[magikrider]

I have also just seen one new Laura parked and just 2 superbs till date. their sales have hit badly it seems.

mods pls change the thread name appropriately to: EDIT: Now Launched

[Ramsagar]

Heard they are going to launch Laura VRs,is it true?
seen in a TV prg.

[McLaren Rulez]

I wonder why the new Laura is doing so badly. I know Skoda's after sales is bad and all that but the old Laura was doing great even before it was replaced. The new one is a better car and yet sales are so slow.

Disclaimer: I've not checked any sales figures. I am saying this out of observation of the number of Laura's I see in Bangalore

[Murugan]

Quoted partly

Originally Posted by magikrider

and now someone who said that skoda is a inferior brand and used as taxi's in many countries... the only reason its being used as taxi's in those countries is not that they cant find a cheaper car but they think its reliable for extreme heavy use. do you know that the octavia used as taxi's in those countries have crossed 4-5 lac kms! I had seen a article in some auto magazine sometime back on this. the reporter was stunned as he saw most taxi octavia's had done 4-5 lac kms and when inquired he came to know that its common for a taxi there and also he reported that even after 4-5 lac kms the car was in pretty good shape and running as usual just like a car with 30-40k kms would! they had also shown the picture of the odometre with that insane milage done! now do you even expect a honda or a toyota to perform that well after 4-5 lac kms?! and again If I am not mistaken, it came in ACI or OD maybe 1-1.5 yrs back!

The article is on Autocar India, August 2007, page 41. It was written by Hormazd Sorabjee, the editor. The Skoda Octavia TDi cab in Israel had an odometer reading of 645,010! Yes, 6 lakhs 45 thousand and 10 kilometers. As you mentioned there is a photo of the odometer on the taxi showing the reading as well.

On the New 2009 Skoda Laura - Test drove the petrol and diesel versions for a friend today. Amazing, except for the poor ground clearance. Hits the speed breakers that were consistently cleared by the Innova. The Toyota Altis also scraped all those speed brakers. The diesel Laura is (obviously) noisier than the super silent petrol.

Have travelled in the older Laura of another friend on the highway a few months back this year and felt absolutely comfortable in that one too on the front and rear seats. The noise insulation, ride quality and acceleration were also fantastic.

PS: Disclaimer - I have never owned a Skoda.

[discoverwild]

Great cars + Lousy dealers + Nonchalant company = Hapless customers + Non-existent prospective clients.

[rowhun]

Where is the new Skoda Laura 2009? I dont see any on the roads here in Hyderabad.

The previous model was doing extremely well and now suddenly i dont see any new ones with T/R plates.

Doesnt any T-BHPian own the new Laura.
Also havent found any test drive report of the new Laura on the forums. Very strange. Almost seems like everyine has suddenly decided to stop talking abt Skoda altogether.

[ajmat]

I feel the facelift has cheapened it.

The original model had an expensive dignity to it. The revised version especially in white looks cheapened with the lack of trim. Even the top line models look basic especially the wheels look plain jane

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by ajmat

I feel the facelift has cheapened it.

The original model had an expensive dignity to it. The revised version especially in white looks cheapened with the lack of trim. Even the top line models look basic especially the wheels look plain jane

+1 to the above. The new Laura just does not have the presence of the outgoing one. Though Skoda introduced a Petrol and the top of the line L&K now comes with a 2.0 Diesel, they have removed goodies like the sun-roof and somehow the cars lack the 'oomph' factor which was at its best in the first Octy sold here.

Cheers,

[rowhun]

No tbhpian owns the new laura yet? havent read the drive reports or anything?

[Akki_5]

Originally Posted by rowhun

No tbhpian owns the new laura yet? havent read the drive reports or anything?

I was wondering the same thing! I guess i am the first one on T-BHP to have bought a New Laura 2009 FL! But i cant post any pictures as my gallery isn't open yet :( But frankly, against all the odds, i love the car. It's fantastic. I have owned an Octavia for almost 5 years now and never had an issue with the car.

