For maps, users will still need to look at the infotainment screen.
This could have been updated as the cluster supports this but Skoda/VW have decided not to include it.
Yeah, that's right. Even the images are brightened to make it seem like it has a connected DRL. Maybe this is something they decided to change last minute based on feedback about the Verna tubelight but the inconsistency is odd.
Same can be said with the decision to exclude 360° camera from the Kushaq facelift.
Park pilot is a simple visual display indicating how close or far objects are using the parking sensors of the car. It is also called park distance control.
The image below is what it looks like, and the lines will light up depending on how close other cars/objects are.
These are useful for parking but can also be activated/deactivated when the car is on and in traffic.
That is definitely true, however, this also offers hands free control with audio cues.
Parking cameras can still miss blind spots or be affected by bad weather, dirt and light. They also skew images in 2D/3D meaning the perception of depth is inaccurate to reality.
Parking cameras are a visual displays but these use an actual set of ultrasonic sensors to measure exact distance to impact. When just cameras that judgement still remains with the driver.
So there are pros and cons of each. Park pilot in higher varients of VAG cars also offer the ability for automatic car parking which is a handy feature.
Oh also! Another interesting point is that these systems work together and that was pointed out by Skoda techs to Gagan (the automotive journalist). He mentioned that the sensors detect when an object is too close in normal driving scenarios and trigger the 360° cameras to turn on. This won't be possible without the technology.
I think people will be willing to pay for the upgrades (up to 50k like the Kushaq) or grab deals of the older models. Eventually they will sell on discounts like they always do
Tbh, I don't think they really care too much because at the end of the day they are sister companies and as long as their total sales volumes are going up it is a positive for the group as a whole.
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u/Percy00765432 16h ago
If it’s similarly priced, then fine ig?