The Rapid happens to be Skoda’s most popular car in India, for it is their largest-selling model. It has shared parts and most of the tech from its German counterpart – the Volkswagen Vento since its launch in 2011. However, compared to other models in the segment, the Rapid hasn’t really made its mark. In 2016, it received an all-important cosmetic update, came fitted a more powerful diesel engine and what made it all the more attractive was the longer list of equipment. The car has been renowned for its build quality, ownership experience and good driving dynamics.

Specifications

The Skoda Rapid has a lot of fans for the way it looks, and understandably so. It boasts of clean lines all over with subtle design cues. At the front, it gets the ‘butterfly’ honeycomb grille which is flanked by a pair of rectangular projector headlamps with DRLs. The front bumper gets a sharp outline, which gives it a more squared look. On the sides, there are absolutely no changes. But the alloy wheels sport a new design. At the rear, it gets a boot-lip spoiler, a reworked bumper and revised tail light clusters. In terms of dimensions, the Rapid is 4413mm in length, 1699mm in width and 1466mm in height. The wheelbase stretches across at 2552mm. We drove the diesel-engined version and found the performance to be brisk with a strong mid-range, though there is some turbo lag. The DSG gearbox is loads of fun and is very practical for cities like ours. The Rapid is very confidence-inspiring at high speeds, and the ride quality is excellent. It soaks in bumps rather effortlessly. Around corners, the Rapid grips the tarmac. The steering weighs up nicely and the brakes provide good bite. In terms of specifications, it gets a 1598cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 104bhp and 153Nm of torque and a 1498cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine that makes 109bhp and 250Nm of torque. Paired to both engines is a 5-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The engine is BSIV compliant. Also, the base-spec trim weighs in at 1111kgs.

Mileage

The Skoda Rapid has a fuel tank capacity of 55 litres. In terms of mileage, the petrol model is capable of returning 15.41kmpl while the diesel model returns 21.13kmpl by ARAI, in BSVI guise.

Features

Inside, it gets a dual-tone dashboard. The steering, handbrake and gearknob are wrapped in leather. The build, fit and finish are great, just like any German car. The steering feels nice to hold. It gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system that gets MirrorLink tech that syncs your phone with various apps. The seats are very comfortable, both at the front and rear. At 460 litres, boot space is massive. Features include cruise control, 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, footwell lighting, remote boot release, electric folding wing mirrors and rain-sensing wipers. On the safety front, it is equipped with dual airbags, ESC, reverse parking sensors and ABS.

Colours

The Skoda Rapid is sold in six shades: Brilliant Silver, Cappuccino Beige, Flash Red, Candy White, Carbon Steel and Lapiz Blue . The paint quality and finish for all the shades is excellent. We particularly found Flash Red to be the most striking of all colours, but the one that’s sure to be a hit among Indian car buyers is Brilliant Silver.

Brochure

All the details regarding the Skoda Rapid – namely, the engine, specifications, variant-wise equipment, colours, dimensions, interiors and exterior details are extensively covered in the company’s model brochure.

Variants and Prices

As of early 2020, the Skoda Rapid is available in eighteen variants. The price for the base Active 1.6 MPI variant is ₹ 8.82 lakh, the price for the Active 1.5 TDI variant is ₹ 10.06 lakh, the price for the Onyx 1.6 MPI LE variant is ₹ 9.76 lakh, the price for the Ambition 1.6 MPI variant is ₹ 9.99 lakh, the price for the Ambition 1.6 MPI AT variant is ₹ 10 lakh, the price for the Onyx 1.6 MPI AT LE variant is ₹ 11 lakh, the price for the Style 1.6 MPI variant is ₹ 11.16 lakh, the price for the Ambition 1.5 TDI variant is ₹ 11.3 lakh, the price for the Monte Carlo 1.6 MPI MT variant is ₹ 11.4 lakh, the price for the Onyx 1.5 TDI LE variant is ₹ 11.59 lakh, the price for the Style 1.6 MPI AT variant is ₹ 12.44 lakh, the price for the Ambition 1.5 TDI variant is ₹ 12.5 lakh, the price for the Monte Carlo 1.6 MPI AT variant is ₹ 12.7 lakh, the price for the Style 1.5 TDI variant is ₹ 12.74 lakh, the price for the Onyx 1.5 TDI AT LE variant is ₹ 12.74 lakh, the price for the Monte Carlo 1.5 TDI MT variant is ₹ 13 lakh, the price for the Style 1.5 TDI AT variant is ₹ 14 lakh, and the price for the Monte Carlo 1.5 TDI AT variant is ₹ 14.26 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). The variant-wise on-road prices are available at autoX.

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