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| Who will be King? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Review all Models of Skoda Laura Review all Models of Volkswagen Jetta Review all Models of Toyota Corolla Altis Review all Models of Honda Civic |
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Skoda’s refreshed Laura has a new state-of –the-art petrol motor and a price close enough to  give the luxury segment a good shakeout. So in order to put things into perspective, AutoCar (June ’09) quickly lined up a gallery of competitors for a road test: the Civic as the reigning champ, the Corolla Altis representing the hassle-free choice and the Laura’s cousin, the solid and able Volswagen Jetta. But can the Laura’s new high-tech motor and fresh interiors upset the apple cart? Can the Civic’s stunning interiors and clever design keep it ahead? Does the Altis have an edge with its practicality? Or is the cold logic of the VW impossible to argue with? AutoCar (June ’09) sets out to answer these questions…Design & Engineering This is a bunch one can easily split down to the middle. On one hand are the Europeans with their solid build and conservative looks and on the other are the Japanese, who over the past decade have moved from safe and predictable designs to really bold and confident looking cars. The new Laura looks more like a scaled-down Superb than an overgrown Octavia. The face-lift has emboldened the Laura with larger headlamps stretched over the side of the car, a wider fan-shaped grille and a correspondingly larger air inlet in the chin. The tail-lights are changed too but from the rear, the Laura doesn’t look too different.  The Jetta on the other hand is built on the same platform as the Laura but looks totally different. Based on previous-generation VW Golf with a boot tagged to the rear of the car, the Jetta uses a tight-fitting skin, oval headlamps and an attractive Passat-like rear. Moving on to the Japanese set, the low-slung Civic uses a very unconventional nose, low bonnet and flowing roof that makes it look very futuristic and the design works superbly. The silhouette of the Altis is the more conventional of the two, but the styling is more aggressive. The grille, headlights and tail-lights are not flush with the car body and pop out, giving it a strong identity. Though transverse engined, front-wheel drive cars differ very little, this is a pretty motley bunch says AutoCar (June ’09). The Civic has the most cab-forward design and the longest wheelbase, allowing it to be spacious despite the fact that it doesn’t use vertical space as effectively. Both the VW and Skoda have much shorter wheelbases and he Laura is the only hatch here among the saloons, though hard to spot. It’s also the car that has the largest boot of the lot and is the most practical too. The Altis is the only car that doesn’t have an independent rear suspension and uses a non-independent torsion beam. Each of these cars have had their suspension raised and also recalibrated to deal with our roads. The Laura and the Altis with their raised stance are best suited to tackle bad roads. The Jetta may have the lowest ground clearance on paper but the firm suspension makes sure that grounding its belly is never really an issue. The Civic’s generous 170mm of ground clearance is misleading; the long wheelbase makes the side skirts a regular casualty when confronting speed bumps. Interiors The refreshed Laura’s interiors have a more upmarket feel than the previous version. Finished in two tones black for the dash top and beige for the rest, they have plenty of chrome garnishes on it as well. Brushed aluminum-like trim runs around the cabin and there is a new stereo as well. Unfortunately the Ambiente version tested by AutoCar testers (June ’09) comes with only part-leather seats for the front passengers, no powered seats and no steering-mounted controls either; all these were present on the earlier car but Skoda is keen to match the others on price, hence some sacrifice.  The most attractive interior is the Civic’s. a modern design with a semi-heads-up display for the speedo, fuel and temp gauge, the design, fit and finish of materials make this an environment one would love spending time in. The Civic is also a lesson in space efficiency and Honda’s ability to carve out useful nooks and crannies is astonishing. A case in point is the ‘chicken-leg’ handbrake lever tucked away to create space in the central console. However for all its generous cabin space, the Civic’s boot is disappointingly small.The Altis cabin is nowhere near as radical as the Civic and feels quite insubstantial in quality and feel. But while the flimsy build makes it feel like it is a segment below, comfort and features are actually very good. The front seats support you well and there’s the added convenience of electric lumbar support adjustment, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, headlamp washers, rear blind and even auto headlights. The Jetta provides the best occupant safety with six airbags but the interiors fail to muster any sense of occasion or excitement. The colours are dull and the dashboard looks like it’s been carved from one piece. The build otherwise is perfect and everything from the door shut to the solid gear lever, feels massively over-engineered. The felt-lined glove-box for example, opens with a beautifully damped motion. Engine, Gearbox & Performance There’s no doubt the Laura’s 1.8 TSI is the best engine of this lot. In the company of the Civic’s sweet 1.8, that’s saying a lot. The TSI takes petrol engine technology a step ahead, introducing direct-injection and turbo-charging to this class. The result is a motor that’s almost impossible to fault. It’s incredibly refined and the smoothest of this lot in every faucet of performance. Sixty comes up in 3.8 seconds, 100kph in 8.1 and by the time you count 18, the car is already past 150kph. The key to the Laura’s phenomenal pulling power is the fact that it makes its peak torque of 25.5kgm from an absurdly low 1500rpm. Forget about the competition. To put things in perspective, this is faster than the old RS, faster than the BMW 325i and almost as quick as the Audi A4 3.2!  