Honda has had a dream run in the Indian auto bazaar with almost all their cars, especially the Honda Civic that has done phenomenally well. When Honda launched its global bestseller six years ago, it was quick to set a benchmark in its class. But as they say, “nothing lasts forever” — not even success. With competition coming in from Toyota, Chevrolet and Skoda, the Civic’s charm began to wane which is when Honda decided to give its coveted sedan a much-needed mid-life upgrade.
Who’s Got More Power?
Both the Honda Civic and the Skoda Laura are great cars to tour around in. Displacing 1.8 litres and kicking out 130bhp of power, the Civic has enough verve in its engine to excite the enthusiasts (it does a 0-100 spin at 10.2 seconds and gives a top speed of 119kmph). On the flipside, like all i-VTEC engine, this one too needs revs to go hard, lots of it. This car needs a lot of gear shifting, which isn’t especially pleasing when speeding on the highways.
Also, the Civic’s i-VTEC looks a bit dated, especially when you compare it to Skoda Laura’s powerful, efficient, flexible, versatile and magnificent TSI engine. It’s blazingly quick and frugal too and gives fantastic fuel economy as well. You don’t have to shift gears as often as you would do in a Civic and that makes it a great car to drive both in the city and on the highways. Even in terms of performance, it outclasses the Civic. It does a 0-100 in just 8.2 seconds and gives 200kmph.
How Does It Handle?
Unlike other Hondas, the Civic has a very good steering. It’s light, but not overly slow, is communicative and has got a good feedback. And the mechanical grip on the chassis is also very good. Smooth on the corners, this car can grip very well. Unfortunately, the suspension set up is too soft. As a result, the car can’t take bumps and rough edges too well.
Dynamically, the Civic is an outstanding car. But when held against Laura, it pales in comparison. That’s because the Laura’s suspension articulation and geometry is far superior to that of its competitor.
Looks Never Lie!
From the looks of it, the updated Civic appears futuristic and needless to say, very, very aggressive. The head-lamps and the tail-lamps get octagonal optex and the 1.8S variant gets a sporty body kit including a nose splitter, side skirts, a brand new spoiler and a nice, big rear wing. The V-variant, on the other hand, gets a cruise control and steering wheel mounted audio controls. Inside though, there are no changes apart from a USB input for the stereo. Apart from a few cosmetic changes, the rest of the car remains unchanged. The Civic interiors, especially the plastics, do not feel up to the mark. Also there is no provision for shutting off the air con vents.
The Laura, in comparison looks and feels better than the Civic. The high-quality cabin with two-tone upholstery and dashboard looks quite swish. The build quality is typically European.
Space And Comfort
The rear space of the Civic is fantastic. It’s a car built for the rear passenger. There is a lot of legroom, knee room and headroom, although the shoulder space is a bit cramped.
So far the Laura’s space is concerned, the knee room and head room are just about adequate. The shoulder room again is cramped.
Verdict
While Civic may be more spacious than the Laura, it’s the latter than has better ride quality, especially over broken tarmac where Civic seems to bounce around. The new civic is an extremely smart looking car. In fact, it looks much better than the older generation car, with the nice rear spoiler. The new-gen Laura, however, doesn’t look as spectacular in comparison, externally. But that said, the Laura is a much better car — the overall packaging is far superior, the engine is far more impressive. Yes, it’s a tad bit pricier than the Honda Civic. But then, the best always comes with a price tag, doesn’t it?
