Planning to Buy Skoda Slavia in 2026? Check Out Its Pros and Cons

Buyers, when considering getting a new car around ₹10-15 lakh, there are various options available in the market. Though the market is now dominated by SUVs, if you are looking for some sedans, then you have some decent options to choose from. The sedan segment starts with Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze, and others, which are sub-4m compact sedans, and goes to D-segment sedans, which include Honda City, Skoda Slavia, and others.

In this segment, you have two German sedans, the Skoda Slavia and the Volkswagen Virtus, which are popular among car buyers, have powerful petrol engines, and has a comfortable seating. Though the Slavia and the Virtus share the same engine, platform, and are more or less the same, there are some subtle differences between the two sedans.

Recently, we drove the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo in the city and on highways and checked its performance, comfort, features, fuel efficiency, and other factors. Checking out its main pros and cons can help you to decide whether you should buy this sedan or not in 2026:

Pros

– Performance

The Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo variant is offered with a 1.5L TSI EVO petrol engine, which makes 148 bhp and 253 Nm of peak torque, paired with a seven-speed DSG gearbox.

If you are a driving enthusiast, you’ll enjoy driving the Skoda Slavia with the 1.5L TSI engine. It has brisk performance, and it is responsive with light throttle inputs. Though the Monte Carlo variant is focused more towards sportiness, the exhaust still sounds the same, and some bass could have given a more sporty feel while driving. Although there are no driving modes, the performance and the power delivery are linear, and the turbo lag is well contained.

While making quick overtakes, it downshifts to fourth or third gear, and the sudden torque rush gives you a little kick in the pants feel, and the mid-range performance is the sweet spot. The top-end feels quite empty, and since it is paired with a seven-speed DSG gearbox, the shifts are smooth, giving you a good driving experience.

– Comfort

Since it is a D-Segment sedan, the Slavia offers comfortable seating. The front seats are pretty comfy, and there is a good amount of space on offer. The cabin is wide enough, and you do not rub your shoulder with the co-passenger. The cabin is well equipped with physical and touch controls, and everything is well positioned for the driver.

Talking about rear-seat comfort, there is good space on offer as well. There is an ample amount of knee and leg room, and you get good under-thigh support as well. The comfort is enhanced with the rear AC vents, and there are two USB Type-C charging ports, which keep your phone charged while you are on the move. During our long trips, the seats were pretty comfortable, and they offered a premium experience.

– Ride and Handling

The suspension of the Skoda Slavia is slightly tuned on the softer side, giving you good driving comfort and experience at slow speeds. Despite it being a Monte Carlo variant, wherein Skoda could have slightly tweaked the suspension setup towards a stiffer side for more aggressive driving, it misses out on a spirited driving character, thus giving you a more enjoyable and comfortable ride.

The steering wheel has decent feel and feedback on offer. Though it has a certain weight, it feels light to maneuver in the city traffic conditions, and weighs well at triple-digit speeds. The grip from tyres is good, and around corners, the body roll is well contained. However, the weight could have been slightly extra to give it a more spirited driving pleasure.

Cons

– Fuel Efficiency

As the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo is equipped with a 1.5L TSI EVO petrol engine, it is a powerful engine, but the fuel efficiency though go for a toss sometimes. If you drive it aggressively, it may even return in single-digit. However, to increase the fuel efficiency, Skoda offers active cylinder deactivation technology, which shuts two of four-cylinders to increase the fuel efficiency. However, during our 600km drive, we got a real-world fuel efficiency of 13 km/L.

– Features

If you are someone who is considering a sedan for its features and latest technology, the Skoda Slavia, in this case, is slightly less equipped compared to its competitors. For starters, it is equipped with a reverse parking camera, front ventilated seats, a wireless charger, a sunroof, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and others.

However, in 2026, it still misses out on multi-colour ambient lighting, driving modes, ADAS features, dual-zone climate control, and massage seats, to name a few.

What is the price of the Skoda Slavia?

The price of the Skoda Slavia is ₹11.14 lakh (on-road, Noida) for the base Classic variant, and the Monte Carlo variant is priced at ₹20.57 lakh (on-road, Noida).

Should You Consider It?

Now the million-dollar question arises -- should you go for the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo in its segment or not? Our answer is Yes. The exteriors of the Slavia Monte Carlo are sporty and give it a bold appearance, and the interior is similar to the regular variant. However, the Slavia Monte Carlo could have felt a bit more sporty while driving, and moreover, the performance of the engine is great. The ride quality is well-calibrated, but it misses out on some features that are offered by its competition cars in 2026. 

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