While one of the other cars can keep up with the Laura, the Civic comes a distant second in a straight drag. Acceleration is strong and linear and like most Honda units, the Civic’s 1.8 just loves to be revved.The Corolla’s motor is the one that responds the best to a jab on the accelerator, this along with its short gearing, makes it the quickest draw. Always ready for action, half-throttle is all one needs to make up that gap in traffic says AutoCar (June ’09). The car, however can get a bit jerky and is at times difficult to drive smoothly. It’s also not the most refined motor here and there’s plenty of gearbox whine as well. The Jetta’s motor is the least impressive. This basic 101bhp 1.6 does not like being revved, is slow to respond and hustling it is pointless. The mid-range is strong but its so unresponsive that there’s little joy to be had here. The only redeeming factor here is the spring-loaded gearbox which works like a dream. Ride & Handling Skoda has altered the spring rates on the Laura and jacked it up a tad to enable it to ride better over Indian roads. The Laura’s steering is enthusiastic, body control is good and the Skoda is now shod with higher profile Indian Goodyears. The plaint suspension does its bit too thus one can drive over most rough patches safe in the knowledge that the suspension can take the hammering and one won’t be tossed around much observed AutoCar testers (June ’09). The Civic comes shod with the same high-profile 195/65 R15 as the Laura so low speed ride is not bad. With its low stance, low centre of gravity and very quick steering, the Civic’s agility is impressive too. But thanks to the shorter suspension poor roads can make the Civic jiggle a bit and there are some sharp vertical movements as well. The biggest issue though is the lack of ground clearance due to which the belly often scrapes big speed-breakers and this is a serious flaw.  The Altis too rides on identical rubber and its long-travel suspension is much more comfortable. But the Corolla with its non-independent rear suspension, tall springs and short wheelbase is at a disadvantage. At higher speeds it lacks the feeling of stability enjoyed by the other cars and the body moves around much more. The steering is not as incisive as the others, but the Altis works well as a city car with its light steering and good visibility. The Jetta is considerably lower slung than its cousin the Laura and is marginally stiffer too. Still it’s not an uncomfortable car to sit in, far from it. As speeds build up, the Jetta remains very flat as stability is rock-solid. The lower suspension and more substantial tyres also mean it’s the most agile handler here. It’s electrically assisted steering system could do with more feel but the Jetta is just so cohesive that it gives one the confidence to carry more and more speed through corners. The body control is great, the brakes work a treat and one just wants to drive this car more and more… Fuel Efficiency The Laura has also proved to be the most efficient in this test adding another feather in its cap says AutoCar (June ’09). Figures of 9.8kpl and 14.0kpl in the city and highway respectively are very impressive and further proof of the TSI motor’s superiority. However if one winds the motor hard all the while, efficiency figures will drop very quickly and hence are wildly variable. The Altis with its good drive ability and a motor tuned for relaxed driving comes in second with the Jetta not too far behind. The Civic strangely for a Honda is the least efficient giving 9kpl in the city and 12.4kpl on the highway. Verdict  If you only need to be chauffeur-driven, the Jetta makes a really strong case for itself. But the Jetta is sadly too dull and boring, thanks largely to an ageing engine which lets down the package.The Corolla Altis with its responsive engine and high levels of equipment does a better job but is not as refined as the others and lacks that all-important luxury car feel. The Civic’s stunning looks, fabulous cabin and high level of refinement are reasons why it has been a favourite in the past but the Skoda’s blend of solid build, ride and handling and overall comfort coupled with the best engine of the lot, makes it the winner. At an estimated price of over Rs. 15 lakh, it is the most expensive of the lot but it’s worth the extra cash concludes AutoCar (June ’09). Now all Skoda needs to do is improve its service.
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| Indiacar Editorial Team on 10th November 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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