Skoda Rapid

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Skoda India has launched its latest invent “Skoda Rapid” residing in the C-Segment. With Skoda India having presence in most of the car segments, the company has made one more addition in sedan car segment by launching the all new smoking hot Skoda Rapid. This latest entry in the fleet of Skoda India is a startling resemblance to its sibling Volkswagen’s Vento. Skoda Rapid incorporates the same engine as added in VW Vento i.e. 1.6L petrol/diesel added with dual transmission modes (Auto/Manual).

Skoda Rapid boasts of offering good competition to other cars present in this segment. The Skoda Rapid price at Rs 6.75 lakh for the base petrol variant will act as a spark for the sales of the sedan and stir the competition within the C segment sedan cars in India. After the last launch of Skoda Yeti – in the SUV segment, “Skoda Rapid” is marching forward now in Skoda’s parade. Skoda India has installed some high-end tech specs in Skoda Rapid making it a milestone in sedan car segment. So sit tight for a whole new riding experience with “Skoda Rapid”.

Skoda Auto started its operations in India as Skoda Auto India Pvt. Ltd in November 2001. In India, the company is currently selling following car models - Skoda Laura, Skoda Fabia (manufactured in India) and Skoda Superb, Skoda Yeti (Imported) with Skoda Octavia model discontinued in 2010. It is a known fact that Skoda India never compromises on comfort, technology and looks, and this time also it is evident that they have delivered a mind-suiting eye candy. The Czech carmaker seems to be on the track to further revolutionize India with Skoda Rapid. Rapid is being built at the company’s Chakan facility in Pune and Indian will remain the manufacturing hub for Rapid.  

Skoda Rapid comes in both petrol as well as the diesel variants. The diesel Skoda Rapid is powered with 1.6 litre of TDi with 1598 cc displacement unit that produces 105 PS of power along with 250 Nm of torque. On the other hand, the petrol variant of Skoda Rapid comes with 1.6 litre-1598 cc of MPI unit, which churns out 105 PS of power together with 153 Nm of torque. This engine is more powerful than rival Honda City which displaces only 1497 cc under its hood. The diesel version has 5 speed manual gearbox whereas the petrol version has a choice of 6 speed automatic gearbox with a 5 speed manual standard gearbox option. Skoda Rapid petrol boasts of delivering 12-14 kmpl from the automatic version. The Diesel engine might get you 13.4 kmpl under extreme driving conditions; while around 16 kmpl will be possible in routine running.

Being positioned in the premium car category, Skoda has pitched in an aggressive strategy with Rapid in order to capture the market. With the superior branding and a sales backup of Skoda Fabia and Skoda Laura, the Czech carmaker will experience less effort in popularizing its new sedan Skoda Rapid. Helping this is this fact, that all the parts are highly localized because of the platform sharing with parent company Volkswagen. Besides, the diesel engine on board comes as a added advantage for Rapid in a scenario when petrol prices are too volatile to handle and when rival Honda City is available only in petrol.

Skoda Rapid has prominent exteriors and plush interiors. Skoda Rapid shares a striking similarity with its cousin sedan, Volkswagen Vento. Skoda Rapid has solid and rich exteriors and the emblematic nose accompanied with huge stretched headlamps making it look more delightful. The centre grille of the sedan has a chrome band, which runs all around it together with the traditional Skoda slats in black color placed just under the band. Well, this is absolutely cop pasted from Skoda Fabia. The new sedan also sports a brand new bonnet that has a little pouted design. Massive fog lamps and the front bumper with slot in air dams are decently placed wide and low. The rest of the side profile and beltline of Skoda Rapid is also quite similar to Volkswagen Vento. The waistline of the sedan is very sophisticated and decent. Now the rear part of Skoda Rapid incorporates new tail lamps accompanied with a C shaped glow on brake lamps. The angular press is given to the boot lid, which looks like two dents on either side of registration plates making the back of the Rapid look much different and distinct from Volkswagen Vento. The rear bumper appears to be more clean and chic; rear parking sensors upgrades the quality. In all the exterior of Skoda Rapid are excellent in their own way, despite being similar to Volkswagen Vento.

The interiors of Rapid too are plush and classy and give a tough fight to its rivals in India. The light and dark beige colored dash board sports all advanced equipments including instrument cluster, glove box, music system and air conditioning. The air conditioner also has automatic climate control feature. The 4 spoke steering with telescopic adjustments is clad in leather with chrome insert. The new sedan adorns instrument panel that has green back light, with green needles and tell it all tale trip computer in middle that comprise of clock, DTE (Distance to empty), digital fuel meter and trip meters. Skoda Rapid’s center console is placed slightly at an angle towards driver.

