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-   -   Luxury personified : Skoda laura TDI AT Elegance EDIT: Now sold! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/105386-luxury-personified-skoda-laura-tdi-elegance-edit-now-sold-12.html)

Go for it. The new ambition automatic comes with a host of new features. Bolero, multifunction steering, bt, etc. but this is only for the automatics. I'm pretty sure you won't get electric seats with memory in the ambition trim. Check the Skoda website. You'll also miss out on leather seats, rain light sensors, wood interior trim and auto ac. Ambition at is definitely vfm now. Check again about memory seats though cause I'm sure it's not offered in this trim

Hi Vinj14 - Thanks. You were right. I did check with the showroom. The sales person did mention about 3 seat memory but the actual car didn't have the arrangement. Also was checking out an old L&K car 70K Kms, 2009 model, overall condition looks good but leather seats need to be changed. Wanted to check with you, if leather seats of an old L&K can be replaced? Since they come with additional air bags, will this create a problem?.

thanks

I personally wouldn't go for a car done 70k kms. The old Lauras are known to have ac issues. Maintainence might be a problem. Post 2010 the cr engines were introduced and they are way better. Go for the ambition automatic! You won't be dissappointed!

Its been two and half years. Two yearly services completed and the car done around 25000kms. No major issues. A few rattles here and there but they were sorted out immediately by the Service dept. I must thank the skoda service center (Gurudev motors) here in chennai. They have been very sincere, honest and friendly in their interactions with me. Their quality of work ( paint jobs, detailing, accessory fitting...) and diligence has far also exceeded my expectations.

I would think a 100 times before buying a VW car in chennai. Lack of knowledge, deceitful, rude to downright stupid were a few of things my friends had to say about their service personnel. Just the opposite of my experience with skoda. I think one should only make city-specific or dealer specific judgements about the state of a company's A.S.S dept. A basic research into the local service centers and their reputation MUST be a part of the process when one is considering the purchase of new car.

Also might be a good time to air out my opinions on the new octavia. Quite dissapointed. Doesnt have the masculine and butch looks the laura possesses. No organ type accelerator pedal? Shame on you skoda! If i was in the market for a new car i would wait till the new octavia is launched and then go buy a laura Lnk with a huge discount. Option no.2 would be to wait till 2014 for the octavia vrs, which looks like a stunner.

Also my plans to upgrade to a columbus didnt quite work out. My friend from UK got a skoda superb bolero instead. No major difference from the bolero in the laura except for 1) slightly better resolution 2) nicer looking graphical image for parking 3) separate "next and previous" at the top left 4)and short press of the radio off button activates mute function. The dash frame also had to be changed for this radio. Overall quite happy. Will wait for VW/SKODA to bring maps for India and then consider the columbus.

Some recent pics






The other one

Attachment 1144324

Wow, no organ type Accelerator pedal in the new Octy? That's bad.
BTW, I also feel the current Laura is better looking than the new Octy. BTW, the original Octy was the best looking. They have been spoiling the looks with each generation...

The brighter and better resolution park assist display i mentioned earlier.

Indeed much better than the older Bolero.

2 more mods.

Added the 9wZ bluetooth module. I can now see texts on my maxidot and can have it read out aloud. Also shows the type of network signal (3g/E). Also opens up more customization options in the telephone module.

The 9wZ premium modules only work if you have a maxidot or a rns510/columbus.

Second one, I replaced my old auto switch with a the chrome auto switch like the one in skoda superb. Just looks pretty.

Nice to see the recent mods - Bluetooth module and Chrome Light Switch. One for convenience and other improves the aesthetics. I should try for the Bluetooth module for my pre-FL if at all feasible (its not the RCD 510).

Hey Vinj
Wanted to ask you whether the chrome auto switch can be fixed in my Laura elegance 2L tdi manual?My car is stock so will this switch work??

Assuming you have rain and light sensors you can do this. Not straight forward though. You also need a repair wire and need to make a connection from the bcm to the light switch wiring harness. Pm me if you need more details. I have the exact pin numbers where you need to make the connection and the light switch with the repair wire.

HI Vinj

Though I know its too late but this is amazing write up and some extraordinary mods you have done. I am in process of aquaring a 2011 May Lnk. I had a questions for you

9w7 vs 9wz: is the difference among text messages only, can 9w7 get the Bluetooth media information on screen and can we navigate between tracks using steering switches

Let me know

thanks
shishir

Hi Vinj

Please post your stuff in classified for me to reach out to you.

Rgds
Shishir chandrawat

I did. Kindly have a look.