Honda Civic vs Skoda Laura 1.8

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member
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.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




So what is the real deal here? Germans versus Japanese again - a duel we love to see. So where do we start? Let's go the traditional way with visuals first. The Laura has been in the Indian market for quite sometime now and the resemblance with the relatively down market Octavia meant it was about time it underwent some cosmetic upgrades. The facelifted Laura gets a new set of headlamp clusters which (weirdly) curl up towards the end unlike the ones on the earlier version which were rather angular, tapering towards their outer ends. This car tries to follow the brand's new design identity, observed first on the new Superb. The overall shape of the car remains the same, however at the front, new headlamps try to endow the car with a bit of visual flair. We are not sure how well they succeed in their endeavor though, as we are not very fond of the treatment.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




The rear remains generally the same, albeit with a cluster of clear glass lamps. The Laura seems to have lost its understated style to a rather confused attempt at upping the style quotient. The typical Skoda grille with vertical slats and prominent chrome surround runs across the lip of the bonnet. The new front bumper incorporates slightly bigger fog lamps.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




Apart from these, there are minor alterations in the rear view mirrors, the rear bumper, the tail lamps and the parktronic sensor housings which are hardly noticeable to the layman's eyes. The Honda Civic is definitely better eye candy. It's sharper, edgier and yet manages to look elegant. If looks could kill, the Honda will definitely turn out to be more lethal. The slim grille, the aggressive headlamps and the pointy nose makes the Civic look a lot more sporty and lively. The Civic is an automotive exponent of the 'one-size-fits-all' term used for apparel accessories. It won't ever offend anyone. The Skoda, on the other hand, has an air of seriousness about it - it won't excite the young at heart too much.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




Getting into the cabin of the Laura, you notice that the latest Czech machine isn't really a step ahead when compared to its previous iteration. The plastics around the dash and the beige fabric upholstery are not what I would describe as graceful and classy. What comes as an added shock is that the leather upholstery or more equipment isn't available even as options on the petrol variant. Although, the well sculpted three-spoke steering wheel borrowed from the Superb and the white backlit twin-dial console do make a stylish statement. There are pockets and slots that you will find everywhere in the cabin giving you a dedicated space for absolutely everything one usually carries along - right from cell phone(s), wallet, keys, water bottles to the valuables that you would want to hide under the seat when you park the car in a public place.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




Ironically though, even with so many cubbyholes, this Skoda lacks a bit in terms of cabin space. It would be wrong to say that the cabin space is not sufficient, but then it's not as much as in the Civic. One of the classiest interiors with leather upholstery, an elegant dash, futuristic blue backlit console and the space for a heavyweight to spread out makes the Civic feel like a more premium choice. Nonetheless, we have to accept the fact that the Civic has been in the market for quite a few years and lacks basic features like indicators for instantaneous fuel consumption, overall efficiency or average speed over a trip that are, in contrast, offered in the Skoda Laura. Additionally, the Laura features six airbags against two offered in the Civic which makes the Skoda boast a better safety quotient. Overall, the Laura fails to leave an impression with its rather drab interiors while being a much safer car than the posh Civic which lacks the gizmos.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




On to the powertrain and mechanicals then. Bring the Skoda engine to life and you will have to rev it a bit to make sure if the motor has started. The cabin is silent like a church and it's difficult to figure whether the motor is running while sitting in the cabin. The smooth and refined turbo charged powerplant in the Laura's bay is the same unit we witnessed in the new Superb a couple of months back. The magnificent engine pulls comfortably right from as low as 1000rpm in the third gear, making the new Laura a wonderfully tractable car in city traffic. Past 1800rpm, the car simply rockets ahead making you fall in love with it every time the tacho needle passes the 2k mark.The six-speed fully synchronized manual transmission is butter smooth and the shifts are appreciably slick. However, the clutch has a fairly long pedal travel because of which you sometimes tend to make those half-clutch shifts - probably the only thing we could complain about. The Civic comes close to the drivability of the Laura in the city, but isn't quite there. The power delivery from the naturally aspirated Civic is smooth and linear and doesn't have a pronounced surge after any given rpm.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