On the safety front, Skoda Rapid has two airbags for the driver and the front passenger besides Anti-lock Braking System, front fog lamps and Electronic BrakeForce Distribution finding a place in Rapid. Engine Immobilizer, Height adjustable 3 point seat belts, high stop LED center brake lights are other features in Skoda Rapid. However, not all variants carry the above mentioned features. Among the comfort features, Rapid features an adjustable power steering, internally adjustable ORVMs with power fold feature, central locking, power windows, adjustable front seats, music system with MP3 and FM integrated with four speakers. The audio player can be protected by a security code.

Overall, Skoda rapid is a decent offering with competitive pricing and can create a lot of action in the C-segment cars. Symbolizing Skoda’s brand value – “Simply Clever”, the Rapid is ideal for the Indian streets with an attractive design, ample space, excellent safety equipment and modern proven technology. With this offering, Rapid is expected to become the cornerstone for brand Skoda in India.

Editor's take : The Rapid shares its engines with the Vento, hence the fuel efficiency is similar. The diesel is highly efficient, while the petrol has been tuned for better fuel economy.

Skoda Rapid is available in two trims-Petrol and Diesel engine options. Though there is no official confirmation regarding mileage and fuel economy of Skoda Rapid but based on engine configuration it is expected that Rapid petrol can be expected to deliver 12-14 kmpl from the automatic version. The manual version can deliver 12 kmpl in the city and 16 kmpl on the highways . The Diesel engine might get you 13.4 kmpl under extreme driving conditions; while around 16 kmpl will be possible for it in routine running.

Editor's take : The power produced by the petrol and diesel engines is the same on paper, but the performance of the diesel is much better.

Engine similar to Volkswagen Vento is doing its duty for powering the new Skoda car – Rapid and thus one can find the same 1.6L diesel and a 1.6L petrol engine with similar displacement under the bonnet of Skoda Rapid. The diesel motor is able to churn 105 Ps of power at 4400 rpm and a maximum torque of 250 Nm at 1500-2500 rpm . On the other hand, the petrol car has a maximum power of 105 Ps at 5250 rpm and a maximum torque of 153Nm at 3800 rpm . The engine power of Skoda Rapid will be transferred to the wheels with the help of a five speed manual gearbox. A six speed automatic transmission option is also available on two petrol models.

These colors are available with all variants of Skoda Rapid

Editor's take : The acceleration of the petrol and diesel are good, especially the diesel. The latter is definitely the most the fuel-efficient one.

The Rapid gets superior and effortless acceleration and faster pick up due to the powerful engine producing phenomenal torque. An acceleration of 0 – 100 kmph is claimed to reach in 12.4 seconds . The manual gearbox also adds to the smoother acceleration of the car. The diesel powered Skoda Rapid acceleration is little less than the petrol one but it is said to be smoother in the city due to its high torque at low rpm. The adrenaline pumping is done by the automatic petrol variant. The petrol and diesel Rapid cars are expected to have a top speed of around 170kmph-185 kmph .

View Skoda Rapid Exterior Pictures

Skoda Rapid’s distinctly fresh, young, smart and clear-cut design makes Rapid a well-balanced car and therefore successfully fills the gap between Skoda Fabia and the current Skoda Laura. Skoda Rapid exteriors have been designed keeping in view the expectations of Indians for their cars especially a sedan. Despite the fact that Skoda Rapid shares the same heart with Volkswagen Vento, it incorporates some features which make it look tad different from the Vento. Rather, a very noticeable part in the Skoda Rapid is its resemblance to Skoda Fabia from the front. The stretched headlamps looks similar to Fabia but are actually a bit varied and no panel has been divvied up with the Fabia and are larger than the latter’s. The swept back headlamps are aerodynamically designed with halogen lighting and can be manually leveled.  The grille resembles typical Skoda’s face which has done duty since ages now, while the horizontal forms making the Rapid feel the gravity. The centre grille also has a chrome strip that runs across the front and the typical Skoda spines in black under the band forms the exemplary nose for the Rapid. There is also a prominent and wide air dam on the lower half of the front body color bumper. The square-shaped fog lamps also dressing the front are similar to those found on the Fabia, when viewed head on.

