Skoda Rapid witnessed a major transformation under the hood in May this year when the 1.5-litre diesel and 1.6-litre petrol were replaced with the new BS6 compliant 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine. With a total of six trims offered along with a six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission, Skoda has now discreetly dropped the base Rider variant and continues to offer the sedan in Rider Plus, Style, Monte Carlo, Ambition, and Onyx trims.
The base Rider variant was available with a price tag of Rs 7.49 lakh (ex-showroom) which proved to be a value offering given its decent list of features and equipment. It packed in tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel, rear parking sensors, all four power windows, rear AC vents, automatic climate control and electrically adjustable OVRMs. The level two, Ride Plus variant offered all the features as available in the Rider with an addition of two new ones – a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and window chrome garnish. The Rider Plus demanded Rs 50,000 more at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom). This variant now remains the only choice for buyers with a shoestring budget. We have driven the Skoda Rapid and you can read our first drive review here.
Skoda is also expanding its sales and service footprint under the India 2.0 initiative and currently has over 83 sales and 58 service touchpoints across 69 cities in the country. The car manufacturer had a relatively bland 2020 with the only new launch being in the form of the Karoq in May which was eventually sold out in October as the CBU model was limited to just 1,000 units. However, the Czech automaker is gearing up for an eventful 2021 with plans to introduce new models in the form of the next-gen Octavia, Kodiaq petrol, and a new mid-size SUV codenamed Vision IN concept.
