A development mule of the upcoming Skoda Slavia has been spied recently in Pune as the Czech automaker continues to work on its successor to the Rapid.

MotorBeamer Chinmay S. Pagare spotted the vehicle that is internally referred to as the ANB and underpinned by the MQB-A0-IN architecture.

The Skoda Slavia spied on test, although completely covered in camouflage, sports sleek new headlights that flank the wide grille equipped with vertical slats.

It must be said that the front profile of the vehicle does look like a smaller version of the 2021 Octavia in some respects, which is no bad thing.

While the side profile of the spied Skoda Slavia is not clearly visible, the rear section is. Judging by the length of the rear overhang, the sedan should come with a sizeable cargo area.

What’s more, if provided with a hatchback-style boot lid (the lid extends well into the bumper), the Slavia should prove to be a practical vehicle too.

Expect the car to be endowed with crisp character lines on the outside, much like its twin from Volkswagen which is based on the Virtus, while inside, it will be feature-rich and more spacious than the Rapid.

Powering the Skoda Slavia will be a 1.0-litre petrol engine that will also do duty in the soon-to-be launched Kushaq. Like the compact SUV, the sedan will come with 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox options as well.

At present, it is not known if Skoda will offer the 1.5-litre motor with the sedan, but, there is a possibility that it might do so.

Expect Skoda to launch the Slavia later this year and the car will command a premium over the ageing C-segment sedan it will replace.