The side profile on the Rapid is very similar to the VW Vento and the waistline can be accorded as very elegant and pleasing. Tinted window frames , body colored door handles, a roof antenna and body color wing mirrors, now becoming very common features in a sedan adorns the mid (Skoda Rapid Ambition) and top (Skoda Rapid Elegance) variants. There is a gloss-black décor on the B pillar of door. The rear quarter glass that is nicely angled on the Skoda Rapid is inspired from VW Vento. The Rapid sports 5-spoke alloy wheels, representing typical Skoda in design and not matching the Vento’s 7-spoke alloy wheels. The base variant is devoid of alloy and manages steel wheels.

The rear of the Rapid receives a pair of refreshed tail lamps that have a kind of `C` glow on the brake lamps when in action. High level LED is used in the third brake lights. The rear windscreen gets defogger with timer. The boot lid gets an angular press, looking like two dents on prism shaped insertions; on both sides of the number plates rendering the rear a different look.  The rear bumper with a clean appearance has the rear park sensors that have become a norm in this segment. Overall, Skoda Rapid has classy and elegant exteriors . In order to distinguish it from its hatchback junior, Skoda Rapid has been designed afresh however, people may find some similarity with its hatchback junior Fabia.

Exterior Measurements

As it is based on the Indian needs, Skoda Rapid is compact in size so that it can easily maneuver through even the busiest streets in India. The Rapid is positioned as a family car, compact enough for the city and spacious enough for longer trips. It is more than four meters in length and is with a ground clearance of 168 mm and has a turning circle radius of 10.6 m. The dimensions are as follows: length of the car- 4386mm, width 1699mm, height 1466mm, and wheelbase of 2552mm.

Editor's take : Build quality, touch and feel of the plastics on the Rapid are good and live upto Skoda’s brand expectations. The space is also sufficient in both the rows and even the boot is large. The only thing, we wish was added are the extra bells and whistles.

Skoda Rapid caters to Indians and the interiors fulfill all desires of an upper-middle class buyer. At a starting price of Rs 6.75 lakh, one can’t expect Skoda to stuff lush and plush interiors akin to its senior premium sedan offerings; however, still Skoda Rapid interiors are highly comfortable and satisfying. The sad part is that the interiors are more or less Vento-ish. The dashboard, switch gear, aircon vents, climate control unit, power windows switches and pretty much everything else is a straight lift out of the VW’s Vento.

The Rapid acquires a nice dark and light beige colored dash board rendering an airy feel to the passengers. The leather wrapped steering wheel is a four spoke affair with a chrome insert on it rendering a rich look. Height and telescopic adjustment features in steering are standard on all the variants of Rapid. Some parts such as the steering wheel, instrument cluster and audio system are found to be carried over from the Fabia also. The highly informative instrument cluster has two dials reflecting green back light from within. Inside the dials, the green lit needles add to the charm of instrument panel. The entire tell-tale trip computer in the middle includes the digital fuel meter, clock, distance to empty (DTE) and trip meters . There’s a nice chrome strip around the center console that gives a gracious feel to the equipment control. The slightly angled center console not only helps the driver to focus but also adorns the dashboard beautifully. The horn which is not from Volkswagen, nor sounds like the typical Skoda tone, is bit of a disappointment compared to the erstwhile Skoda Octavia.

The AC vents can be opened and closed individually. A single MP3/CD with radio unit with AUX socket, 4 speakers comes with the top end Skoda Rapid Elegance. Under the music system is the single zone climate control unit. Automatic climate control is present on the top-end Elegance model. A 12 V power socket in centre console increases the usability and practicality of Rapid. The gear shifter on the Rapid automatic and the manual gets different gear stalk as compared to the VW Vento. The large sized glove -box in Rapid gets a shutter constructed of superior plastic. Dust and pollen filter and electrically adjustable ORVMs are fixed in Rapid.

Safety and comfort besides feature-rich interiors will be a plus point for Skoda Rapid. It has a seating capacity for five people with seats having lumbar support. The upholstery on the Rapid Elegance is decent and light colored material is used for the seats. The driver’s seat is provided with height adjustment and a height adjusting center arm rest with a little bit of storage space beneath is also added. The front seats are comfortable and well cushioned while the rear seats get a firm cushioning, a foldable center arm rest and height adjustable headrests. The ergo-lever behind the front seat allows the front passenger seat to move forward from the rear. The rear passengers can enjoy two AC vents that are placed behind the center console in between the front two seats. The Rapid interiors look mesmerizing with manual dimming inside mirror, reading centre lights in front and reading spot lamps at rear along with illumination of luggage compartment. The Rapid has a lot of cubbyholes and storage bins spread throughout the cabin area. The door pads sports bottle holders in the front and the rear. The Skoda Rapid cabin made of very high quality plastics and switches/knobs etc gives a nice bright feel.

