Skoda Laura Ambiente-cheaper Laura

[deuce-deuce]

Just got my November issue of BS motoring.Saw an ad on pg. 27 for the Skoda Laura Ambiente.Went to Skoda India's website and it hasn't shown up yet.Anyway in the ad,the features mentioned were:
1.dual airbags
2.abs+asr
3.parktronic with display
4.rear ac vents
5.automatic rain sensing wipers
the 1.9 pd engine is unchanged.I'm guessing they threw the leather out-2 lucky cows somewhere.No mention of alloys or climatronic(climate control in skodaspeak).Also no price mentioned-I'm guessing should be 1-1.5 lakh down on the elegance.

P.S:this is my first post.A big shout out to all you guys!

[harsha1989]

Originally Posted by deuce-deuce

Just got my November issue of BS motoring.Saw an ad on pg. 27 for the Skoda Laura Ambiente.Went to Skoda India's website and it hasn't shown up yet.Anyway in the ad,the features mentioned were:
1.dual airbags
2.abs+asr
3.parktronic with display
4.rear ac vents
5.automatic rain sensing wipers
the 1.9 pd engine is unchanged.I'm guessing they threw the leather out-2 lucky cows somewhere.No mention of alloys or climatronic(climate control in skodaspeak).Also no price mentioned-I'm guessing should be 1-1.5 lakh down on the elegance.

P.S:this is my first post.A big shout out to all you guys!

It has been priced at Rs.12,89,990 ex-showroom Mumbai, available only in Diesel Version

Reference Economic Times: Skoda launches Ambiente; Fabia next year- Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

[shuvc]

Wow. 12.8xx. This is prob similar to the octy elegance? Will they reduce octy prices, introduce lower variants, or discontinue the octy elegance and L&K?

[Sahil]

The ex-thane(less octroi) price will make it even more tempting !
Honda better watch out, this is a big treat to both the civic and the accord.

[Elito11]

Yeah! saw the ad in newspaper today.
Also welcome aboard deuce! (if i may call u so!). LOL@ signature


P.S:this is my first post.A big shout out to all you guys![/quote]

[rubin2006]

I saw it on CNBC and it sounded unbelievable as skoda is a shrewed company selling us a 12 year old model but i guess competition has changed things It is a price cut of 211000 which is huge by any standards
but they were forced to do it in this segment when Toyota had to cut price Cedia being such a nice car had to go a level lower than skoda cannot have monopoly ,one skoda laura at the coast of almost 2 optra magnum was a no brainer at the very first place skoda should have come out with Laura and discontinued the Octavia like they did in the rest of the world

[Rtech]

The time is getting close. The Laura is slowly inching towards the price point it should have been at. The current octavia is going to be phased out.

This is a decent value Laura. It's sure to make a huge impact on the sales of the Octi. I just hope Skoda doesn't let the current Octi simply continue in production for eternity, reduce the price etc. like HM is doing to the Lancer.

[ajmat]

Any idea about what is the difference between the ambient and the elegance besides the dead cows?

[metropolis]

Yes i too heard the same and today came across the ad in paper. Well Skoda has made the right move at the right time which was somewhere being sensed when the two parallel models (Octavia & Laura) were in the market........but for how long it would have been continued in this manner. Anyways i hope the old model might be phased out slowly either the price may see the decline further. Its a smart move by Skoda

[flipsyde]

i read the article in today's THE HINDU it said the laura ambiente would come with a 1.7 PD TDI engine!!! i flipped over to the last page to find a skoda ad saying it would carry a 1.9 PD TDI....... journalists these days!!!!!!!

but at 12.xx laks i think the laura is a veryyy good buy.

[shuvc]

Well they haven't actually cut the price, have they? What they are doing is pretty similar to the Octy pattern.

Octy vRS
Octy Rider TPi which came later

Octy L&K TDi
Octy Elegance TDi
Octy Rider TDi came later
Difference between L&K TDi and Rider TDi - approx 2.7L

Each lower variant with reduced features and hence lower prices

Now compare with Laura.
Laura L&K DSG (top model came first), then
Laura L&K Manual, then
Laura Elegance, then
Laura Ambiente
Difference between L&K manual and Ambiente - approx 3L

My speculations

Now Laura Ambiente costs < or = Octy Elegance TDi, Octy L&K TDi and Octy vRS.
So,
a. They could retain only the Octy Rider TDi and discontinue the other Octy models
b. Introduce another further stripped down (if thats possible) version of the Octy Rider TDi at around 10L
c. Keep the current Rider TPi @ 11.5L
d. Launch the 200bhp petrol Laura vRS. This should cost slightly less than the Laura L&K PD manual, going by the Octy pattern. approx 15.5L
e. Launch an Ambiente petrol 200BHP at the same price as the Ambiente PD diesel

I really don't see how they can launch the 170BHP diesel vRS at a competitive price. After all if a 105bhp PD L&K Laura costs 16L, a 170BHP diesel engine in the same car should cost a lot more - might take it to 20L OTR.

Ok, there ends my rant. I repeat, these are my speculations.

[ajmat]

I somehow don't think a 200bhp Vrs will make it. It is a limited market and the FSI engine is not suitable for indian fuel

[Rtech]

Well they haven't actually cut the price, have they? What they are doing is pretty similar to the Octy pattern.

Nobody here has said that they have cut the price. They are simply providing variant options to customers. For example, someone considering an Octavia Elegance or L&K would definitely go for the Laura instead, even though it lacks the xenons and leather.

This in turn would increase the sales, which would allow greater economies of scale, which would lower prices further. However, Skoda India have not make any significant changes to their prices (exception being the Superb) ever since they landed, so it would be quite a change in strategy if they did begin to cut prices.

I expect the Octavia to soldier on till end 2008 or so, by which time the Laura sales would have picked up steam and the tooling for the factory could also be put in place.

End 2008-beginning 2009, I would expect the Skoda lineup to be the Fabia, Laura and Superb(?). As I said, I just hope they have more sense than to continue selling the Octi in the 8-10 lakh bracket. You never know with these guys.

[vkochar]

Actually saw this on a Ticker on NDTV Yesterday that Skoda has slashed 3 Lacs on Its Laura Model - Did not specify if it was the ELegance version or the Topend one, BUT I assume it will be accross the range.

Now at 13 Lacs OTR Price, I do not think there is anything better !!! Wow !! How I wish they would slash 2 - 3 Lacs on its Octavia Rider as well, I will not think twice & just go and buy it !! 9 Lacs OTR - Skoda Rider !!! That will be dreaming

[Rtech]

Actually saw this on a Ticker on NDTV Yesterday that Skoda has slashed 3 Lacs on Its Laura Model

aah. that must be the price cut shuvC was referring too. Our trusty press! Those tickers are most irritating!