Road Test:Skoda Laura

“Skoda Auto India has unveiled the Octavia Laura, or the A5 as she s better known, in the oil burning pumpe duse version complete with the DSG box. Vikrant Singh tries to resist her considerable charms. Or has he succumbed?

Skodas in India are better known for their superior build quality and the diesel powerplant that powers current Octavias. The latter, being both torquey and refined. However lately I have discovered Skodas to be great driver s cars as well. Whether it is because I haven t driven them much in the past, or because the company brought in cars that are an enthusiast s delight only recently, is something that s open to discussion.

On top of the list then is the car we all know too well, Octavia RS. The one which pins you to the back rest with her orgasmic acceleration that just seems to go on forever? Or probably you d remember her from the yank-the-handbrake-and-do-burnout-and-doughnuts episode? Maybe always in control handling even if it s going sideways, might ring a bell? Yes, she is the one featuring that extended air dam, 16-inch alloys, and a spoiler above the basic Octavia clothing in electrifying yellow, and is truly astonishing to drive!
But the RS is only part of this great Skoda driver s car story. The Superb, the rich man s car, which comes with all the possible gadgetry and safety equipment and, of course, the Rs 20 lakh plus sticker price, is equally entertaining. And she d be better off in the hands of an enthusiastic overgrown kid rather than the straight jacketed, gray-haired gentleman, if you ask me.
The V6 petrol though not in the same league as the RS, is unquestionably fast and an equally brilliant handler. With the steering and brakes that communicate so well, there is only so much a driver can ask for. The oil burning Superb is no slouch either. She accelerates quickly, responds to your every command like an army sepoy, while the suspensions besides providing a good ride, cope brilliantly with hard cornering antics.
Which leaves us with the company s latest offering. Octavia Laura, or the A5 as she s more commonly known. Skoda Auto India has chosen to bring in the oil burning pumpe duse version of the car complete with the stunning DSG box for the time being. The petrol will follow suit no doubt, but then that s a story for another day.
So is the Laura in keeping with the newfound (for me at least) characteristics of Skodas?

Style & Build:
In line with family traditions…

It s all in the family. The looks I mean. Given a passing glance, you d be forgiven for confusing the Laura with the current Octavia sold here, or maybe even a Superb for that matter. The trend to have a family identity is something most manufacturers follow these days. The downside to all this planning though is that there isn t much to distinguish between the cars. So if you were into showing off, Laura surely wouldn t fit your bill!
However when you look closely, the Laura is sportier. The lines and creases are sharper and are better executed. And the edgy design character continues throughout. The hood for instance is more sculpted with a prominent nose line running top to bottom, reminiscent of Formula 1 cars and also seen on the earlier Octavia though a little subdued in the latter.

But I especially like the incorporation of ridges that lead to the bonnet. Not only do these work as a potent differentiating factor against both, her smaller cousin as well as the elder one, they give the Laura a newfangled touch. This gets accentuated further in profile.
The grille meanwhile is typically Skoda, understated with vertical slats giving it the sober trait. The headlamps, which are suggestive of Superb, are again from the edges-are-beautiful school of thought. These are more like a sculpted trapezium. But it s the fog lamps that grab attention. Not for their stylish design or anything, but for the sheer size. Big is not always better you know.
In profile, the long-sloping-down-hood-with-a-small-boot design element is something I really liked about the Laura. The cab too is reasonably rear set. But otherwise the body lines aren t very exciting, including the wheel arches, which are flared, but not in a very look-at-me sort of a way. The 16-inch wheels too, though stylish, need to be a bit larger, I think.

The hunchback look nevertheless continues on the Laura.
Rear though more rounded off, fails to attract any sort of attention. It s run of the mill, the way the boot is designed as well as the way it merges with the bumper. While the tail lamps resemble that of Octavia A4 s but more closely to that on Fords Fiesta!
But the build quality of the Laura, like every other Skoda, is almost legendary. From the time you open the door to shut it close, and then get set to operate those numerous knobs and buttons on the inside, its sturdiness is all evident. Shut lines, panel gaps and the whole fit and finish is so even and well executed, even the most cynical of critics will find it difficult to fault the car in this regard.

Style: 4/5
Build: 5/5

Chassis & Suspension:
Go play…

The Laura certainly does not disappoint when it comes to having fun. In fact she urges you to push the envelope a little more every time you hop into the driver s seat. Corner hard, or simply let the rear hang out (with the traction control shut off of course), the Laura handles it all with great composure. But that doesn t really come as a surprise, especially with the current generation Golf platform on which the A5 is based (the platform has and will spawn a total of 16 models across three manufacturers!), having been designed with driving dynamics as priority. So be it the improved rigidity of the monocoque or the new axles, it all contributes largely to achieving the same.

