Saturday, July 17, 2010

Skoda Laura 10/10

The Skoda Laura has been around in India from quite some time. Since its debut in 2005 this car has helped Skoda establish firmly in the India market. Recently in mid 2009 the company decided to give the Laura and Superb a face lift which has proved a blessing as both the models are leading in their respective segments.Skoda Laura also known as Skoda Octavia in UK any other foreign markets has gone through a number of changes from its predecessor. Old Skoda Laura & New Skoda Laura 10/10
The most distinctive change is the front headlamps which gives the car a new elegant yet muscular look. The lines on the hood remain unchanged which is the distinctive styling of Skoda's. The overall look of the car has been given a face lift but the car makes its new presence felt.
Ground Clearance provided is ideal for Indian roads
From the technical point of view the overall lenght has been decreased by mere 3mm whereas for the wheelbase & ground clearance remain untouched. The new Laura has an improved turning radius of 5.1m which is quite helpful in city. The initial version of Laura 10/10 has more refined but same 1.9 l PD (Pump Duse) diesel engine, however since the new regulations on car emission standards were passed the Laura got a new heart in form of 2.0 l diesel CRDI and 1.8 l TSI petrol which was previously available only in their flagship Volkswagen Passat. The new engines have more oomph! diesel giving 110bhp@4200rpm and petrol having 160bhp@4500-6500rpm along with 6 speed gearbox, previously given with their Ocatvia RS model. If u have seen the new Maruti ads which asks the Question, 'Kitna Deti Hai?' which made me ask the same to Skoda's Technical advisor , well it averages 13-14 kmpl in city any about 17-18 kmpl on highway, it pretty much depends on your driving as few owners have claimed to get average in range of 19-20 kmpl. Now for the laid back people who do not depend on the numbers while buying their cars, this car certainly fulfills all the requirements for its segment. Those who love the driving (like me) the front seats come with 8 way adjustable system which is standard and L&K offering 12 way adjustable seats. The steering is telescopic mounted with a large accelerator pedal for those long drives. the glove compartment also serves as a chiller box for those chilled beers!! Company is offering a good quality music system with 8 speakers along with ipod connectivity but the space utilisation is seen here too, storage space in between the front seats which also can be used as small chill box.
As soon as I opened the rear doors it gave a very welcoming feeling with its well furnished seats with leather upholstery and wooden panels, the spacing was inch perfect with proper under thy support and comfortably inclined back. its has a centre armrest with small storage space along with access to the boot which is given standard with all variants.
The rear passengers are well taken care off with air vents in between the front seats. However the only pace where the car could be better would be buy removing the hump in the rear leg space which would accommodate three people comfortably. The boot space offered by Skoda is always class leading with 560 ltrs with notch booth for those who like to carry extra luggage.
If you are seriously thinking of buying then be ready to pay between 14 to 19 lakhs ex-mumbai. Skoda Laura is available in Ambiente, Elegance, L&K variants. We tested the Ambiente and Elegance MT Diesel models with the base model being Ambiente at Rs 14.11 lakhs (ex-mum) and Elegance at Rs 15.63 lakhs (ex-mum), both offer relatively same features only extra being dual climate control, 16" alloys, leather upholstery and wooden decor. These extra features for elegance can be made available just by adding around Rs 60-70 grand in Ambiente. The L&K model is prices at Rs 18.46 (ex-mum) but comes fully loaded with lost of features, just to name a few are Tiptronic gearbox, TCS(Traction Control System), ESP(Electronic Stability Programme), Touch Music System,etc. Owning a Skoda is just not that easy, ask any Skoda owner about its maintenance charges and you might give it a second thought.
According to our research you will be likely to spend around Rs 1.5 to 2 per km on maintenance apart from fuel running cost and depreciation cost. Overall running cost can be estimated to around rs 7-8 per km all inclusive (based on our calculations). As for the discounts you can get up to Rs 30000 to 40000 based on your negotiations, our dealer informed us that they were offering additional discounts if you are already a Skoda car owner. As per our negotiations we were able to squeeze out discount in excess for Rs50000 along with mudflaps, film and matting being complimentary. For those considering Skoda Laura L&K, do have a look at the Volkswagen Jetta Comfortline before buying. As for me, I am waiting for Laura RS with 2.0l TSI petrol with 200PS and 2.0l TDI diesel with 170PS (check out the pics)
- Nitesh bansal 
  The Grease Monkey

2 comments:

  1. Very nice and detailed review, Mr Bansal..I liked the running cost calculations that you have done, its very unique to this blog. Kudos.

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  2. Very nice article sharing Skoda Cars.If anyone wants to Buy Skoda Laura Tyres Online then visit our site Tyreonwheels and get tyre in lowest price.

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