Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance

Skoda India is one of the most highly acclaimed car makers in the Indian car market with some of the most scintillating and marvelous vehicles in its fearsome stable. This company is the fully owned subsidiary of the international luxury car maker Skoda Auto, which is based in the Czech Republic. The Indian ancillary has more than a few different vehicles in the Indian car market since a long time now, which are doing incredible business for them. Almost all their automobiles in the market have spacious interiors and have been integrated with some of the most impressive and superior comfort and safety aspects. The company has done a lot of research along with putting in a lot of hard work to make their vehicles marvelous across all the international car markets. The company has always been striving hard to give the Indian customers, some of the best cars in the most competitive price they can afford. One such brilliant sedan series in their model lineup is the Skoda Rapid model lineup. There are a quite a few options in the variants and also to choose from a petrol or diesel engine based variants. The cars made by this automotive manufacturer are known for their arresting looks and powerful engines across all the global car markets and are doing very well in terms of sales. Apart from cars, spares and car accessories, the company also has their own service centers, wherein all their cars are serviced and repaired. Their after sales service and customer care is said to be among the best in the country. This latest series have a few trims to choose from, out of which is the top end petrol engine based variant called Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance. This premium sedan has a well balanced mix of interesting comfort and safety functions. The company has fitted this premium sedan with a commanding and fuel efficient power train. This Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance comes equipped with a 1.6 L, Multi Port Injection (MPI) fuel supply system based power train. This premium sedan has some significant comfort and safety features like front and rear fog lamps, ABS with brake assist, driver front airbag, door open indicator, engine immobilizer with a floating code, remote controlled lock and unlock of doors as well as opening and closing of windows with a foldable key. Then this premium sedan also has a powerful Climatronic, which is an automatic air conditioning unit with electronic regulation of cabin temperature, an advanced music system for incredible in-cabin ambience and many more such functions. All these features put together has made this latest Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance variant, one of the safest and admired sedans in the country’s automobile market.

Exteriors:

This top end Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance variant has a sturdy body structure with a spectacular bodyline. The overall design is sleek and this sedan has a smooth and flowing side profile, which makes it look charismatic. The front fascia of this New Skoda Rapid is enigmatic and yet looks cultured with chrome trim and surround on the radiator grille, which is flanked by a set of large headlights that are fitted with powerful halogen lamps. The front body colored bumper has been neatly designed and is fitted with a couple of bright fog lamps, which assists in giving a better vision for the driver. The side profile has body colored outside rear view mirrors along with body colored door handles that add to the beauty of the sides.This top end Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance variant has been equipped with a stylish set of modish 15 inch Antares light alloy wheels of size, 6.0 J x 15 inches. These elegant alloy rims have been fitted with muscular tubeless radial tyres of size 185/60 R15, which makes these tyres look smart and well dressed. The B-Pillars on both the sides have high quality gloss black décor, which adds to the elegance of this premium sedan. The rear end of this premium sedan has a bright and lively tail lamp cluster, while the rear windscreen has been integrated with a defogger that has a timer as well. The boot lid is compact in comparison with its bigger siblings with a curvy and sleek look to it, while a large Skoda badge has been embossed in the center of this boot lid. The rear body colored bumper has a clean appearance to it and has rear fog lamps apart from the tail lamp cluster and also a high level LED third brake light for added visibility to the other cars. The company is offering this top end Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance trim is being offered in several glossy and metallic exterior paint options for the customers to select from. The list includes colors like subtle and elegant silver finish, a glowing and brilliant candy white metallic finish, a glitzy flash red option, a very subtle cappuccino beige metallic finish and also a majestic deep black pearl option as well. This premium sedan is quite spacious with sufficient legroom along with apt shoulder and head space for accommodating five passengers with no trouble. The overall dimensions of this Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance variant are rather striking with an overall length of 4386mm and a total width of 1699mm, which makes it quite liberal. Apart from these, the total height of this premium sedan is about 1466mm and it also has a roomy wheelbase of 2552mm. This elegant premium sedan has a prominent minimum ground clearance of 168mm along with a spacious boot, which can accommodate close to 460 litres of luggage. The total kerb weight of this luxury sedan is approximately 1180 kgs and it also has a large fuel tank that has a capacity to take in 55 litres of petrol in it.

