Skoda India intends to launch the tweaked version of its premium SUV, Yeti and C segment sedan, Rapid this year. Displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo, Skoda Yeti is expected to go on sale in the beginning of third quarter. Modifications have been given to the exterior, interior and styling of the premium SUV. Among the most noticeable changes in the front a set of new head lights, reworked grille and a restyled bumper are included. Rear too gets tweaks in the form of LED tail lights, rest has been kept the same. Inside the cabin, a new steering wheel and a modified audio system are expected to be equipped.
Mechanically the vehicle will remain same, Skoda will continue to power Yeti with a 2.0 litre diesel powertrain engendering varied power output of 110 PS and 140 PS. The 110 PS engine will be housed in the front wheel drive variant of the SUV, while the 140 PS motor will come packed inside the four wheel drive trim. Besides a manual transmission, Skoda could also offer facelifted Yeti in automatic transmission. As far as the price is concerned, the SUV is unlikely to get a huge price bump and it is expected to come with the same price tag as the current version.
The next launch from Skoda in India is yet another facelifted version of one of its cars, Rapid. After an initial spark, sales of Rapid started fading, therefore this is a much needed makeover that the sedan will undergo. Sources close to the development reveal that Mahindra Engineering Services is doing the design of the new Rapid.
Rapid’s tweaked version is expected to share design cues with the Europe-spec model. Modifications will be made to the interiors of the sedan, the company will also embed few new equipment inside the vehicle. Under the hood, a 1.2litre TSI turbo petrol engine capable of belting out top power and torque output of 103 Bhp and 175 Nm respectively will be equipped. Diesel variants are likely to come with a 1.4 litre, three cylinder, turbo diesel TDI powertrain. A six-speed dual clutch DSG clutch along with a seven-speed dual DSG dual clutch transmission could be made available in the new Rapid. Skoda could plan a launch around festive season for the new Rapid. An insignificant change in the price of new Rapid is likely to happen.
