Quashing all the rumours regarding launch of Rapid facelift, official confirmation has come on the launch of Rapid facelift to be happening this month. Though there is yet no confirmation on the date of launch but is being expected that the sedan could be rolled out around commencement of Navratri. The sedan will don Skoda’s new design language and will come equipped with a set of head lights, new bumper, newly designed grille and a reworked bonnet.
Significant changes are also expected to be seen inside the cabin. Among the most prominent mechanical tweaks will be replacement of the 1.6 litre TDI engine with the 1.5 litre diesel powertrain. This is the same engine that does duty in Polo diesel and will be seen in upcoming Vento diesel facelift. The 1.5 litre TDI engine is expected to offer top power output of 105 PS along with peak torque of 250 Nm. Petrol variants will continue to be offered with the same 1.6 litre MPI petrol engine. Besides the conventional five speed manual gearbox a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox is also expected to be put on offer on the 1.5 litre diesel variant.
In its segment currently only Hyundai Verna diesel is offered in automatic variant, hence availability of automatic gearbox in diesel powered Rapid will give sedan an edge over its competitors.
Hopefully the new facelift will give Rapid a push in terms of sales and chip in a large chunk towards monthly sales of Skoda.
