Cars, since they landed from drawing board to the roads, have been referred to as feminine. My reaction when I saw the Skoda Laura Rally Sport (vRS), the newest baby from Skoda under the Laura platform, was something similar.
Now what exactly is vRS? It is Skoda?s 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. People who know Skodas know that the vRS badge is strictly reserved for the quickest of Skoda variants. A few years ago it was seen with the now-discontinued Octavia … Okay, enough of history; let?s see what vRS does to the Laura.
Snap on the ignition key and the quiet motor comes to life. In fact, it is so quiet that you have to press the accelerator to really feel the engine running. Engage first gear, let the clutch out, press the floor-mounted accelerator pedal and wait for half a second until the engine touches 2,000 rpm.
After that, it?s mayhem, for it really is a piece of cake for the 160 bhp engine to pull the 1,300 kg car. In fact, it is so crazy that you feel everything around you is being fast-forwarded. Most cars in this category have the anti-lock braking system (ABS), this one also comes with something called an ASR (anti-slip regulation), which struggles to keep the screeching tyres in check. The acceleration is so intense that 0-80 comes before you realise what has struck you and 0-100 in about 8 seconds. With every gear you change, the massive surge of torque (250 nm) pushes you back against the seat, and six times after you are pushed into the seat, you realise you are at 160 kmph, and the engine has not redlined yet. Top speed is upwards of 200 kmph. Whoosh!
Scary? Not exactly. That?s where safety systems such as ABS, ASR, electronic brake-force distribution and traction control system step in. All four wheels of the Laura have disc brakes with inner cooling, and these inspire confidence. Mention must be made here of the metal/rubber sporty pedals?your foot just won?t slip.
Okay, so such was the ‘performance’ hangover that I even forgot to mention what the car looks like! On the outside, the things that differentiate it from the Laura diesel are the vRS badge, twin exhaust tailpipes and a spoiler (yes, the spoiler really functions for this car!). Step inside, and the major difference is in the form of Alcantara leather seats having the vRS badge, which give you the feel of a racing car. The quality of plastics is uniquely Skoda and the leather steering wheel is nice to grip, although it?s shocking that there aren?t any steering-mounted controls (come on Skoda, even hatchbacks have those nowadays!). The speedometer section tells you a lot about what?s happening with the car. For instance, ?kilometres to empty? really helps. What I found nice was the car telling me when to change gears. So, if I am on, say, 55 kmph in sixth gear, the blinker will ask me to downshift to fifth (how performance-focused the car is!). But then, with ever-rising petrol prices, I won?t always listen to my Laura, will I? The company-claimed overall fuel efficiency figure is 13.4, which seems just right for the car?s size and performance.
However, there are a few gripes, too. First, the big right A-pillar blocks your vision while turning right at high speeds. Second, other than traffic, you also get to see the big spoiler in the rear-view mirror, which is uncomfortable. Third (and why I call these as ?gripes?) is the stiff suspension; leave the expressway, hit the bad roads and you?ll notice how uncomfortable the ride can be. This one?s made for the expressway, and fortunately we are gradually getting better roads!
At Rs 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the car is competitively priced. Let?s see how it fares, considering the fact that it sells itself primarily on performance.