India's Best Full-Size Mainstream Sedan

Skoda Laura

Skoda has been winning hearts ever since it made inroads into India. The Laura is another offering from the Czech-German company that has been awarded with one laurel after another, and not without a reason. While the previous generation car looked a tad on the bland side, Skoda has addressed the same with the all new car. There are new headlamps are now which are much larger and stretch over to the side of the car. What the car also gains now is an aggressive new attitude which was missing in the earlier car.

The insides of any Skoda is a pleasant place to be in and the Laura is no different. Quality of materials is top notch and everything feels made built to last. In fact the car is literally built like a tank. The surface feels nice to touch with no sharp creases or badly molded plastic bits. And there is space too, lots of it in fact. Driving position is spot-on assisting most driving styles. Rear passengers are at ease as well with more than enough legroom. It’s perfect for those long weekend drives to thanks to the amount of luggage that massive boot can swallow.

Then comes the best bit, the engines. The 1.8 litre turbo petrol has enough firepower to addict most petrol heads. There is all of 160 PS to set the front wheels ablaze. On the oil burning front there are the 110 PS and a 140 PS units which promise efficiency and performance. Making things more interesting is the DSG gearbox which really makes driving the Laura a whole lot of fun. Handling is the most sorted in its segment as well. While the suspension might be a tad stiff, it's a small trade off for the smile that is plastered on one's face after a high speed blast. While Skodas are definitely pricier than the competition, your money is without doubt definitely well spent.

Quick Facts:

Engine: 1.8 TSI, inline four

Power: 160PS@ 4500rpm

Torque: 250Nm@ 1500rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Engine: 2.0 litre Diesel, inline four

Power: 110PS@ 4200rpm

Torque: 250Nm@ 1500rpm

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Engine: 2.0 TDI, inline four

Power: 140PS@ 4000rpm

Torque: 320Nm@ 1750rpm

Transmission: 6-speed DSG

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 2578 mm

LxWxH: 4569 x 1769 x 1485 mm

Weight: 1305 - 1465 kg

Variants:

Ambiente 1.8 TSI : ` 13.38 lakh

Ambiente 2.0 TDI CR MT: ` 13.85 lakh

Ambiente 2.0 TDI CR AT: ` 14.96 lakh

Elegance 2.0 TDI CR MT: ` 15.34 lakh

Elegance 2.0 TDI CR AT: ` 16.33 lakh

L&K 2.0 TDI AT: ` 18.11 lakh

Cheers:

1. Brilliant performance from the petrol and diesel engines.

2. Quality of materials is top notch with everything made to last.

Sneers:

1. Ride quality is a tad stiff and can get uncomfortable over really bad surfaces.

2. After sales service can be better.

Honourable Mentions:

Toyota Corolla Altis

The Toyota Corolla is now in its second avatar and available with a diesel option as well. Offering good space, more than decent quality and not to mention bucket loads of reliability the Toyota makes a strong case for itself.

Chevrolet Cruze

Choose to Cruze, is what the advert says and its something that this Chevrolet does really well. With a 150 PS of firepower and an extremely comfortable suspension set up, the Cruze simply munches miles with ease. Quality of materials on the inside could have been better though.

Other Rivals

Volkswagen Jetta

The VW Jetta has been around for quite some time now. Sensible but a little long in the tooth now. The all new Jetta should make things interesting.

Chevrolet Optra Magnum

The Cruze’s predecessor, the Optra Magnum is a pretty competitive car thanks to good pricing and that brilliant oilburner.

Honda Civic

The futuristic looking Civic is still one of the best lookers in its segment. A diesel variant should boost sales further.

Mitsubishi Cedia

Although not very popular, the Mitsubishi Cedia is a pretty good all rounder. A little more grunt from the engine would be welcome.