Your First Look At The Downsized 8-inch Touchscreen Infotainment Unit For The Slavia And Kushaq

The Skoda Slavia sedan and Kushaq SUV have plenty in common, including a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system. But the global semiconductor shortage has been plaguing carmakers including Skoda India for some time now, with the carmaker announcing in late May that the Slavia sedan and Kushaq SUV would get its touchscreen infotainment systems downsized. Now, it seems the process has started, as the new touchscreen unit has started making their way into the two modes at dealerships.

So how much of a downsize is the new infotainment system? Well it's an 8-inch unit, which now has two rotary dials as well as haptic buttons for infotainment controls. While it will retain most of the larger unit’s functionality, it does lose wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Do note that the Kushaq Monte still gets the larger unit.

This ain’t the first setback Skoda India has had due to the global semiconductor shortage, as some Kushaq units weren’t equipped with auto-folding ORVMs. That being said, customers were given a Rs 15,000 rebate and this could be used to retrofit it from an authorised dealership at a later date. Now it's back on the SUV.

The Skoda Slavia retails from Rs 10.99 lakh to Rs 18.39 lakh, while the Skoda Kushaq is priced from Rs 11.29 lakh to Rs 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom). Yes, this news does come as a bummer for those looking forward to that 10-inch unit on both cars. But do note that this is only an option for buyers who want their cars a little earlier than planned. That being said, it's still unclear as to when Skoda will bring this unit back to the Slavia and Kushaq; and whether Volkswagen will face a similar fate with the Virtus and Taigun.