Interior Comfort

Skoda Rapid takes care of the interior comfort part well as it has been created keeping the Indian customer in mind and marks Skoda’s entry in the extremely important C segment. In order to make it conditioned to Indian roads, Skoda has put in some stunning comfort features inside Skoda Rapid. In all, it is much spacious with comfortable seating for five people and an armrest for driver as well as in the middle of the rear seats. The arm rest serves the purpose for giving comfort at shifting gears but if one wants to keep both the hands on the steering wheel, he will have to raise the position of the arm rest. The front seats and rear seats are comfortable and well cushioned. Height adjustable headrests are given for seats. Besides, there will also be adjustable driver seat with lumbar support. Outside mirrors get electric adjustments on all models. A multi-function display (MFD) giving information about travelling time, distance travelled, average speed, immediate consumption, average consumption, travel distance before refueling, service interval, outside temperature and clock does it s duty.

There is power and height adjusting steering wheel which also has length-adjustment facility. All power windows are anti-pinch windows with one touch up/down but the Rapid does not feature auto lock. Even the co-passenger cannot lock or unlock the vehicle from their door although this feature is present in the Vento. The rear passengers will also get 2 manually adjustable AC vents placed on the rear center console in between the front two seats. The Rapid gets reading/cabin lights in the front and rear. The front passenger seat can be pushed forward from the rear using the ergo-lever on the front seat. The boot lid can be released by a remote control. Cup-holders are present in front and rear with flip frame. However there are no steering mounted audio controls or USB functionality even though the Vento has these features. Bounce-back system, tinted windows and windscreen do their bits in providing comfort to the passengers.

Interior Measurements

The rear seat has decent legroom and the rear passenger can extend it by simply adjusting the front seat from the rear seat by an ergo-lever. The hump in the center prevents a fifth passenger from sitting in comfortably at the rear seats. Head room at the rear is just about adequate for tall passenger. However, the boot space is 460 liters and is more than adequate. Despite its compact size, Skoda Rapid has enough headroom, legroom and shoulder room at the front and even for the rear passengers.

Editor's take : The 1.6-litre diesel engine of the Rapid is far superior to its petrol brethren in performance and fuel efficiency. The power delivery is linear and it is fun to drive in the city or the highway. We recommend the diesel version of the Rapid for its sheer pleasure and economy.

The Skoda Rapid is gestated by a 4 cylinder power-plant lineup similar to its cousin-the VW Vento. Talking about the Skoda Rapid engine specifications, two engine types are on the offer-petrol and diesel. The Diesel Skoda Rapid variant machinery is powered by a 1.6 litre TDi unit that makes 105 PS of power @ 4400 rpm with 250 Nm of torque @1500-2500 rpm on it while the Skoda Petrol Rapid variant gets a 1.6 litre MPI unit that also makes 105 PS of power @ 5250 rpm but produces different torque of 153 Nm @ 3800 rpm on tap. This engine also does its duty in Skoda Fabia and VW Polo. The engines follow BSIV emission norms. The diesel engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox while the petrol guise gets the automatic 6 speed transmission with Tiptronic manual gear changing option along with a 5 speed manual one. Both the engines having 16 valves in total are placed transversely in front confirming that Skoda Rapid runs on a front wheel drive.

The turbocharged TDi unit is highly refined and the in-cabin insulation is really good. The gear shift is knavish and precise however, gear ratios are found to be slightly different to that of the Volkswagen Vento’s. Power delivery on the Diesel Skoda Rapid is quicker and has a linear spirit to it. The overall driving experience will be composed and the Rapid feels calm and relaxed while turning at sharp bends. At 1600 rpm, the diesel guise takes ultimate pick-up with 3 passengers and has enough punch right upto the 5000 rpm. This suggests that most of the power lies in the middle and more so in the high end of the rev meter. Not much downshifts are needed while driving the Skoda Rapid diesel. The diesel engine is the complete show-stopper and completely overshadows its petrol counterpart. An automatic version on the diesel variant also may come in future.

The 1.6 litre MPI petrol Skoda Rapid also has a good refinement level on it. Apart from the 5 speed manual gearbox, the 6 speed automatic gearbox is quite savvy and ratios nicely spaced out, you also have a manual tiptronic option on it just for those who want to be in command of the gear shifting.