Interiors:

The interiors of this premium sedan has been done up with flamboyance and the company has included quite a number of lavis aspects inside it. The features include a classy ivory interior scheme with dual tone Mocca and Ivory based front dash board that runs into the door panels as well. The central console is in Mocca finish and the seating arrangement is extremely comfortable and is covered with premium Ivory upholstery. The interior door handles are finished in chrome, while the front center console, the gear shift selector as well as the locking button of the hand brake and the steering wheel are all finished in chrome, which adds to the classiness of this premium sedan. The air conditioner vents and duct sliders also get some chrome treatment adding to the impressive interior concept of this sedan. All these and many more such other aspects make this premium sedan, one of the most remarkable sedan to drive in.

Engine and Performance:

The company has fitted this top end Skoda Rapid Elegance petrol variant with a 1.6 litre petrol drive train, which has a liquid cooling system and four cylinders and 16 valves along with a DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) with transverse in front. This authoritative 1598cc petrol mill has the ability to give out a peak power output of 102.9 Bhp at 5250 Rpm along with a maximum torque yield of 153 Nm at 3800 Rpm, which is rather pertinent for the Indian traffic conditions. This power packed petrol mill has been skillfully coupled with a fully synchronized 5-speed manual transmission gearbox for efficient and smooth gear shifts. This powerful 1.6 litre in-line petrol engine has a multi port injection, which helps in enhancing the fuel efficiency of this premium sedan. The company claims that this petrol engine based Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance trim can generate a mileage of approximately 15 kmpl, when driven under standard conditions, which is fairly good enough for its segment. The mileage might differ on highways, which can be more than the mileage that is attained in the city and also depends on the driver. This elegant sedan has been fitted with a power packed engine and has a remarkable pickup. This petrol mill can propel this graceful premium sedan from 0 – 100kmph in approximately 12.4 seconds. While, on the other hand, this commanding petrol drive train can attain a top speed in the range of 170 to 185 kmpl, which is quite remarkable.

Braking and Handling:

This premium sedan has been bestowed with an efficient braking mechanism along with a sturdy and muscular suspension system. The braking system of this impressive sedan is a hydraulic dual diagonal circuit that is vacuum assisted as well for enhanced braking. with front wheels getting disc brakes, which have inner cooling with a single piston floating caliper. While the rear wheels have been integrated with drum brakes for proficient braking, this premium sedan also has an advanced anti lock braking system with dual rate brake assist for enhanced braking effectiveness. The formidable suspension system of this premium sedan, Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance variant has been made meticulously to give the passengers a trouble free drive. The sturdy suspension of this premium sedan is a McPherson Strut with lower triangular links as well as a torsion stabilizer for the front axle, while the rear axle has been equipped with a robust compound link crank axle.

Safety Features:

The company has integrated this top end premium sedan with quite a number of safety and security features. The list includes a power steering for smoother maneuvering of this sedan in heavy traffic conditions as well. Other features include height adjustable seat belts for the front and rear seats, a rough road package, child-proof rear door and window locking, automatic fuel supply cut off in case of a crash, an engine immobilizer with a floating code system, a security code for the music system, a pair of remote control foldable keys, remote lock and unlock of all doors and boot compartment along with opening and closing of all the windows, drive and front co-passenger air bags for enhanced protection and numerous other such safety features.

Comfort Feature:

This top end trim Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI Elegance has been integrated with quite a lot of utility and comfort features. The list of these features comprise of a height adjustable driver seat, front and rear center armrests, height and length adjustable power steering wheel, an integrated Skoda 2-DIN audio system with a large format display along with front and rear speakers, SD/MMC data card reader and also AUX-In input functions, a highly developed Multi function display (MFD) of Travelling time, Distance travelled, Average speed, Immediate consumption, Average consumption, Travel distance before refuelling, Service interval, Outside temperature, Clock, a powerful Climatronic, which is an automatic air conditioning unit with electronic regulation of cabin temperature, which has dust and pollen filter for fresh in-cabin air circulation, adjustable dual rear AC vents that are placed on the rear centre console, electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors, all tinted power windows with the driver window having one touch automatic operation with an anti pinch system, a rear center lamp and reading spot lamps at the front and the rear, luggage compartment illumination, front sun visors along with vanity mirror in the left sun visor, an acoustic signal if the lights are left on and also a remote boot release and several such utility and practical comfort features, which will certainly amaze the buyers.

Pros:Graceful exteriors, lavish and incredible interiors, advanced comfort and safety features.

Cons:High cost of ownership, mileage can be better.