The new Laura is spruced up to follow Skoda’s new design philosophy. The Civic is dressed to kill. We lead them both into a battle.
Skoda has given India some of the best oil-burning cars in the past few years like the Octavia, the Laura and the Fabia. With class leading fuel efficiency, comfort and reliability coupled with advanced German engineering, these cars have found a special place in the hearts of us Indians. The petrol variants of the Fabia and the Octavia, however, have not done too well in the domestic market. The superior performance and fuel efficiency of Skoda's diesel cars over their petrol counterparts have acted as a deterrent to the lovers of the cleaner fuel going for the brand. Skoda understands this Indian mindset, probably a reason why they didn't introduce a petrol variant of the earlier Laura. With the new Laura, however, the Czech brand seems committed to alter the perception of the Indian customer once and for all. That's probably why the company has plonked in the hi-tech direct injection blown 1.8-litre petrol engine under the bonnet of the new car. And just to see how good the new offering is, we put it in a brawl against the undisputed class leader - the Civic.
Skoda has given India some of the best oil-burning cars in the past few years like the Octavia, the Laura and the Fabia. With class leading fuel efficiency, comfort and reliability coupled with advanced German engineering, these cars have found a special place in the hearts of us Indians. The petrol variants of the Fabia and the Octavia, however, have not done too well in the domestic market. The superior performance and fuel efficiency of Skoda's diesel cars over their petrol counterparts have acted as a deterrent to the lovers of the cleaner fuel going for the brand. Skoda understands this Indian mindset, probably a reason why they didn't introduce a petrol variant of the earlier Laura. With the new Laura, however, the Czech brand seems committed to alter the perception of the Indian customer once and for all. That's probably why the company has plonked in the hi-tech direct injection blown 1.8-litre petrol engine under the bonnet of the new car. And just to see how good the new offering is, we put it in a brawl against the undisputed class leader - the Civic.