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-   -   Petra to Laura - I will never learn!! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/73460-petra-laura-i-will-never-learn-7.html)

Thanks @sbraj and @shivdas.

I got the VIN and posted on the VIN thread. Also,from www.vagauto.com it appears to be August 2009 car. The decoded data says "non smoking version" - may be that's what you are referring to? I did not check the socket for lighter....

BTW, what do you guys feel about getting an August 2009 made car in Jan 2010?

well you are getting the car on discount right? i got a feeling skoda is going to discontinue the TSI Laura, grab it fast i would say..

Piling up inventory, forcing Skoda to offer discounts ... ?

Did not get it. Why do you say so? Isn't Laura going to replace the Octavia?

Too early to make any such assumptions according to me.

With such good discounts around, get the car!

August make should be fine I believe, may be you can check with dealer if they can get you a later one.

Not at all. The engine has ample demand in the Superb to justify its manufacture / assembly. The Laura TSI will continue well into the future. Plus, Skoda needs a presence in the petrol segment to compete against the Civic / Altis.

congrats siva on graduating from petra to laura .i also have a petra 1.6 and hope to jump to laura 1.8 or may be a yeti 1.8 .
whats the exshowroom price of laura 1.8 now

i guess the discount is for getting rid of old stock then :)

If Skoda is offloading Aug-09 Lauras in Jan/Feb '10, then what kind of sales figures did they report all these months ? Skoda's Laura sales figures look quite healthy between Aug'09 - Dec'09 - did these "sold" cars actually go to customers or are they just "transfer of title" sales ?

Interestingly, while Laura's inventory was going up in Aurangabad, some of the prominent auto magazines showered awards on this car and then Skoda started "celebratory offer" of 11.99L on Laura TSI. Skoda is also advertising very aggressively for Laura TSI in many printed / online media. If you sum up all indicators, you may figure out the story.

From your VIN decode (that is posted in a different thread), it appears that the car was assembled in Czech Republic. Since Skoda brings in CKD kits for Laura, it may be possible that the final assembly in India happened later than August, but VIN points to the original assembly at the Czech plant. Just a guess ...

As you see in the advertisements, it is 11.99 lacs now.

If you are on the driver's seat (of Laura), you would definitely figure out a different story :)

Yes, that's wat I was thinking about...
The decoded data also mentions the engine details (except for the actual engine number)! Does the CKD contain the engine as well?

Certainly. Laura TSI is undoubtedly a great car to drive - way ahead of Altis and Civic in the overall feel while driving in highway conditions. The city stop-and-go driving, however, is not as great possibly because Indian style clutch-handling doesn't go with Laura - it simply stops if you try to play with the clutch to maneuver quickly through cars, autos, bikes, cycles and cows jumping in front from all directions ... Laura demands a disciplined driver and a not-so-chaotic driving condition.

Sivadas,

BTW, did you change your alloys?
If so, what did you do with the old ones (15" that come stock with the car)?

Yes, you are right. I was using my second gear a lot in Petra.
Even at huge humps (and stop & go tracffic) 2nd was liberally used.
Now I am forced to use 1st gear for all such scenarios.

But once you are used to it, city conditions can be handled effortlessly.

They were exchanged against the 16'' ones.

How much did you pay for exchanging stock allys for 16" ones?
And what's the top speed you have tried so far:)?