The sideline of Skoda Rapid looks amazing with 5-spoke alloy wheels , which are typical Skoda in design, unlike the 7-spoke alloys in Vento. The Rapid drives on 185/60 R15 Apollo Acelere tyres. However, the Skoda Rapid Active comes fitted with 14” steel wheels with Comoros full wheel cover. Dual rate Brake assist and ABS ensures less wear and tear of tyres and instant braking system.

Editor's take : The ride on the Rapid is a tad stiff, but most of the road shocks are filtered out. The Rapid lives up to the Skoda badge in the handling department. The well-balanced chassis of the Rapid makes it joy to drive around bends, and even the response from the steering wheel is good as it weighs up well.

Breaking on the Skoda Rapid Diesel and Skoda Rapid Petrol is precise and spot on, aided by ABS and Brake Assist that ensures that things fall in place. The front wheels of Skoda Rapid come with Disc Brakes while its rear wheels have drum brakes. The brake dust on the alloy wheels will personify the hard work the brakes had put through on Skoda Rapid. Experts suggests that the ride on Skoda Rapid is stiffer at low speeds over broken roads but gradually soften up as one got to speed on the highways.  

The Suspension setup on the Rapid is also a bit different as compared to the Vento. Front MacPherson strut suspension with stabilizer bar and rear semi-independent type trailing arm shocker suspensions are used in Skoda Rapid. The suspension soaks up most of the seiches on the road with only the major jerks being felt inside the cabin. Decent ground clearance keeps most of the humps at bay with the chassis only scraping over-the-board speed-breakers. Skoda cars are known for built quality and handling and the Rapid is a childsplay. In this case, as already mentioned, the Rapid is technically a Vento in Skoda guise as both share the same underpinnings, engine and gearbox.

The power steering has shed some weight compared to Vento, making it more practical for city chores. Both its length and height can be easily adjusted. Skoda Rapid manages to take high speed turns with reassuring confidence and does fairly well on the twisting roads. The new sedan comes powered with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) along with Electronic BrakeForce Distribution system and dual rate brake assist .

Editor's take : The Rapid gets dual airbags and ABS in the top of the line variant.

The Skoda Rapid gets driver and passenger airbags, ABS and Brake Assist, Engine Immobilizer, Height adjustable 3 point seat belts, high stop LED center brake lights as standard equipment in top end Elegance. Seeing that audio player is the main equipment susceptible to theft, the car maker has locked it with a security code in this model. However, Skoda is offering ABS and driver side airbag on the Ambition variant, which is a very smart move. In addition, Rapid Ambition also gets front and rear fog lamps and dual rate Brake assists along with remote control functions on foldable keys, doors, windows and boot lid. Talking about Skoda Rapid the safety features in base Active variant, one would get high-level LED third brake light, Anti-glare interior rear view mirror, a defogger with timer on rear windshield, two 3-point outer seatbelt and centre lap belt at rear in addition to 3-point seatbelts at front, rough road package, child-proof rear door and rear window locking, door-ajar warning indicator, emergency triangle in the luggage compartment and dual tone horn. Engine immobilizer with floating code and central door locking is also added as security features in Skoda Rapid.

Editor's take : The Rapid gets a music system, alloy wheels in the range topper.

The base variant of Skoda Rapid has aftermarket audio preparation 1-DIN audio system with 2 speakers, cable and connector . 2 DIN Skoda audio player with radio unit is housed on the dash of high-end Elegance variant. This unit also has an AUX socket doing its duty. A total of four speakers –front and rear do their duties on this variant. SD-MMC data card reader is also provided for more entertainment options for Skoda Rapid audio system. In top-end Skoda Rapid the audio player can be locked by a security code.

A 12 V power socket in centre console increases the usability and practicality of Rapid. The Rapid has a lot of storage bins spread across the cabin area, door pads get bottle holders on the front and the rear. Front and rear cup-holders with flip frame lend space for keeping liquid dishes. The rear parcel shelf is given but it is quite high owing to which one can’t turn around to see during reversing. There are folding roof handles and a coat hook is affixed on rear roof handles and B-Pillars. Vanity mirror in front left sun visor and retaining strip on driver sun visor is present. Storage compartment in centre console and rear armrest is also given. Lights-on acoustic signal and storage pockets on backrest of front seats in Skoda Rapid Elegance are further accessories in Skoda Rapid.