Skoda Laura 2.0 TDI

This engine has a lot going for it. It’s a 1968cc twin-cam unit, breathing through 16 valves (the 1.9 was an 8-valve unit) and making 32.6kgm of torque at 1750rpm. Thanks to the extra torque (7kgm more than the 1.9-litre engine), achieving three-digit cruising speeds is easy and staying there is easier. The engine, which drones intrusively when you accelerate hard, settles down to a barely audible hum, it’s right in the middle of its torque band and there’s just a hint of tyre noise intruding in the cabin. Overtaking is easy, the DSG ’box snaps up lower ratios almost as soon as you ask for downshifts, and the effortless gait that the car settles into makes it feel more locomotive than automobile. Thanks to this, the Laura covers ground rapidly, and feels comfortable right up to its maximum velocity. It’ll hit 100kph in 11.07 seconds, which is just 0.2sec faster than the 1.9-litre engine, and we expect the figures to improve considerably once the car is fully run-in. The downside of this engine is the considerable amounts of lag you get at lower speeds. The lack of response makes you mash the throttle pedal to the floor, and the abrupt burst of power makes it difficult to drive smoothly and makes it difficult to judge overtaking in the city. And, despite being the top-of-the-line spec, there are no paddleshifts to help you work around the inherent lag.  Fuel economy is pretty good too. The Laura gave us 10.1kpl in the city and 14kpl on the highway.