Rapid 2011-2014 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus Alloy Review
One of the most acclaimed and very graceful fleet of sedans belongs to the reputed car maker, Skoda India in the Indian car market. Skoda India Pvt Ltd is the Indian subsidiary of the global luxury car maker Skoda Auto, which is situated in the Czech Republic. Their stable is full with some spectacular and elegant sedans, which are acclaimed globally for their powerful engines and luxuriant interiors. Their cars are blessed with spacious interiors and have been integrated with some highly developed and refined features. The company has put in a lot of hard work to make their sedans remarkable in all the international car markets. One such model series from their commendable stables is the New Skoda Rapid series, which has been doing very well since its launch in the Indian car market. This series is being offered in quite a few trims of petrol and diesel engine based variants. Among these is the Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus , which is one of their mid level variants. This variant is being offered in quite a number of smooth and lustrous exterior paint options for the customers to select from. The list includes metallic finish in colors like brilliant silver, candy white, flash red, cappuccino beige and a deep black pearl. This 2012 Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus is a remarkable combination of luxurious insides along with outstanding driving dynamics and a sturdy body structure. This premium sedan boasts to have all the needs and features, which any luxury sedan owner would want in their car.
Exteriors
The Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus trim has a solid and robust body structure with a stunning bodyline. The overall design is aerodynamic along with smooth and flowing sides which make it look captivating. The front façade is simply brilliant and yet looks refined with chrome treated radiator grille that is surrounded by a large meticulously cut out head light cluster, which is equipped with powerful lamps. The front body colored bumper has been integrated with a pair of dazzling fog lamps, which helps in enhanced visibility for the driver in bad weather conditions. The body colored external rear view mirrors that are placed on the side profile is well placed, while the neatly carved out wheel arches have been bestowed with a stylish new set of 14 inch steel wheels, which have ‘Comoros’ full wheel covers and are a delight to look at. The rear end of this Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plustrim has a lively and dazzling tail lamp cluster, while the rear windscreen has been integrated with a defogger that has an intelligent timer as well. The boot lid is compact in comparison with its bigger siblings with a curvy look to it, while a large Skoda insignia has been embedded in the center of the luggage compartment 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 that aids in easier spotting of this premium sedan for the other passengers. This New Skoda Rapid is quite spacious with ample leg room with apt shoulder and head space for accommodating five passengers effortlessly in it. The overall dimensions of this Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus trimare very impressive with an overall length of 4386mm and a total width of 1699mm, which makes it quite broad. Apart from these, the total height of this premium sedan is about 1466mm and it also has a roomy wheel base of 2552mm. This elegant sedan has a notable minimum ground clearance of 168mm along with a spacious boot, which can house close to 460 litres. The total kerb weight of this luxury sedan is approximately 1205 kgs and it also has a large fuel tank that has a capacity to take in 55 litres of diesel in it.
Interiors
The plush interiors of this Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus have been designed with élan, which gives a complete aristocratic feel once you step inside it. There is plenty of space and the roomy interiors ensure that the passengers get immense comfort and are relaxed all the time. The seating arrangement is quite luxurious with well cushioned seats that have ample leg room along with good head and shoulder space. The interior plastic and other surfaces are done up with high quality material, while the seats are covered with top quality ivory colored fabric. This premium sedan has been bestowed with a front as well as a rear seat arm rest as well for added comfort to the passengers. The interiors of this New Skoda Rapid have been given quite a few chrome elements inside it to make it look urbane and sophisticated. There is chrome décor for the interior door handles and then there is chrome finishing on the front central console, the gear shift selector as well as the locking button of the hand brake. There is a chrome trim on the AC vents as well as the duct sliders. Apart from all this, there are quite a few other storage options as well such as storage space and bottle holders in the front and rear doors and other storage spaces in the front centre console and below it as well, map pockets behind the front seats, then there are front and rear cup holders that have flip frames and a number of other such interesting and utility features that will make the customer extremely comfortable inside this premium sedan.
Engine and Performance
The dominating power train equipped in this 2012 Skoda Rapid Ambition Plus is a 1598cc turbocharged in-line diesel power plant with a liquid cooling system and a high pressure direct injection system with four cylinders and 16 valves dual over head cam shaft (DOHC) with transverse in front. This commanding 1.6 litre mill has the capacity to churn out a maximum power output of 102.9 Bhp at 4400 Rpm in combination with a hammering torque generation of 250 Nm at 1500 to 2500 Rpm, which is quite suitable for the Indian roads. This power packed diesel motor has been skillfully coupled with a fully synchronized 5-speed manual transmission gear box with efficient and smooth gear shifts. This dominant 1.6 L turbocharged direct injection (TDI) diesel engine has the ability to propel this premium sedan from 0-100 kmph in approximately 12.4 seconds and can also make this car achieve an impressive top speed in the range of 170 to 185 kmph. The Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus mileage is being claimed to be between 16 to 20 kmpl when driven under standard conditions, which is quite good for a sedan in this segment.
Braking and Handling
The braking system of this Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus trim is a hydraulic dual diagonal circuit that is vacuum assisted as well for enhanced braking. This premium sedan has been bestowed with an efficient braking mechanism 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 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
This latest 2012 Skoda Rapid has been equipped with some of the most advanced and highly developed safety features. These include an antilock braking system with a brake assist, halogen headlights with leveling, front and rear fog lamps, a high level third brake LED light, an internal anti glare rear view mirror, rear windshield with defogger, drive and front passenger airbag, height adaptable 3-point seat belts for the front and a couple of 3-point outer seat belts along with a center lap belt for the rear seats, a rough road package, child proof rear door and window locking, automatic fuel supply cut off in the event of an accident, dual tone warning horn, an engine immobilizer with a floating code system, a security code for the integrated 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 and numerous other such protective features.
Comfort Features
This Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Ambition Plus trim is the mid level variant in this model line and the company has given it quite a number of comfort features. The long list of these features include a height adjustable driver seat, front and rear center arm rests, 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 powerful manual air conditioning unit, 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 astound the customers.
Pros
Scintillating exteriors, luxuriant interiors, highly developed features, powerful engine.
Cons
Engine sound reduction, mileage can be improved.
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