Skoda Laura 1.9 Ambiente Road Tested

[Zinam]

• Car Tested: Skoda Laura
• Variant: 1.9 Ambiente
• Transmission: 6 Speed DSG Automatic
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• Price: Rs.14,17,048
• Official Website: Click Here!

About Skoda Auto, India

Czech car maker Skoda Auto is a fully owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group which is one of the largest car manufacturer in the world.

First model which Indians received from Skoda Auto was the Octavia in year 2001 which took no time to get popular among auto enthusiasts and became tuners favourite. Octavia is a C+ segment sedan which is still on sale and rivals with Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia, Toyota Altis etc.

Skoda Octavia is known as the Laura in rest of the world but what the interesting part is that India gets a separate Laura model as well which is placed just above the Octavia.

Recently, Skoda Auto has given ageing Laura a new lease of life and The Automotive India Team Road Tested it to find out whether it will successfully prove itself in segment and create its own benchmark? Let's find out!

 

[Zinam]

Exteriors Looks, Design & Styling

Laura has under gone under cosmetic changes from its older version and this time Skoda Auto has designed it looks in more professional manner than the predecessor.

The front grille found its way from the Skoda Superb and vertical grills are more airy with big Skoda monogram embossed. The thick chrome borders around the grills makes it look complete.

What we noticed on the hood is BMW inspired lines which starts from Skoda Logo present at grill and slowly ends up in the middle of bonnet.

Laura's projected headlamps gives the car a striking presence and have been extended wide enough to match the side profile. Xenon curve projector with dynamic leveling is present in the top end L&K. The spacing between bumpers and grill has been increased with inserts of feeble lines which helps to provide muscular looks.
The fog lamps of Skoda have been re-shaped, The dual split bumper design gives an edge to the overall design.

Move to the side and you notice almost no changes from previous model, Side indicators are integrated with OVRMs which has these days become a trend and the rub strips now get a body colored treatment. Side rear view mirrors are huge enough which clearly provide you the scenes behind.

15" Inches 5 spoke Alloy wheels comes standard with Ambeince and Elegance variants where as the Lauren & Klement (L&K) comes with stunning 16 Inchers.

Butt of updated Laura remains same as the older version, However, The tail lamps have been shaded a bit with bigger reflector strips. The Park tronic sensors are tiny and cleanly integrated to the rear bumper which are spiced up skirting like profile and thanks to those twin exhausts which adds the sportier touch.

 

[Zinam]

Interiors Luxury & Comfort

Open the doors of Laura with the pull-type handles which produce a clicking macho sound and it would open wide enough helping to make the entry & exit position really a comfortable one.

Sit inside you literally feel the luxury, The overall built and plastic quality is extremely good & solid, Also the interior are ergonomically designed and Dual Tone Beige interiors makes the whole cabin well lighted as well as airy.

Driver seats are well mounted and one can easily get accustomed to the riding height with the help of manual height adjusting lever, Only the top end L&K offers 12 way adjustable electric adjust buttons. The neatly fabricated seats are quite comfy and powerful Climate control system will always keep you refreshed. All the four power windows rolls down in a touch of button, Even the rear seats are powered with separate Air Conditioner vents with controls. The rear seats are well reclined with huge arm rests & one of the most comfortable seats in the segment.

Storage spaces inside Laura are really abundant to carry your daily use items and to name a few are - Sun Glass holders, Front center armrest with cooling, Rear center armrest with storage compartment, Front Glove box with cooling and illumination, Bottle holders in the front doors etc.

This Skoda has an adequate Head, Shoulder and Leg room which can easily take on four lean 6-footers or 3 big sized adults and rear benches have a 60:40 split.

Black painted steering has been shared from Skoda Superb and gives a robust look in the whole beige environment, It also comes with mounted audio controls (Not Available in Ambeinte)

Speedo console also has a chrome surrounds which is really flash in dark lights. The fonts used in speedo meter console are attractive as well as easy to read, Also the Driver Information System (DIS) has big screen which provides all necessary information about car such as - Travelling time, Distance travelled, Average speed, Immediate consumption, Average consumption, Travel distance before refuelling, Service Interval, Outside temperature, Time etc.

Ambiente & Elegant comes loaded with Skoda's own 2 Din Music system named "Swing" and have 8 speakers. Lauren & Klement gets more luxurious with 6.5inch LCD TFT colour display, 6-CD changer and a sourround sound twelve speakers system.

