Skoda Laura L&K: The crown of laurels
12 Aug 2009 6:19 AM by
Sanjay Raikar
in
Single review,
Skoda,
Skoda India has been on a roll for the past few months. The first to arrive from the Czechoslovakian stable was the all-new Superb with a variety of engine options in the bay. Then came the facelifted Laura , again with an array of engine options on offer. This month we review the top of the line Laura sporting a 2.0-litre oil burner with the Laurin and the Klement badge assuring the owner of luxurious and feature loaded interiors.
The newly adopted design philosophy of Skoda ensures that the Laura will turn heads on the road. The headlamp cluster with flared brows , chrome treated front grille , new front and rear bumpers and a set of clear glass tail lamps define the latest flavour of the Laura. Skoda has tried to give the car an aggressive yet elegant stance. However , we are not quite sure if we like this new design. The new philosophy implemented on the Superb was simply graceful , but with the Laura , it just doesn’t succeed in impressing us to that extent. Although , the Laurin and Klement badges above the front wheel arches promise a lot more on the inside of the Laura. The interiors are elegant and would suit the taste of almost everyone. The Laura L&K comes with ivory leather upholstery and a grey dashboard with wood inserts that lends a classic feel to the interiors.
The driver’s seat is 12-way electrically adjustable giving you the perfect comfort for your individual driving stance. Equipped with three memory settings , you can be assured that the car will never forget your personal comfort in case it is being driven by you and your chauffeur. The dual-zone climate control varies the temperature and flow of air through the air-conditioner to maintain optimum levels of comfort in the 
cabin. The front seats come equipped with internal heaters at three temperature levels for those residing in the cooler parts of the country. On the audio front , Skoda offers a six-CD changer touch screen audio console with 12 speakers. Overall , the Laura L&K offers you lavish , comfortable and extremely elegant interiors. Also , with 560 litres of boot space , this Skoda has class leading storage capacity for your entire family’s luggage on those long vacations. However , what we miss out in the new Laura is the sunroof.
The Laura L&K offers a host of features to make your drive as comfortable and as safe as possible. The xenon projector headlamps swivel sideways as you enter corners to offer superior visibility in the bends around the roads. With the dynamic leveling feature , the beam of the projectors gets adjusted with acceleration , braking , inclination and descent. Equipped with light sensors , the headlamps turn on automatically in case the external lighting becomes poor. This ensures that the driver doesn’t have to turn on the headlamps every time he enters a tunnel or a basement parking – now that’s what we call luxury. The amazing set of headlamps is complemented well with the auto dimming rear view mirrors which reduce the glare from headlamps of other cars at night. On the safety front , it boasts of anti-lock brakes with brake assist , electronic brake-force distribution , traction control system , electronic differential lock and electronic stability programme. The six airbags packed in the car further ensure your safety.
Under the hood of this extremely high-tech and electronically assisted car is a 2.0-litre diesel motor. The four-cylinder 1968cc oil burner produces a peak power of 142PS at 4000rpm and a colossal 320Nm of torque at 1750rpm. The Laura basically shares its powerplant with the Superb 2.0 TDI. However , with a better power-to-weight ratio , the lighter Laura performs far better than the Superb. The turbocharged diesel motor feels a bit lethargic in revs below 1800. However , past that mark on the tacho , the Laura will present you with the pleasures of the turbo. The car simply rockets ahead past the 1800rpm mark with the 320Nm of torque showing its prowess. The fantastic engine is mated to Skoda’s amazing six-speed DSG Tiptronic transmission guaranteeing lightning fast shifts. With our VBOX testing equipment strapped on , the Laura managed a 0-100km/h run in just over 10 seconds. Though this sounds a bit on the slower side , the roll-ons in kickdown speak volumes about the performance of the car. The outright acceleration is a bit disappointing because of the launch control which holds you back from launching the car at higher revs in the first gear. The Laura’s well sorted suspension performs excellently with the car loaded with people. Though it rides on 16-inchers , the ride quality of the Skoda on Indian roads is not affected to a great extent.
