Hey Guys! Welcome to TECH HOW, How are you all?
Friends although we bring detailed car reviews for you, But an owner only understands the pain of another owner, And can share his experience. So that’s why every Monday we bring an ownership review, On Tech How. If you are willing to share your story with your car, Visit motoroctane.com/MyStory, And fill up the details of you and your car. So today we have one such owner with us, Who has purchased a very interesting car, The Skoda Slavia. Today we have Mr. Swayambhar who is a banker by profession. -right And also makes travel vlogs for passion. So first question is, The Slavia which you have, -yes What is the exact variant? -okay And which month? -okay So this is Slavia 1.5 Style, And it is a manual transmission. So we purchased this car in the month of May, So May 2022. -may 2022 model. Just recent, first lot, yeah. -means Means you bought it recently. -yeah And how many kilometers have you driven? It is. Like 18,000kms by far 18,010 kms somewhat Wow! -so That is a long. 18,000 in 7 to 8? -7 to 8 months right So he has driven it a lot. And generally, people who make travel logs, They prefer to buy a SUV. Then how did you go for a Sedan? As ground clearance becomes an issue in sedans. -yes You say you want to make traveling vlogs, -yes So in that case, how come a Sedan? So in sedans, you have the mindset that it gets a low ground clearance. Which is true.
But that is the reason why sedans are more comfortable. So I loved the posture for those long drives. And also the problem I had in Honda City and Verna, That was killed by this car. It gets a heavy-torquey engine, And along with that, it gets SUV-like ground clearance, Which is like comparable with Innova. So when you think of going hilly or Ladakh-Srinagar, You usually get an Innova on rent. So if a rented car does such trails then even other cars can. So ground clearance was one of the key things, And the reason to consider this car. And second is the way it controls. And how it is planted on the road na, That is just amazing when compared. Like when I drove this and Kushaq back-to-back, We went to one ghat section, And that is where I found this one better, In terms of control and handling at high speeds. -okay So this is one of the reasons. Has good control. And flexibility although is not like an SUV But somehow it can offer, thanks to its SUV-like ground clearance. Thirdly when three people travel, Like we were three when we went to Ladakh, In that case, you can fold down one seat for extra space. So that is a good thing to have which is not offered by other sedans. So that is the reason to consider this car.
While other sedans do not get these. -they don’t Now tell me a few pros of this car, what do you like about this car? Okay So as I said, in this segment, The way it is planted on the road, This I found better compared to Creta. I mean it is my personal opinion on my driving experience. I feel like a pro compared to the Kushaq as well. So it gives you confidence while doing high speeds and turns both. -high speeds And turns both -okay Earlier I used to struggle to do quick overtakes in my i20. And use to downshift a lot. So on single-lane roads with quite a few trucks too, It gives me a lot of confidence to overtake them. Despite coming with a heavy engine it gives me good mileage. -really? So I am a member of the Slavia Owners WhatsApp group, -okay And there people cry for mileage. But that is in the city. On highway it gives a good mileage Because of probably this 2-Cylinder technology. It gets an auto start/stop function which automatically switches off the engine. Like when halted on signals. But your driving habit must be like that. And since it is a torquey engine, Although not like a diesel engine, But still, it feels like the torque of a diesel engine.
And for that reason, you do get decent mileage. So what is the fuel efficiency you get on highways? On highways, I get 17-17.5 kmpl with two passengers And what about the city? -in city For instance on western express highway in Mumbai will understand. -because every time it shows red on google maps -not just red Dark red -dark red is what you see So in bumper-to-bumper traffic, it returns around 7-8 kmpl. And what about driving in normal city traffic conditions? Normal city conditions, So recently I was traveling to Hyderabad crossing Pune city, And overall I got a mileage of 15-16 kmpl -okay So on that city stretch I expect it to be around 10kmpl. 10-11? -yes 10-11 Okay. Any pro apart from the engine? Be it comfort or features, is there something like that? -one is the ventilated seats A very small but useful feature especially while traveling for long distances. Second, these seats are a bit firm. When you sit for the first time you may think they are hard. But if you travel long distances then the seats end up being comfortable. Also, its music system. Like on long journeys music is a must else you get bored, In its boot, there is a woofer placed somewhere near the spare wheel, Which has a really amazing effect.
So you don’t get bored on long journeys. And any downside of the car? Downside in the sense, Like I said I have driven a lot on ghat sections, So as I turn to the right you know, -A pillar is thick -yes it is thick So that affects visibility -yes it hampers overall visibility. And other than that cons, In the sense I won’t say a con, But a few things should be improved. Like its horn, I feel they have done cost-cutting there. Don’t know, Many have changed the horn. But since I was not sure if that will impact the warranty or not, I thought to keep it as it is. So that is one of the things. And -I think, what you say about the horn, -yes That has been done, From what I understand is that there is a rule of certain decibels, -okay So I am assuming that is the thing and I will, -not sure. Not say it as a cost cut. But that is not a game-changer thing for, It’s just that you notice when you drive regularly. Okay. Otherwise they could have, like given some say auto adjust in the seat, But that is also very Basically if it had extra features -having extra features could have been better More the merrier. -yeah And the more they give the more you love that. But anyways, it has got more than enough features. So Swayambhar, you shared all the pros and cons of the car. -yes But at times it happens that you buy a car and then realize, Oh! so there is this feature too. -right So what was your such moment? So I got this manual variant and never thought of the auto hill hold feature. So in Ladakh, while I was uphill, I had to apply brakes due to the narrow roads, And when I released the clutch, I noticed that the brakes were still applied and, The car didn’t roll back. So that was something of which I could have done proper background study.