The sound of the audio system is extremely good and its more over like a rock concert happening with touch of the buttons, Even at highest volumes, Low frequencies and Bass effects are clear enough, Unfortunately, It doesn't comes with a Universal Series Bus (USB) Port but however it manages with a SD, MMC and Auxilliary-In ports.

Speaking about luggage space, Laura has a massive boot of 560 liters which sports extra compartments on side which can be used to add Woofers if you are an audiophile!

 

[Zinam]

Engine & Transmission

Under the hoods, Laura is powered with 1.9 liter TDI Engine with Pumpe Duse technology. Pump Duse is basically a Fuel Injection Technology with integrated injector and pump unit for each cylinder.
It pressures the fuel to extreme level which will combust significantly and increase the fuel efficiency, Also resulting in the improvement of Engine Response.

Shift the gear to "P" mode & crank the Engine, with NIL vibration & noise the car starts up. Move the gears to "D" Drive mode.
The 6 speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) is brilliant to cope your feelings with, It just changes the gear very fast according the accelerator movement. It also gets a "S" Sport mode which will be really helpful if you are a true sprinter!

With a boasting 105 of Brake Horse Power, 250Newton Meters of Torque, This car never feels sluggish in an out run. We blazed away from 0-100 in just 10+ seconds which is quite quick, but not as quicker as the Chevrolet Cruze.

 

[Zinam]

Drive Handling & Performance

The steering is precise which makes the car easy to maneuver in cities. Skoda claims turning radius of Laura to be 5.1m.

164 MM of Ground Clearance is quite lower which makes you think thrice before leaving it in any bump, otherwise the belly will scrap that bump.

Laura Ambiente is available with 195/65 R15 which do a nice job and L&K gets the 205/55 R16 as standard.

This car comes has McPherson suspension with lower triangular links and torsion stabilizer at front and Multi-Element axle, with one longitudinal and three transverse links, with torsion stabilizer at the rears which proved a comfortable ride and leave the car to a concrete terrain and you will not feel those funny sounds inside.

We reached top speed of 160+ kmp/h in straight stretch and it was ready and Laura wouldn't have mind doing more, The car is stable at high speeds & steering is pretty sharp even at 140 kmp/h mention

Features like ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), TCS (Traction Control System), EDL* (Electronic Differential Lock) & ESP* (Electronic Stability Programme) [*Available in L&K] helps to make achieve these things easier way.

The braking system is powered with hydraulic dual-diagonal circuit braking system vacuum assisted with Dual Rate system. The front wheel comes loaded with disc brakes with inner cooling, with single/piston floating caliper and rear sports the disc brakes.


Safety & Fuel Efficiency

Laura scores more when it comes to Safety, Ambiente comes as a standard Dual front airbags, ABS, Traction Control etc where as L&K offers you Side airbags at front & Curtain airbags too.

Considering the torquey and notchy performance,Laura returns surprising 12Kmpl in City Driving and Highway driving unleashes 16Kmpl.

 

[Zinam]

What We Liked in Laura?

• Looks and Comfort
• Handling & Performance
• Sensitive breaking
• Abundant Storage Spaces
• Audio System

What We Dis-Liked in Laura

• Skoda's After Sales Service
• No USB Input on Audio
• Ground Clearance
• No Sunroof on offer
• Slightly High Pricing

The Automotive India Ratings

Design & Quality -

(4/5)
Comfort Levels -

(4/5)
Performance -

(4.5/5)
Ride Quality -

(4/5)
Handling -

(4/5)
Fuel Efficiency -

(3.5/5)
Safety -

(4.5/5)
Value For Money -

(4.5/5)

The Automotive India's Verdict

The Skoda Laura is a perfect blend of Luxury and Performance, Our team was impressed with its built and style at first sight and after a drive, All our doubts regarding its performance were cleared as Laura is a great performer with handling. Over all the car is worth it but we are afraid due to the Skoda's Service After Sales Service and Network. Skoda could have priced it a bit more competitively which would have made it sweetest pick of the lot.

