Skoda Rapid 2014 – a sporty sedan

Skoda Auto A.S. the Czech automobile manufacturing company, is a subsidiary of the German auto giant Volkswagen. Skoda Auto India Private Limited (SAIPL), a subsidiary of the Czech firm has produced cars in India since 2001. Skoda Rapid, a compact sedan launched in 2011, got a good reception in the Indian market.

Skoda India wants to improve the sales in the compact sedan segment. Therefore, they have re-launched the Rapid with some changes. The Rapid Ultima, launched on March 1 2014, has four petrol and two diesel variants. The Ambition PlusMT, the Ambition Plus AT, the Elegance MT and the Elegance AT are the petrol versions and the Ambition and the Elegance are the diesel variants.

This sedan based on the Volkswagen PQ25 platform is a five-seater car. The exterior does not have many changes from the 2011 edition. A new Skoda logo, a sunroof and a side foil, rear parking sensors, 7 spoke 15” alloy wheels, a side plaque with Ultima branding and halogen headlamps (projector type) are the added features. Three stripes running along the body on the left side make the Rapid stylish. Also there are body colored ORVMs and door handles, black décor on the B pillar, high level LED brake lights and a rear wind screen defogger and timer.

The interior is also luxuriously done with leather seat covers (fabric for the base variants), a multi functional steering wheel, a multi-functional display unit and an onboard computer. The comfort features include an automatic AC system, a CD player with AM/FM radio, trunk light and a satellite navigation system. Safety specifications include ABS and EBD systems, anti-pinch one-touch power windows, central lock and child lock facilities, day and night rear view mirrors, engine immobilizer and airbags for the front passengers.

The petrol variants are powered by a 1598 cc, 103 bhp, 153 NM torque engine connected to five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearboxes. For diesel versions, a 1598 cc, 103 bhp, 250 NM torque engine with 5 speed manual transmission is used. The diesel cars have a fuel economy of 20.5 kmpl and the petrol versions have 15 and 14.6 kmpl for manual and auto transmissions.

Physical dimensions of the Rapid 2014 are 4388 mm length, 1699 mm width, 1466 mm height and 168 mm ground clearance with a boot volume of 460 liters. The front suspension is a McPherson type with lower triangular link and torsion stabilizer and the rear one compound link cranks axle type.

The Skoda Rapid 2014 is priced from 8.3 to 9.97 lakh rupees. The main competitors of Skoda Rapid are the cars like Nissan Sunny, the Honda City, Renault Scala and the Hyundai Verna.