So that was the moment when I realized the feature, While it was the most required feature. So that is something I will say was a delight for me at that point in time. Because it was so steep that I would have engaged the handbrake Or maybe used rocks to block tyres. Another reason to consider Skoda before coming to Kushaq, That was safety. So the time when I was buying the car the safety ratings were not revealed. But I was confident as Skoda is generally meant for safer cars. And even the usual way of judging the safety like door thud, which is solid, Gave me enough confidence to consider Skoda. As safety was one of the key factors while buying the car. Also, the Kushaq and Slavia share similar platforms, And with Kushaq scoring a 5-star rating in crash test, I am confident with Slavia too. So that way safety is a key reason which is the pro of this car.
Now here let me begin with a new topic, -okay You said that you got a sedan because -yes Ground clearance is good, -yeah it’s good You wanted to go to Ladakh and you even did that trip. -right Now share your experience on the same. Now if I talk about Ladakh then actually I have been there before too, So the Manali highway is difficult. But still I chose that route. -really? So upto Manali everything was smooth. But after Manali there is a place called Pang, Where you usually find big sized rocks on roads. But still I was able to cross the road with ease. And after that people usually head toward Leh. But I didn’t. I took a very unusual route. There is a lake called Tso Moriri. -of course And it was completely off road and downhill, Still I crossed that part with ease. But at one place there was something deep kind of road, Water crossing road, Where even the trucks got stuck. -oh And so I had to take my car from the sandy road. A Thar first went through, behind that even I went along and crossed the road easily. So that was one. First experience which was great. After that as soon as we cross Tso Moriri, I did not wanted to go Leh, But there is a stretch that comes while going to Leh. So I went towards Hanle. And between Tso Moriri and Hanle there was a big river crossing. Like it was a proper river. I literally got down to check the depth of the river as you have to be sure what’s underneath. As you can’t just take your car from anywhere. And if I got stuck then it would just ruin the trip. So, a traveler tried to cross but eventually got stuck.
Fortunately, Army was present with their cranes so they took the traveler out. Later I saw one Innova crossing and even I saw a decent rock trail to go through, So I took the car. And after crossing I stopped and checked that water was dripping out from everywhere, And even the silencer was dipped under the water. But it easily sailed through. And people were surprised actually over there. And an Innova got stuck immediately after me. -ohh! So what I did is, I was travelling with my wife and my friend, So I asked them to get down as the car was already loaded with luggage. And I kept checking that I was revving between the turbo band. So the power this car has, That came up in the picture. Later there is a place called Umling La which is the world’s highest, -highest -motorable road Complete off-road for 25-30 kms, Again it sailed through. And since we were not knowing the road we took Lama ji with us, So now four of us were in the car. So yes it was a good experience. So those who don’t know about Tso Moriri let me tell you, It is a lake in Leh -yes That route is actually completely uncommercial, It is an old-school road completely made of rocks and stones. There is no concrete thing on that road and it goes through the lake, -yes Long back, when I visited Tso Moriri, I remember, We took Monte Um, Montero was a car. -ah yes Montero of Mitsubishi We took that car as there were no roads at all. And it was that bad -okay Even now it won’t be any better, but maybe servicing There were roads like this or even better than this. Yes but the roads are made of stones literally after getting pressed again and again by using it. And it is not a man-made concrete road or tar road. -it’s not So the thought of taking this car only is the difficult thing I think. Actually, I have gone there before, So I knew a front-wheel drive could do that trail. And with sufficient ground clearance, I took the chance and went for it. Of course, I was well prepared as I carried tyre inflator and all.
As if I get stuck I could be able to handle the situation.
Now at the time of purchasing this car, how was your sales experience? Sales experience I will say with the dealership was really awesome. Because when I first went I had shortlisted the Kushaq and even took the test drive, Then the salesperson started following up like when will you purchase and all, But I said I did not like the cluster, And would wait for the Monte Carlo variant which would take time. Then when Slavia was launched, I asked them to arrange back-to-back test drives of both cars, which was on Sunday. But they were requesting to visit on some other day. But I was comfortable only on Sundays. So, I and my wife both alternatively drive cars on long journeys. So we both took the test drives of Kushaq and Slavia. And that was back-to-back. Then we took the car to the ghat sections and they supported us very well. We reached the showroom by 9.30 AM, And then we kept driving till 1.30 PM -oh No questions asked. -so you really took a long test drive. -yeah We wanted to be sure as we were investing more than 15 Lakh in the car, We wanted assurance that we would not end up with the wrong decision. Along with that, I wanted BH registration, -okay So I even thought for Harrier but was not really considering that car, But that time BH was a new concept as it came in 2021, So they were asking to take normal MH registration as it gets registered in less time. But in Skoda, they said you just need to submit a couple of documents, And then easily you can get BH registration.