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by ajmat

I feel the facelift has cheapened it.

The original model had an expensive dignity to it. The revised version especially in white looks cheapened with the lack of trim. Even the top line models look basic especially the wheels look plain jane

Absolutely so. The original Laura especially in the L&K trim, had a dignified and expensive look. Many Mercedes owners bought it as a second car, and as an upgrade from Octavias. But the current ones- I've seen silver and that light green (yuck!) examples- aren't half as good looking. The lack of rub strips on the bumpers, and the headlamps that look as if they are made of molten wax, are the main culprits, IMHO. And the original alloys had a faint resemblance to S class alloys. The current ones look cheap.

Why at all Skoda did this to my favorite car?

[kiranjoshy]

Long Awaited Review : The all new Skoda Laura 2009

Greetings fellow petrosexuals! I bought the new skoda laura elegance 2 months back. Been enjoying every moment of this beauty since I got it. Got the car from Vinayak Motors, Bangalore. After reading all the horrible reviews about Tafe, i decided to stay clear and as far away from them as possible. Here's what I think of the new baby from Czech Republic:

Dealership: Vinayak a little better but still horrible when it comes to keeping their word and honesty. Was promised a black car but later told me that its no longer being manufactured, so bought the Brilliant Silver!

Pricing: 18.6 lakhs; got a discount of 15K after haggling with the GM

Styling & lights: The car looks more elegant and classy when compared to its older sibling but less sporty. The headlight assemble when viewd from the side has a resemblance to the Merc c-class. The Laura badge is built into the assembly...a nice touch! The projectors look awesome and are bigger than the older laura's. However, no xenon headlights which is very sad. I'm a big light person so i checked with multiple places regarding fitting philips HID kit. But apparantly, skoda's electricals does not match any aftermarket products. So, i'm thinking of putting Philips blue vision which are the closest i can get to xenons. No coming-home or 'leaving-home' function.

Wheels: 16" alloys with a fresh design. looks a little more stylish than the plain rectangular ones on the older laura

Interiors: Majority of the changes have been made here. Wooden panels and more chrome has been added. The gear shifter is black in color, so less chances of getting dirty quickly. extra storage box under passenger seat, good idea! Otherwise, fully beige interiors with white backlight for the meters. New steering wheel taken from the Supurb (4 spoke). The climatronic is new and is the same being used in the Supurb. A/C has been improved and made more powerful to suit indian conditions.

Engine: I bought the 1.9 TDI. Still sounds the same as the older model but has been refined and tuned to give higher mileage. Its extremely responsive and the 'sport' mode is a rage! Less turbo lag compared to the older laura. DSG is fantastic!

Stereo: 8 speaker system. Skoda "audio Swing" is the new system being used. Sounds Awesome. Has extra features/options to connect external devices and phone via bluetooth.

Drawbacks: No sunroof, no xenons, no headlamp washers.
Pros: Great styling and road presense. People actually stop what they're doing and druel at the car, esp. girls!

Thats all for now folks... Feel free to write back regarding any experiences you may have with the car!
I've driven 1200 km and yet to complete the 'running-in' period!

[stanjohn123]

It's simple guys..the new laura does not have the oomph factor like the previous Laura and seems a lot smaller too(maybe its because of the design).But lack of features like the sun roof,Auto seat adjustment and xenon lamps has led to very few takers.And now that the GM cruze is here i think its doomsday for Laura unless they reduce their prices drastically.

[Ravveendrra]

In some respects the older Laura looks better and in some other aspects the newer one is definitely a step forward from the old one. Overall the old one looked sleeker and more sporty.

The absence of a sun-roof is a big disadvantage. I think the low beam is a HID even in the new Laura (see pic posted by Kiranjoshy).

Cheers,

[aparth]

The older Laura had more presence and it looked more expensive than the new Laura.