 

[Zinam]

Variants & Pricing

1.8 TSi Ambiente (MT): Rs.13,05,207
1.9 TDi Ambiente (MT) : Rs.13,40,592
1.9 TDi Ambiente (AT) : Rs.14,17,048
1.9 TDi Elegance (MT) :Rs.14,80,795
1.9 TDi Elegance (AT) : Rs.15,56,121
2.0 TDi L&K (AT) Rs.17,68,582

Color Choices

• Arctic Breeze
• Brilliant Silver
• Candy White
• Capuccnio Beige
• Magic Black

Quick Tec. Summary (Of Model We Tested)

Engine :
1.9 Litre, TDi

No. Of Cylinders:
4

Displacement:
1896cc

Power:
105 BHP

Torque:
25 Kgm.

Transmission :
6 Speed Automatic, Direct Shift Gear Box (DSG)

Suspension :
Front
Mcpherson Strut With Lower Trangular Links

Rear
Multi Element Axle

Brakes :
Front
Discs

Rear
Discs

Wheels & Tyres :
Alloy Wheels, 195/65 R 15

Dimensions :
Length - 4569mm
Width - 1769mm
Height - 1485mm
Wheel Base - 2578mm
Ground Clearance - 215mm
Kerb Weight - 1995mm
Boot Space - 506 Litres
Fuel Tank - 55litres

From Where To Bring Home A Skoda Laura?

New Delhi :
Showroom No. 8, Atma Ram Mansion (Scindia House), Connaught Circus, New Delhi - 110001

Mumbai :
Durolite House, Andheri Link Road,Mumbai 400058
022 67258800

Kolkata :
Poddar Center Ground Floor 50 Chowringhee Road Kolkata --700071
033 - 40129300/301/302

Chennai :
Old No.559, New No.528 Anna Salai, Teynampet Chennai - 600 018.
044 65668899/00/11,044 42132020,044 45544333

Living in some other location? Contact Us and our team will help you to locate a dealer or take advice to choose a right car for yourself! Also, When enquiring from a dealer, Please mention "www.The Automotive India.com" and help us to spread the word!

Once you've bought the car, We're still here to assist you. Post your queries in our forums and many members out there will be happy to help you!


Credits:
Road Test & Photography : Adam Aniz (Zinam)
Text & Format : Vibhor Tyagi (350Z)

2008-2010, The Automotive India(www.theautomotiveindia.com), All Rights Reserved. Don't copy this article without owner's written permission.

 

[350Z]

Report Added.

Note: Date the Skoda Laura Road Tested was 27th November 2009

Let's know your views on the report as well as Laura.


Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[RSM]

Excellent report, as always.

I was thinking new Laura will be launched next year.

Skoda cars have great road presence. This is certainly one of them. But then in this price range the competition is increasing like never before.

Yes Skoda has to change its reputation on A.S.S (like Fiat).

 

[Neil.Bhujbal]

Ahhh ! These are the kind of (car) reviews i expect from TAI. Laura seriously is a great product.Interiors look fab,spacious,have a rich feel.

But the thing i dislike is the 1.8TSI version,its completely stripped down.

The maintenance,spare costs are said to be high,have heard quite a lot about the A.S.S too.

Anyways great report by zinam again Keep up the good work

 

[type-r]

good report zinam
i just love this car so much
infact i like all skodas
you should have tested the 1.8TSi engine also

 

[Zinam]

Excellent report, as always.

Yes Skoda has to change its reputation on A.S.S (like Fiat).

Thanks RSM!

Skoda is working hard after coming under the brand volkswagen!

We can see a big change in few years.

Ahhh ! These are the kind of (car) reviews i expect from TAI. Laura seriously is a great product.Interiors look fab,spacious,have a rich feel.
Anyways great report by zinam again Keep up the good work

Thanks Neil!

I agree that TSi is breath taker! But we want to check the robustness of TDi!!

good report zinam
i just love this car so much
infact i like all skodas
you should have tested the 1.8TSi engine also

Thanks Archit!

Every on loves Skoda

 

[raj_5004]

i really loved the rear seats, they look spacious & luxurious. but the dashboard is a bit bland IMO.

 

[Abhinav Gupta]

Skoda is working hard after coming under the brand volkswagen!

We can see a big change in few years.

VW has the controlling stake of Skoda from the past 18 years.
So you cannot say this.

And i don't feel there has been any progress in improving the a.s.s.

I dont think we should expect a change very soon.

 

[napster]

Yet another informative and detailed test drive report zinam. Well written. IMO the previous version of laura looked better than this one.