Skoda Laura 2.0 L &K TDI Performance

The 1605km route took me through small towns, the Satpura ghats and some great roads in Rajasthan and Gujarat, giving me the opportunity to see how the car performs under varied conditions.

Starting at the beginning of my trip, where I took the route from Pune to Nasik, I must say that I was rather happy to be in an automatic thanks to prevailing traffic condition. The road is not a divided highway and with a number of smaller towns littering the way between the two cities, there is a healthy amount of traffic on the roads. Thanks to the DSG gearbox, I never had to worry about what gear is best and the fact that I didn't have to operate a clutch made it easier for me to concentrate on the driving without tiring myself out. The 2.0 litre diesel mill is a brilliant unit that generates a healthy 140 bhp but more importantly it's the low end torque that the engine delivers which makes it easy to manage at even slow speeds.

After a night halt in Nasik, it was time to tackle the Satpura range that stretches into Gujarat. The road happens to be neatly paved and the panoramic view along the drive is just brilliant. As the road rolls through the hills, we were witness to our share of inclines and downhills. The Skoda Laura proved its mettle on these roads as well. Firstly there are more than enough horses under the hood to take you up any incline with ease. On most cases the Laura didn't drop to even second gear to handle the climb. Power delivery is linear and available at the tap of the accelerator which makes it easy to overtake slower moving traffic in the hills. This proved to be a big boon as stretches to overtake trucks are short, and thanks to the Skoda's ability to just power up meant that we were able to overtake trucks and buses without having to run out of road or enter a corner dangerously. We were also able to maintain a decent speed through the hills. Our average speed worked out to a decent 40 km/h for this 200 km drive and again this would go to the fact that the Skoda imbibes a sense of confidence in the driver to maintain higher speeds without taking risks. Thanks to small electrical gizmos like ABS and ESP we didn't have to worry about losing traction and even on wet roads the Laura stuck to its line around corners.

There were a couple of stretches of road that we encountered in the Satpura range that were pothole ridden, yet we were able to traverse over them without a hitch, thanks to the high ground clearance the Skoda Laura offers. Suspension is a little taunt, but that is common of a lot of European cars and though it might be a small sacrifice on comfort, it leads to great benefits on handling.

Once on the highway, the Skoda Laura stepped into its element. Unleashing the horses under the hood, the car thundered past the 100km/h mark and literally pulled forward like a locomotive. The smooth shifting of gears actually goes unnoticed, that is how brilliant a gearbox it is. Steering response is spot on, and though it does feel a tad bit heavy, you get used to it after driving the car for a bit. In fact the way the car behaves will actually grow on you and it is very tempting to push the car even more, but that could take you into dangerous driving territory so it is best to follow road rules and maintain speed limits.

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As far as comfort is concerned, the Skoda Laura is rather plush. The leather covered ergonomically crafted seats go a long way in keeping you nice and cosy. The front seats have heating, just in case you need that in the winter! The rear is a bit cramped for tall people and that can be a tight fit. I was pretty happy that it was only me and my brother on this drive as it gave us the chance to push back the front seats as much as we desired.

In terms of kit levels, the Skoda Laura has enough on board goodies to keep you entertained for a while. Starting with the 12 speaker surround sound system with an in-dash six CD/WMA/MP3 player, you also get a touch screen interface to control it. From the steering wheel the driver can control the stereo, as well as navigate through the multi function display which offers a load of information to help keep track of your car and your trip-from telling you your average speed, to how much fuel you are consuming and even more detailed information like customizing your car's lighting to knowing when you require your next service. Amongst other things you also get a tyre pressure sensor and rain sensor wipers.

What I've learnt on my trip is that the Laura is a great driver's car and a pleasure to drive long distances-provided you are just two people in the car-or a family with young kids. I would not recommend 5 adults doing a road trip in the Laura, however, having said that, it is a great touring machine. It's comfortable, has great boot space to pack away a lot of baggage, comes with well appointed interiors and accessories and is just a ball to drive thanks to the powerful engine.