Skoda Laura facelift around the corner, may get the R S badge

The Skoda Laura is clearly the king of its segment when it comes to power, looks, engine options, handling and of course the option of an Auto transmission in the form of DSG. While the petrol 1.8 TSI variant is available at a good price, the golden liquid isn�t very affordable even for the well heeled, especially on such bigger cars. The 2.0TDI variant is a phenomenal car for cross country touring, and it�s an absolute breeze to drive through the city traffic with the DSG variant. We recently took the diesel variant out for an 800km long drive and man, did the car impress us with its engine, poise and quick shifts! But more on that later.

The latest buzz surrounding the Laura is that the sub D segment car is about to get a facelift. The changes are expected to be purely cosmetic. Skoda Auto India is expected to embellish the Laura with visual changes at the front and the rear. The car will, if some reports are to be believed, get a generous dash of aggressive-looking cosmetic bits such as side skirts, rear spoiler and sharper styling. The engines will remain the same but a go-faster look will help the Laura justify an R S badge on its bonnet.Changes may be made to the interiors of the car as well, to make them look and feel more up to date. Not that the Laura looks under-equipped, but a few changes here and there would increase the desirability quotient.

Stay tuned for more updates on the subject.

Skoda Plans To Introduce Laura RS

Back in 2005 when Skoda introduced the Octavia R S version, it was considered a poor man�s race car. The Octavia R S added a whole new dimension to the Indian Auto Scene back then by giving power hungry enthusiasts a rocket under the 15 lakh price bracket. The introduction of petrol turbo cars was also one of the important jobs the R S did. Even today there are enthusiast buyers who are ready to pick a well-kept R S at a respectable price.

Skoda India is now planning to relive those glory R S moments by introducing the Skoda Laura Rs. The Internationally available Laura (or the Ocatavia) R S is the real deal, which comes with a 2.0-liter TSI (petrol turbo) engine that churns out an amazing 200bhp. The question really is, does introducing a 2.0-liter turbo petrol engine in these times when the petrol prices are skyrocketing, make much sense? Would there be many takers for it?

Skoda India understands that the 2.0-liter turbo petrol will guzzle too much of the expensive fuel to stay viable. Hence they are going to keep the engine of current Laura untouched for the Rs. version also. So what exactly is different you would ask. Well, when the Skoda Laura R S is introduced this September, it will wear new, aggressive looking clothes, replete with bigger wheels, a body kit, a rear spoiler, new steering wheel and other cosmetic changes, but without any alterations made to the powertrain.

The new Laura with V R S badging will come at a premium over the usual Laura.

Skoda planning the Fabia Scout for India?

Seems like Skoda is gearing up to add another model to their India line-up. The company has been testing the Skoda Fabia Scout mini crossover around Pune, and there have been some sightings of the car. One of our close friends Anirudh Khusape also reported having spotted the more SUV-ish version of the Fabia near Vashi.

Scout version of Skoda cars are rugged and strong looking versions of Skoda car with bigger wheels, more SUV-like visuals, enhanced ground clearance and in some cases, bigger engines too. The Skoda Fabia Scout too belong to the same category. Its robust good looks add to this practical small car, thanks to its evocative, specially designed bumpers and off-road design. Black and silver roof rails and protective plastic coverings along its flanks make the �koda Fabia Scout a particularly characterful car.

Distinctive Scout styling also features in the passenger compartment: The upholstery in international models is made of hard-wearing and comfortable material. The floormats bear the Scout logo, which also appears on the boot to underline the Fabia Scout�s identity.

In essence, the Scout would be a more rugged and bolder variant of the Fabia. Needless to say, it would be more expensive too. Expect a bigger engine option to suit this car. A 1.6-liter petrol and a similar capacity diesel mill may be introduced on the car. No official details have emerged from the Czech company�s office in India, so we�ll have to wait a bit more before we can divulge any more info on the Indian version of the car.

Skoda launches Laura Classic

Most premium cars these days are available in a corporate edition version, which is stripped of all or most luxury features and comes at a discounted price. Now Skoda Auto India has also launched a cheaper, stripped down version of the Laura, namely Laura classic.


The new base petrol variant with a 1.8-litre TSi engine will retail for Rs 11.99 lakh ex-showroom Delhi and would not have many goodies available otherwise on the tech laden Laura. The features that would be taken off to reduce the price are
�    Rear parking sensors
�    Auto climate control
�    Leather wrapped steering wheel
�    Fog lamps
�    Lumbar support
�    Central arm rest at front
�    AC vents for the backseat
�    Storage compartment below the front seat
�    Alloy wheels
�    6 CD changer is now replaced by a single CD player

New Skoda Superb variant launched!

The new Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) norms have come into effect from the 1st of April, 2010. Since much before this, several firms upgraded or replaced their existing models with ones that would be BS IV compliant. Some firms also decided to leave their vehicles BS III compliant, making them unavailable in BS IV cities. In order that the Skoda Superb remains BS IV compliant, the Czech firm launched a new variant of the car in place of its existing variant.

The car will now be powered by a 1.8L TSI Petrol engine mated with a manual transmission system. The car will come with a price tag of Rs. 18.28 lakh (Ex-showroom Delhi) which makes it cheaper by Rs. 1.5 lakh. The new engine is reportedly believed to return a fuel efficiency figure of about 13.14 kmpl.

Skoda Auto India Senior General Manager (Sales and Marketing) Ashutosh Dixit said, "Ever since the launch, the New Superb has won the hearts of over 3000 customers and acquired the No. 1 position in the D Segment, bagging 6 prestigious automotive awards in 2010. The addition of the 1.8 TSI manual transmission to the current range will offer a wider choice to our customers and also allow us to introduce our newest technologies into the Indian market."

Since the car boasts of a MT (manual transmission) system, it will be able to deliver complete engine performance along with an enhanced driving experience. For its range, this addition to the Skoda Superb is first of its kind. the car will be available in a varied choice of colours including Candy White, Black Magic, Diamond Silver, Rosso Brunello and Cappuccino Beige.

Several cars to be phased out due to BS IV norms

The Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) emission norms will be applicable from the 1st of April, 2010. However, the entry of the BS IV norms has marked the exit of various old car models including the Skoda Octavia, Fabia (petrol) and Chevrolet Tavera. Maruti had taken the decision of not upgrading its Maruti 800 to suit the BS IV norms after which Skoda has decided to do the same for a few of its car models including the Octavia and Fabia (petrol). The Octavia�s 1.9 TDi Pumpe-Duse engine along with the Fabia petrol engine will be spared from being upgraded to the BS IV requirements making it face the similar fate of the once-legendary Maruti 800. These cars will now not be available in 13 cities across the country.

The Tavera from Chevrolet�s stable too is ready with its bags packed to bid good bye to all the BS IV cities. The MPV contender�s 2.5-litre diesel engine will not be upgraded by the firm to meet the BS IV requirements which will make the car unavailable in BS IV cities.

 

However, all the four cars mentioned above will be available in the showrooms of BS III cities across the country. Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Kanpur, Ahmedabad, Surat and Agra are a few amongst the cities which will bear the BS IV emission norms from the 1st of April.

Skoda sales up

Skoda reported almost 100% increase in sales compared with the same time last year.