Adda Ghar: All about Skoda Laura: The luxury sedan

On May 22, 2009, Skoda India Pvt. Ltd. launched its latest luxury sedan, Skoda Laura, in India. India is one of the emerging auto markets. All the major automakers of the world, both Asian and European, are doing business in India. Skoda is famous for producing top quality luxury cars. Though India is a very price sensitive market, the company has been doing pretty well. In 2008, Skoda India sold 16,051 vehicles in India.

The new Skoda Laura offers a “perfect 10” driving experience. Skoda Laura is available in three engine variants- the 1.8 TSI Manual Transmission, 1.9 TDI PD in Manual & Automatic Transmission and 2.0 TDI PD in Automatic Transmission. Skoda is now gearing up for launching its next luxury model cross over vehicle Skoda Yeti in the second quarter of 2010.

Skoda Laura: Basic facts

Name: Skoda Laura
Length: 4569 mm
Width: 1769 mm
Height: 1485 mm
Wheel base:2578 mm
Ground clearance: 164 mm
Storage capacity: 560 liter
Storage capacity with rear seatback folded down: 1420 liter
Tank capacity: 55 liter
Turning circle diameter: 10.2 meter
Kerb weight:

1.8 TSI/118 kw……………1305 kg
1.9 TDI PD/77 kw……….1310 kg
1.9 TDI PD/77 kw(A)……1335 kg
2.0 TDI PD/103 kw (A)… 1355 kg

Gross weight:

1.8 TSI/118 kw……………1965 kg
1.9 TDI PD/77 kw……….1970 kg
1.9 TDI PD/77 kw(A)…… 1995 kg
2.0 TDI PD/103 kw (A)… 2015 kg

Colors: Brilliant silver, arctic breeze, candy white, capuccino beige, and magic black.
Alloy wheels: 15″ Pyxis, 16″ Lyra, 16″ Crateris.
Trim levels: Škoda Laura Laurin, Škoda Laura Klement, Škoda Laura Elegance and Škoda Laura Ambiente.
Engine types: New Skoda Laura is availabe in two diesel engines and one petrol engine.
Cylinders: 4

Design:

The Skoda Laura is a luxury sedan and its design stands out from the rest of the cars in the market. In a crowded street, people can easily recognize Skoda Laura for its unique design. The new Skoda Laura sports a subtle aggressiveness without loosing its touch of elegance, thanks to its new chrome front grille and flared headlamp brows. The side mirrors of the new Skoda Laura are fitted with turn indicators which complement the cars look. The four 16″ alloy wheels coupled with strong shoulder lines just reveal Skoda Laura’s opulence. The bold swage line and thick lower sills and a smooth slopping roof line display stability.The C- designed tail lamp sports a chrome central insert. The one piece rear bumper, which accommodates two reflective strips, makes the car very unique and the running crease lowers the visual mass. The interior has top quality materials and contemporary design. The wooden design décor and ivory upholstery give a sense of richness and increases the sense of space. The chrome interior handles adds up to the overall style quotient of the car.

Other major features:

On the front axle, the Skoda Laura has McPherson suspension.
On the rear axle, the Skoda Laura comes with multi-element axle.
The Skoda Laura has direct rack and pinion steering with electro mechanic power steering.
The Skoda Laura comes with xenon curve projector headlights which offer high visibility around turns.
The Skoda Laura has parktronic sensors integrated in the front and rear bumpers that warn the driver of possible obstacles in the front and rear spaces while parking the car.
The Skoda Laura has Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) which continuously checks the air pressure in the individual tires and provides warning of pressure loss in any of the tyres.
The Skoda Laura has six airbags including dual front airbags, dual side airbags (front), dual curtain airbags at front and rear.
The front seats of the new Skoda Laura are equipped with “Whiplash Optimised Head Restraints” to reduce neck injury in the event of an impact from the rear.
The rear view mirrors of the new Skoda Laura are equipped with photo sensors which can detect the intensity of light coming out from other vehicles and reduces glare.
The Skoda Laura comes automatic headlight system with light sensors that adjust the lights of the car in low light conditions such as tunnels, basement parking etc. It also reduces driver fatigue and increases safety.
The Skoda Laura has retracable headlight washers that spray high pressure jet of water to clean the headlamp lenses and maximize the intensity of light.
The Skoda Laura has Anti Lock Braking System (ABS) to prevent the vehicle from skidding and maintaining driving control.
The Skoda Laura has Anti Slip Regulation(ASR) to prevent the driven wheels from slipping by reducing the engine output.
The Skoda Laura comes with Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) which maintains the vehicle’s stability while driving on roads that are partially wet or gravel.
The Skoda Laura has Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) to control the car’s driving dynamics.
The Skoda Laura comes with Mechanical Brake Assistant (MBA) and Hydraulic Brake Assistant (HBA) that ensure maximum pressure on the braking system in case of a critical braking situation.
The new Skoda Laura has engine immobiliser with floating code system that changes every time after the car is switched off.
The new Skoda Laura comes with security code for central infotainment system.
The new Skoda Laura has remote controlled unlocking of doors and the boot lid.
The new Skoda Laura has remote controlled opening and closing windows.
The new Skoda Laura has 12 way electrically adjustable driver seat.
The Skoda Laura has drive seat with three programmable memory functions.

Price:

The price of Skoda Laura ranges between Rs.1.267 million and Rs.1.715 million.

Here is a price list I collected from a website:

Variants	Delhi	Maharashtra	Chennai	Kolkata
1.8 TSI Ambiente	Rs. 12,98,767	Rs.12,67,711	Rs.12,96,645	Rs.13,07,257
1.9 TDI Manual Ambiente	Rs.13,30,681	Rs.12,98,999	Rs.13,28,559	Rs.13,39,171
1.9 TDI Automatic Ambiente	Rs.14,03,102	Rs.13,70,000	Rs.14,00,979	Rs.14,11,591
1.9 TDI Manual Elegance	Rs.14,69,844	Rs. 14,35,434	Rs.14,67,721	Rs.14,78,333
1.9 TDI Automatic Elegeance	Rs.15,40,801	Rs. 15,05,00	Rs.15,38,678	Rs.15,49,290
2.0 Automatic TDI L&K	Rs.17,55,440	Rs.17,15,541	Rs.17,53,317	Rs.17,63,929