Skoda Laura 1.8 TSI Active

Laura 1.8 TSI Active Review

Skoda India is one of the most highly reputed automotive manufacturers in the country's profitable car market, and some of the most marvelous and charming cars of the day come from its very formidable stable. It is a fully owned subsidiary of the international luxury car maker Skoda Auto, based in the Czech Republic, and has had more than a few different vehicles in the country’s car market for a long time now, all of which have brought incredible business to this Indian ancillary. Almost all their cars in the automobile market boast of extremely spacious interiors and are usually found to be integrated with very impressive and superior comfort and safety features. The company has strived and worked seamlessly for years to give the car enthusiasts of India, the best vehicles in the most competitive of prices. One such brilliant sedan series in their model line-up is that of Skoda Laura, which offers quite a number of options for the buyers to choose from, in terms of variants, besides providing several petrol and diesel engine based trims to select from, in terms of mechanicals. The cars made by this automotive manufacturer are known for their charming looks and powerful engines across the globe and perform excellently when it comes to sales. Apart from owning production facilities for cars, spares and car accessories, the company also has its own service centres, wherein all their cars get serviced and repaired. Their after sales service and customer care is said to be among the best in the country. This particular series of sedans, named as the Skoda Laura, has many different trims to choose from, one of which is the entry level petrol engine based variant called as the Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active . This premium sedan has a well balanced mix of interesting comfort traits and essential safety functions, which includes height adjustment for the driver seat, rear seat centre arm rest, an integrated music system with a six CD changer along with eight speakers, manually regulated air conditioning unit with rear AC blowers under the front seats along with odour filter and pollen filter as well, front and rear electrically adjustable windows with a one touch operation, a bounce back system, tinted windows and electrically adjustable external rear view mirrors amongst many others. Then, this lavish ride also has halogen projector head lights with manual levelling, warning lights on front doors, rear fog lamps, external mirror defogger and rear wind screen defogger with timers integrated in both, an advanced anti-lock braking system (ABS) along with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) and a mechanical brake assist, an anti-slip regulation and a traction control system. On top of that, the company has fitted the ride with a commanding and fuel efficient power train as well. This Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active comes equipped with a 1.8-litre, turbo charged petrol engine, in-line, liquid cooling system, direct injection, 16V DOHC, transverse in front based power train. All these features, put together, make this latest Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active variant one of the safest and the most commendable sedans in the business.

Exteriors:

This entry level Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active trim has a sturdy body structure with an attractive bodyline. The overall frame is sleek and gives the sedan a smooth and flowing side profile, which makes it look truly charismatic. The front fascia of this Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active model is enigmatic yet looks very cultured owing to the chrome trim and surrounds on the radiator grille, which comes flanked by a set of large headlamps fitted with powerful Halogen projector lights and coupled to a manual levelling mechanism. The front body coloured bumper has been neatly designed and sports a wide air dam in the centre that helps to cool the engine down faster. The side profile features body toned outside rear view mirrors along with similarly hued door handles as well as protective side door strips that add to the beauty of the sides. This base level Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active version has been equipped with a stylish set of robust steel wheels of size, 6.5 J x 15 inches . These sturdy steel rims have been fitted with muscular tubeless radial tyres measuring 195/65 R15, which makes them look smart and trendy. The rear end of this premium sedan flaunts a bright and lively tail lamp cluster, while the rear windscreen incorporates a defogger that has a timer as well. The boot lid is compact in comparison to its bigger siblings with a curvy and sleek look to it, and receives a large Skoda badge for the central position. The body coloured rear bumper also has a very clean and slick appearance and bears a pair of rear fog lamps apart from the tail lamp cluster and a high positioned third brake light for added visibility to the cars behind. The company is offering this entry level Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active trim in several glossy and metallic exterior paint options for the customers to select from. And the list includes colours like the subtle and elegant Brilliant Silver metallic finish, a glowing and spectacular Candy White metallic option, a flamboyant Rosso Brunelo metallic finish, a very sophisticated Cappuccino Beige metallic option and also a charming Magic Black pearl metallic finish . This gorgeous sedan is quite spacious, offering not just sufficient legroom but also quite a suitable amount of shoulder- and head-room, allowing five passengers to accommodate without any troubles whatsoever. The overall dimensions of this Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active variant are rather striking featuring an overall length of 4569mm and a total width of 1769mm, which makes it quite liberal. Apart from these, the total height of this premium sedan is about 1485mm and it also has a roomy wheelbase of 2578mm. Besides that, this elegant ride has a prominent minimum ground clearance of 164mm along with a spacious boot, which can accommodate close to 560 litres of luggage very conveniently. The total kerb weight that this luxury sedan carries is approximately 1380kgs and the large fuel tank that it houses holds a capacity to take in 55 litres of petrol at once. The minimum turning radius of this Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active sedan is 10.2 meters, which is quite good considering the length of the car.