When we drove the Skoda Laura’s 1.8-litre petrol variant , we were a bit disappointed with the interiors of the car. However , with the L&K coming onto the scene , all the disappointment has simply vanished. Skoda has successfully given us a car loaded with features , safety , equipment , and comfort. It is powered by a gem of an engine which conveniently delivers a fuel efficiency of 12.6kmpl (City and highway combined). At Rs 19.71 lakh (OTR , Pune) , the Laura runs down its competition completely with the features it offers.
Content courtesy: 
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
its mind blowing car i advice u to buy this bcoz i hav this car and it is excellent
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Unfortunately for Skoda, there is a chevy cruze to bring shivers down its bone . See October sales and sales of Laura falling drastically.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Awesome car !! i own the L&K and believe me guyz , this car is mind blowing ! to hell with those stupids crying for chevvy cruze , cruze is almost 6 lac cheaper than laura L&K , and it shud remain there only , deserves it
The newly adopted design philosophy of Skoda ensures that the Laura will turn heads on the road. The headlamp cluster with flared brows , chrome treated front grille , new front and rear bumpers and a set of clear glass tail lamps define the latest flavour of the Laura. Skoda has tried to give the car an aggressive yet elegant stance. However , we are not quite sure if we like this new design. The new philosophy implemented on the Superb was simply graceful , but with the Laura , it just doesn’t succeed in impressing us to that extent. Although , the Laurin and Klement badges above the front wheel arches promise a lot more on the inside of the Laura. The interiors are elegant and would suit the taste of almost everyone. The Laura L&K comes with ivory leather upholstery and a grey dashboard with wood inserts that lends a classic feel to the interiors.
The driver’s seat is 12-way electrically adjustable giving you the perfect comfort for your individual driving stance. Equipped with three memory settings , you can be assured that the car will never forget your personal comfort in case it is being driven by you and your chauffeur. The dual-zone climate control varies the temperature and flow of air through the air-conditioner to maintain optimum levels of comfort in the
cabin. The front seats come equipped with internal heaters at three temperature levels for those residing in the cooler parts of the country. On the audio front , Skoda offers a six-CD changer touch screen audio console with 12 speakers. Overall , the Laura L&K offers you lavish , comfortable and extremely elegant interiors. Also , with 560 litres of boot space , this Skoda has class leading storage capacity for your entire family’s luggage on those long vacations. However , what we miss out in the new Laura is the sunroof.
The Laura L&K offers a host of features to make your drive as comfortable and as safe as possible. The xenon projector headlamps swivel sideways as you enter corners to offer superior visibility in the bends around the roads. With the dynamic leveling feature , the beam of the projectors gets adjusted with acceleration , braking , inclination and descent. Equipped with light sensors , the headlamps turn on automatically in case the external lighting becomes poor. This ensures that the driver doesn’t have to turn on the headlamps every time he enters a tunnel or a basement parking – now that’s what we call luxury. The amazing set of headlamps is complemented well with the auto dimming rear view mirrors which reduce the glare from headlamps of other cars at night. On the safety front , it boasts of anti-lock brakes with brake assist , electronic brake-force distribution , traction control system , electronic differential lock and electronic stability programme. The six airbags packed in the car further ensure your safety.
When we drove the Skoda Laura’s 1.8-litre petrol variant , we were a bit disappointed with the interiors of the car. However , with the L&K coming onto the scene , all the disappointment has simply vanished. Skoda has successfully given us a car loaded with features , safety , equipment , and comfort. It is powered by a gem of an engine which conveniently delivers a fuel efficiency of 12.6kmpl (City and highway combined). At Rs 19.71 lakh (OTR , Pune) , the Laura runs down its competition completely with the features it offers.
Content courtesy:
its mind blowing car i advice u to buy this bcoz i hav this car and it is excellent
Unfortunately for Skoda, there is a chevy cruze to bring shivers down its bone . See October sales and sales of Laura falling drastically.
Awesome car !! i own the L&K and believe me guyz , this car is mind blowing ! to hell with those stupids crying for chevvy cruze , cruze is almost 6 lac cheaper than laura L&K , and it shud remain there only , deserves it