New Skoda Rapid facelift launched

Words by Yash Sunil

Skoda India has launched the facelifted version of the Rapid, with prices starting at Rs. 8.34 lakh (ex-showroom Maharashtra). Skoda has followed the crystalline design theme which is seen on the Octavia and Superb already. The exterior is tweaked with an all new bumper design couple with the traditional butterfly grille and new LEDs incorporated into the head lights. The sedan also gets the new upgraded diesel engine from the Volkswagen Ameo TDI.

On the interiors front, the Rapid now gets a dual tone ebony sand interior and some extra chrome bits. The top spec variant gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Mirrorlink connectivity, cruise control, rear air-con vents and a cooled glove box. There are ten trim choices to choose from as well. The boot capacity is decent too, at 460litres.

The Rapid now gets a new 1.5-litre diesel engine churning out 108bhp and 250Nm of torque. The other engine on offer is the 1.6-litre petrol that produces 103bhp and 153Nm of torque and is carried forward from the earlier variant of the car. Both the engines can be had mated to the 7-speed DSG automatic or a 5-speed manual. On the safety aspect the Rapid comes with dual airbags with ABS as standard and the top variant receives parking sensors and ESP.

Available in three different variants: Style, Active and Ambition, the headlight and the grille have been carried over from the Fabia (of which the sedan variant is sold as Rapid in the international markets). The Rapid  goes up against the likes of Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, the Volkswagen Vento, Fiat Linea and the Hyundai Verna.

Prices (ex-showroom Maharashtra):

Petrol:

Active: Rs. 8.34 lakh

Ambition (M): Rs. 9.26 lakh

Ambition (A): Rs 10.38 Lakh

Style (M): Rs. 10.44 Lakh

Style (A): Rs. 11.46 Lakh

Diesel:

Active: Rs. 9.57 Lakh

Ambition (M): Rs. 10.47 Lakh

Ambition (A): Rs. 11.71 Lakh

Style (M): Rs. 11.66 Lakh

Style (A): Rs. 12.78 Lakh