While the Laura manages to produce a peak power of 160PS and 250Nm of peak torque, the Civic's corresponding figures are much humbler at just 132PS and 171Nm. On paper you will find the Laura much superior to the Civic with respect to outright performance figures. However, that doesn't really reflect in the acceleration timings. The reason is simple: Skoda has limited the revs at launch. Put the Laura in first and try to launch the car at full blast of rpms and you will find that the engine refuses to go beyond the 4000rpm mark. Thus, with the restricted launch, the Skoda barely manages to stay close to the 0-100km/h acceleration figure of the Civic. Simply put, the Laura and the Civic will probably run abreast in a drag race which means that there is no clear winner when it comes to outright 0-100km/h sprint run timings. However, what matters more in a car which will be driven most of the time in the city, are its roll-on timings. The in-gear acceleration of the Laura is far quicker than the Civic making it a much more responsive car in any given gear. The fact translates in a more hassle free city driving as well as easier and swifter overtaking on highways. The Skoda also has a slight edge when it comes to top speed. While the Civic maxed out at 206km/h, the Laura was going strong at 214km/h and was showing readiness to go a tad over it. Unfortunately, the comparatively slow moving traffic on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway forced Aspi to be content with the 214km/h mark.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




Handling was never an issue with the old Laura and the facelifted iteration continues to excel in this department. The car is a breeze in corners and doesn't twitch or wallow while following the commanded lines. Aiding the handling of the Laura are15-inch alloy wheels shod with compliant 195/65 R15 tyres which provide good road holding and grip. The Laura's steering doesn't feel as sporty and tactile as the Civic but delivers sufficient feedback. The front suspension in the Laura is slightly stiff, however, it has its own virtues when shown the bends but isn't quite to a comfort seeker's taste. On the other hand, the Civic has an extremely soft suspension which is fine if you are driving alone. Pack in your family and a few unpleasant facts will dawn upon you. The softly sprung suspension bottoms out without an effort. Add to that the car's low ground clearance and you end up sweating hard trying to save the underbelly of the car from getting scraped on the unrelenting Indian roads. The low slung Civic, however, gives you a sporty feel and makes you believe that you are driving a much faster car while making all-around visibility an issue. Overall, the Civic is an able handler but the Skoda is superior. The higher clearance and the solid German feel makes it more suited for the testing Indian conditions than the softer sprung and lower Civic.
 

Dhillon

Dhillon Sa'aB™
Staff member




Verdict
At the end of it all, we seem to be left with two very closely matched cars to choose from. The Laura is a very well engineered car with great handling, superior engine tech and appreciable safety features albeit with morose looks and a dreary interior. The Civic, on the other hand, boasts killer styling, respectable performance and impeccable reliability though it doesn't score too highly in terms of equipment and that soft suspension has always been its Achilles heel. So at the end of it, it all boils down to the crucial element - the feel good factor. The Honda Civic V MT comes with a price tag of Rs 14.21 lakh (OTR, Pune) while the Laura will cost Rs 14.05 lakh (approximate OTR, Pune). That makes the Skoda a tad cheaper than the Civic. I personally feel that you get a lot more bang for your buck in the Laura for lesser price. What it lacks is the styling, the interiors and the luxurious cabin space. Skoda's after sales service and support isn't something to boast about either. Honda's reliability and relatively lower maintenance costs make it a better car to own. But then at the price at which Honda is selling the Civic, you definitely expect a lot more than just styling and reliability. Comparing the two cars, virtue by virtue, the Laura emerges as a better buy. It's just perfect for executives for whom functionality matters more than form. The Civic should please those who can do away with some essentials in return for flashy looks and those who care more about the ownership experience.
Source: Car India
 
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