25th September 2014 witnessed two great cars being launched and we are here with the 2nd launch of the day, After Mahindra Scorpio it’s now time for Skoda to launch New Rapid. Skoda is launching 2nd car for the month with the recently launched Yeti. New Skoda comes with new innovation in terms of transmission and exterior packages, so without wasting much time let’s see what’s so new about the New Rapid.
Price:
Price of new Skoda Rapid starts at Rs. 7.22 lakhs which is for the base variant it goes up to Rs. 10.97 lakhs (EX- showroom Delhi) which will take on its rivals Honda city, Volkswagen Vento and Hyundai Verna.
Engine Details:
New Skoda Rapid is available in both petrol and Diesel engines. The 1.6L MPI Petrol engine produces 103.5BHP power@5250rpm and 153nm of peak torque@5300nm. This engine is coupled with 5 Speed manual transmission and 6 Speed automatic Tiptronic gearbox. The MT equipped engine gives 15KPL mileage and the AT box give 14.3 KPL fuel efficiency.
1.5L TDI Diesel engine which returns 103.5BHP power@4400rpm and 250nm torque@1500-2500rpm mated with 5 speed manual transmission and 7 speed DSG gearbox. Fuel efficiency of manual box is 21.14 KPL and 7 speed supported AT gives 21.66 KPL of efficient mileage.
Rapid will be available in four options which are Active, Ambition, Ambition plus and elegance.
Space and Dimensions:
New Skoda Rapid offers external measurements like 4386mm length, 1699 wide and 1466mm in height. Wheelbase of 2552mm is sufficient. It offers seating capacity for 5 persons.
Ground clearance of New Skoda Rapid is fine for bumpy road which is at 168mm and from storage point of view it offers 460 liters of large boot space.
Interiors and Exteriors:
Interiors are unchanged in new Skoda Rapid, though central console has 2 DIN audio system with MFD like average speed, average consumption, service interval, digital clock etc. Cabin is beautified by two tone Mocca-ivory color scheme; seats are comfortable and covered with premium fabric upholstery. Driver seat is height adjustable and adjacent to driver seat there is armrest.
There are A/C vents between the front seats to keep cool the rear passengers, rear space is sufficient for the passengers. New steering wheel and gear knob is designed with premium leather. In the cabin you will also find these premium features like cruise control button, 12V socket for charging, automatic air control and android based app.
From the outside, New Skoda is completely different from the current rapid especially when you see it with the black package. New Rapid gets black color front grille, black shaded projector lamp, black alloy wheels, ORVM’s and black touched front defoggers. Front bumper is surrounded by attractive looking fog lamps
This black package made Rapid’s looks more sporty and stunning. Side remains same except the all black alloy wheels and rear also with C shaped triangular taillights.
Colors:
Skoda offering New Rapid in six color options- Cappuccino Beige, Toffee brown, flash red, Deep black pearl, Candy white and Brilliant Silver. Skoda is offering Black package for Rs. 13,000 in Elegance trim which includes black grille, headlamps and alloy wheels, but black package is only available with Candy white and brilliant silver colors.
Safety:
Safety of Rapid is as per expectations with the features like dual airbags, rough road package, three point seat belt for all passengers, central locking, immobilizer with floating code, over speed door locking system, remote controlled closing & opening of windows, defoggers, closing of fuel supply during crash, security code protection for audio system etc.
Verdict:
Main USP of New Rapid is introduction of automatic transmission which takes Rapid to the direct competition of Verna, but new rapid is advance than the Verna in terms of transmission. Fuel efficiency of Diesel is very good, outer appearance of new Rapid looks stunning.