Interiors:

The interiors of this premium sedan have been done up luxuriantly and the company has included quite a number of lavish aspects inside it. The features include a Silver alloy décor with weave design on front dashboard and door panels, a dual tone Onyx Ivory interior scheme based front dashboard, making this sedan look urbane. The seating arrangement is extremely comfortable and is covered with premium Ivory coloured upholstery. The inner door handles are finished in chrome and so are the front centre console, the gear shift selector, the locking button of the hand brake and the steering wheel, all of which add to the classiness of this premium sedan. The air conditioner vents and duct sliders along with the infotainment system also get some chrome treatment adding to the impressive interior concept of this car. All these and many other similar aspects make this variant of Skoda Laura one of the most remarkable sedans to ride in.

Engine and Performance:

The company has fitted this premium sedan with a 1.8-litre petrol drive train, which incorporates a turbo charger, a liquid cooling system, direct injection fuel supply system, four cylinders and 16 valves and a DOHC (Dual Over Head Cam shaft) and has been mounted transverse in front . This authoritative 1798cc petrol mill has the ability to give out a peak output of 115.64bhp over a range of 4500-6200rpm along with a maximum torque yield of 215Nm over 1500-4500rpm, which is rather apt for the Indian road and traffic conditions. This power packed engine has been skilfully coupled to a fully synchronized 6-speed manual transmission gearbox for efficient and smooth gear shifts. This powerful 1.8 litre in-line petrol power-mill has a direct injection, which helps in enhancing the fuel efficiency of this premium sedan. The company claims that this petrol engine based Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active trim can deliver a mileage of approximately 13.4kmpl when driven under standard conditions, which is good enough for its segment. The mileage might differ on highways and can be more than the mileage that is attained in the city, depending on the way it is driven. This elegant sedan has been fitted with a power packed engine and has a remarkable pickup. This petrol mill can propel this graceful ride from 0–100kmph in approximately 9.70 seconds while the top speed that this commanding power-house can attain falls in the remarkable range of 220-225kmpl.

Braking and Handling:

This fabulous sedan from the Czech Republic has been bestowed upon with an efficient braking mechanism along with a sturdy and muscular suspension system. Its braking system employs a hydraulic dual diagonal circuit that is vacuum assisted with a dual rate system as well for enhanced braking. With the front wheels getting disc brakes that come integrated with inner cooling and a single piston floating calliper , the rear wheels receive drum brakes for proficient braking. In addition to those, this Laura variant also carries an advanced anti-lock braking system with a mechanical brake assist and also an electronic brake force system for enhanced braking effectiveness. The formidable suspension system that accompanies this fascinating ride, Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active, has been meticulously designed to give the passengers an absolutely trouble free drive. It comprises of a McPherson Strut with lower triangular links as well as a torsion stabilizer for the front axle, while the rear axle comes equipped with a multi element axle that has one longitudinal and three transverse links and also a torsion stabilizer.

Safety Features:

This entry level premium sedan has been packed with a whole lot of crucial safety and protective features, covering halogen projector head lights with manual levelling, warning lights on front doors, rear fog lamps, defoggers for the external mirror and the rear wind screen that incorporate timers as well, an advanced anti-lock braking system along with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) and a mechanical brake assistant and an anti-slip regulation and traction control system along with a lot of other impressive features.

Comfort Features:

The company has bestowed upon this Skoda New Laura 1.8 TSI Active trim with numerous exciting and practical tools and technologies, spanning over an integrated music system with a six CD changer along with eight speakers, manually regulated air conditioning unit with rear AC blowers under the front seats along with odour- and pollen-filter, front and rear electrically adjustable windows with a one touch operation, a bounce back system, tinted windows, electrically adjustable external rear view mirrors and many more remarkable functions.

Pros :Impressive exteriors, luxuriant interiors, excellent comfort and incredible safety features.

Cons :Mileage can get better and rear seat middle passenger space can be made more comfortable.