So that’s how I ended up with this car. So there your sales experience, -sales experience was very good. And also you got a major service done. As after 15,000 they do oil change and all. -yes -right So how was your overall service experience with Skoda? Service experience I will say was good. As the promises they made while selling the car were kept by them. So I purchased this maintenance pack. -okay 24,999 or 23,999 Mostly I purchased it for 24,999 -it was for how much time? For 4 years -for 4 years Yes -okay So in that, the services and oil change were free of cost. And I even got some work done under warranty. So the first issue came was due to the rattling noise. Which I felt on bad roads. So they did lubrication and solved that problem. They didn’t do any counter questions on that and solved the problem. So that is the best. -so overall they are genuine. -yes they are genuine And what was the service cost? Like did they charge you even after purchasing the pack? See if you check their website or search Skoda service calculator, On that, they were showing 380RS for the cars with sunroofs for SMP. That is because they clean the sunroof’s channel. So that was the only thing I paid for. And since I did Ladakh trip, I asked them to do wheel balancing and also asked to clean the engine chamber So the combined cost was 3000 RS -that was extra work from you Yes, that was an extra job. -okay Like I could have done it from anywhere else but that was my wish. Overall the service cost was 380 rupees after that pack.
So if you calculate then one service will approximately cost 6,000 Rs max. -one service cost? Maximum I am saying for one service -yes yes That too I guess once a year -right So that’s some 500rs per month -yeah 500 per month Okay. I will come to that question once again which I asked at the start, And many would have said like don’t buy a sedan, Who buys a sedan now, It is the time for SUVs So did anyone say such a thing? -not one but many said this in the office or friend circle, As everyone knew I do a lot of road trips, Like even before youtube also. So everyone was saying if you are doing such long trips then get an SUV. It has become a mindset in general. I will not say SUV is bad. SUV is really good, that is more capable. But what I wanted, as everyone’s needs are different, So according to my need on tarmac and on rough terrains, This car was capable enough. It is a front-wheel drive car with really good ground clearance even though it’s a sedan You even get a big-sized boot. Plus all the wheels are of the same size. So those are the advantages And, Now what do they say? Now like After the Ladakh trip, Everyone asked about the car’s maintenance? I said everything is fine. Truly speaking, I visited the service center, And there was a zero cost.
I got it checked properly as there were a few instances, Where my car got scrapped to the ground. But still the car had no wear and tear and Slavia managed to keep me happy in Ladakh. And those who questioned my decision, Even they are considering a sedan. Like they ask me about Slavia and Virtus, Because they are like different league sedans. Wow! He has a very interesting story. And the experience which you shared with them, Then do you recommend others too? To buy this car? If anyone is not looking for proper off-roading, And wants a front-wheel drive car, Then this is one car which you can check once. Like, before making a final decision or taking the final decision, -of course If you are considering Creta or Kushaq, Then you can test drive Slavia once if you want sedans. Just don’t get scared that sedans are not good, -hmm And many people go for SUVs just for the way it looks. But at the end of the day, Comfort too matters as much as looks. Especially if you are more into long journeys. And if I put it this way, Suppose anyone wants to drive mostly on proper roads in India, Whatever condition of the road is, As majorly parts in India has road connectivity -yes majorly driving on roads Off-roading is a different part where you take the car on rocks and all, But to drive on smooth or rough patch roads, Like for usual long trips, Will you ask them to consider sedan? -definitely -definitely Like will you recommend Slavia? -yes Slavia, I will recommend So, last and final question, Like we know the answer, But we want to know from you, -okay We want to know that as an owner, Which category do you consider yourself? One is unhappy, -okay One is sort of satisfied, And very happy. Okay, so I will always consider myself very happy owning this car, Because I was also vouching for this car. So guys this was our today’s video on the Skoda Slavia. If you have any questions, You can ask them in the comments section. And Swayambhar, will you help us by answering their doubts? -definitely Definitely. And do check his youtube channel where he has posted, All the adventures he has done in his Slavia.
So you will get an idea about what all could be done on the car. Also, If you are still confused to which car to buy, Like we do get confused shall we buy this car or that car, And at the end of the day you don’t get that clarity. So for unbiased opinion, You can get on a phone call with my team of experts, And get all your doubts clarified. Swayambhar was actually one of our callers to whom, We recommended Kushaq. -yes you recommended Kushaq. Because at that time Slavia was not launched. So then he drove the Slavia and his mind came on that car. -but Rachit I will say, After calling you I got very much clear. I got clarity to choose between petrol and diesel. As you know how much I drive. So that confusion was cleared by your team. Also I was confused between DSG and manual. So those two confusions were really cleared. So the consultation was actually very helpful. So should we end here? Yeah we can. -alright Let’s say bye -yeah Bye guys! Bye all.