At the front it is MacPherson with lower triangular links and a transverse stabiliser that are in business. The set-up not only helps keep the car rock solid over broken surfaces, but the transverse stabiliser (also present at the rear) contributes towards keeping body roll at a minimum.
Enhancing the Laura s excellent handling aptitude, is the multi-element rear axle. It consists of a longitudinal trailing arm and three transverse links. While the latter help keep the side forces in check from affecting the car s dynamics, the longitudinal arm contributes in reducing pitching, especially under severe braking.
Like all other Skodas in India, the Laura too comes with the bad road package. Which means, you get increased ride height, stiffer damping, and an engine cover at the bottom to protect it against flying rocks damaging the same. It also translates into a slightly compromised ride quality, notably compared to the A5 we drove in Belgium. Sitting in the driver s seat at high speeds, it s all very cushy, but get into the back and the road irregularities start to make their presence felt, both through your bottom and your back.
The Laura meanwhile uses a direct rack and an electromechanical dual pinion steering with power assist besides discs all around (ventilated up front, and solid discs at the rear) with single-piston floating type caliper. Our test car also came equipped with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), MBA (Mechanical Braking Assistant), MSR (Engine Drag Control) and ASR (anti-skid regulation).
And if these abbreviations don t help you feel secure, probably the six airbags would! These include two for the driver and front passenger, two curtain airbags, and two side airbags. The pedals (read the accelerator and brake pedals) also move to the side in case of a frontal impact, reducing the risk of a severe leg injury. Furthermore, the car also boasts a four-star Euro NCAP rating.

Chassis: 4.5/5
Suspension: 4/5
Ride: 4/5
Handling: 4.5/5

Engine & Transmission:
trust Skoda to bring in the best there is..

Dig common rail? Well, here s something that should have you singing paeans to the Laura then. The car s 1.9-litre oil burner employs what the Volkswagen family calls Pumpe Duse. It s basically an improvement over common rail technology and helps in better metering as well as better atomisation of
the fuel.
Unlike common rail systems wherein you have a single pump developing the prerequisite pressure and then distributing it via the rail to all cylinder injectors, pumpe duse has a dedicated pump for each cylinder. Each unit then comprises of a high-pressure injection pump, an injection nozzle and a control valve. The injectors sit in the cylinder head and are operated by four additional cams on the overhead camshaft (read about how it works in the box).

Besides the PD, the engine construction is similar that on the current Octavia. It s a more efficient engine though. And it shows in the power and torque characteristics of the car. Laura s 1896cc 4 inline oil burner makes 105PS of power at 4000rpm while the peak torque rating stands at 250Nm developed at barely 1900rpm. With so much torque available so low down the rev range, the Laura sure pulls well. It s also more or less a free revving unit, this 1.9 PD. But it is towards the upper rev range that the engine starts to feel slightly stressed. It is not as refined or easy revving as say the Superb diesel. But then again, the V6 layout on the latter sure has its benefits. The inherent diesel clatter of the 1.9 powerplant is more than audible on the outside, but it s nothing more than a hum on the inside.
The DSG or (Direct Shift Gearbox) is another feather in the Laura s cap, with it being the latest in automatic gearboxes. Unlike a conventional automatic, which employs a torque converter to transmit power, the 6-speed DSG employs two input shafts with a dedicated clutch for each for the same purpose. The two clutches are of the wet multi-plate type; that is to say, these operate in an oil bath, and have been employed as these are better equipped to handle more power compared to their single dry plate counter parts. Thanks of course to their higher thermal capacity. Like both input shafts, the clutches are co-axial (one shaft is hollow and the second passes through it). Further, the odd gears like 1, 3, 5 and reverse are on one shaft, while the even 2, 4 and 6 are on the other.
What the DSG basically does is, it reduces drastically the time between shifts, curbing the loss of power during acceleration. It also makes for a more efficient box and therefore results in better fuel efficiency figures as compared to conventional auto boxes.
DSG on the Laura can be operated in the same way as an automatic or Tiptronic transmission. You can also select between the economy or sports mode depending on your driving style. In sports mode the transmission changes gear at higher engine speeds, helping to maximise power output and therefore acceleration, whereas in economy mode the transmission changes at lower engine speeds, resulting in reduced fuel consumption.

Engine: 4/5
Transmission: 5/5

Performance:
Should keep you satisfied…

Laura s times of 4.76 seconds for the run up to 60kmph from stand still or 12.13 seconds that she takes to get to the ton mark are certainly impressive. The good news though is, she feels faster. Thanks no doubt to her torque distribution which is flat and is potent right from the word go. And after the turbo kicks in, things only get sweeter.
The quarter mile meanwhile took 18.15 seconds while the standing kilometre came up in another 15.6 seconds, which again, is not bad at all. She is good to putter around the city too. Her times of 6.91 seconds for the 20-80kmph roll-on as well as 9.91 seconds Laura takes to get to 100kmph from 40kmph in kickdown is testimony to the same.
As for her braking, Laura covered 29.28 metres to come to a stop from 80kmph, while for the 100-0kmph test she needed 43.43 metres of tarmac. Further, the brakes are not only progressive, but there is good feedback as well. And besides a slight twitch towards the end of the brake test, there wasn t any sort of drama that Laura put us through. ABS obviously playing its part here.

Performance: 4.5/5
Braking: 5/5

Fuel Efficiency:
For its size and the segment she addresses, not bad at all…

Laura returned her best fuel efficiency of 17.01 kilometre to a litre of diesel on our highway run with the aircon switched off. We also used the tiptronic mode for the test and kept hitting the gear shifter till she had moved to sixth. The figure dropped to 15.84kmpl with the aircon switched on during our highway stint.
As for the city run, with the aircon running, not to mention a good mix of stop and go traffic, and a few sprints, Laura returned respectable figures
of 12.23kmpl.

Fuel Efficiency: 4/5