| Many hot battles have raged in the D-segment. And now that Skoda’s new Laura is here, it’s time for them to begin again. The established names are Toyota’s Corolla Altis and the Honda Civic, which Bert pitted against each other in the October 2008 issue. And ended up recommending the Civic to his elder brother and the Altis to his father. It’s time to find out which of Bert’s family should plump for the Laura then. Rich folk, eh? Jokes aside, the Civic and the Corolla compete against each other but are distinct in character. The Honda is sporty, futuristic, driver-oriented in character while the Toyota is typically, a Toyota - safe, measured, cossetting, largely infallible, but ultimately not the most exciting car you could be driving. Crashing this party is the new Skoda Laura, a car that uses its engine to headline a marked preference for performance over the traditionally Indian values that centre on value and economy. Bert noted this trait repeatedly in the road test he wrote for the June 2009 issue. And all I have to do is sort this brawl out and point you to the best car of this lot. Sounds easy? I wish it was. None of these cars are flawed enough to be dismissed easily enough, and they all do many things so well that picking the winner is going be tough. So let’s not hang about and get right to work, shall we? DESIGN If you were to consider the three cars as eligible bachelors at a party, the Civic would be the one with the flash shirt, a successful air, the latest phone and manicured looks. The Altis would be the tall, lanky fellow with the IIM degree, a fat bank balance - successful, but reticent and not the chap who would stand out in the crowd at the bar. The Laura would be the friendly one. You’d like him, he’d be half good looking, but not model material and he’d be the one you turned to for a good time. The Civic’s had a admirable four-year run in India, and it still has the looks end cornered. The combination of sporty lines, the Japanese low-slung stance and that roof that slopes to a notch-boot works rather well. It looks like it has sporty intent and we like that. The Corolla on the other hand buys into the Camry look with its grille and details and it looks like a Japanese car. Unfortunately, it looks imposing and large, but is otherwise not a car you could instantly ascribe any character to. This is good |
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| Laura TS Civic Corolla Altis car |
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