At last, Skoda Auto India rolled out its impatiently awaited new C-segment sedan, Skoda Rapid, in the domestic market on 16th November 2011. The latest sedan is believed to carry a uniquely designed body and features that befit the basic needs of the Indian market. The Rapid will be available at a price of Rs. 6.75 lacs ex-showroom Delhi. Skoda has ensured that its brand value, “Simply Clever” is incorporated in the Rapid, in the most effective and efficient form.
The sedan has come with an enticing new design, sufficient space, dependable safety equipments and latest technology. The company expects Rapid to bring unprecedented laurels in the near future and claims that the fascinating sedan would possibly emerge as its best-selling car in India.
The Rapid can irrefutably be considered as a strongly Indian-oriented sedan and allows Skoda to step into the very crucial C-segment arena for the first time. The latest product from Skoda offers extreme levels of comfort, being capable of occupying a family with immense ease. Displaying a lot of grace through its design, the Rapid has focussed greatly on the driveability quotient. The Skoda Rapid will be produced at the group’s Chakan plant in Pune.
With the latest sedan, the car maker has promoted its primary philosophy of “Clever engineering with a human touch”, and the attitude of paying heed to the customer needs, on a large scale. Skoda has also brought about a revived corporate identity using an innovative, fresh and precise logo in India.
“Skoda Auto India marks a crucial milestone in India with the launch of Rapid. We intend to strengthen our presence in the highly competitive C-segment in the country with this launch. We are confident that this car will become the cornerstone for the Skoda brand in India. Its distinctly fresh, young, smart and clear-cut design makes Rapid a well-balanced car, and therefore successfully fills the gap between Skoda Fabia and the current Laura”, Thomas Kuehl, Member of the Board & Director, Sales & Marketing, Skoda Auto India commented.
The Rapid is likely to target people who have a great penchant for driving and demand a well-engineered, technologically sound and comfortable car. The sedan is confident that it would fulfil even the miniscule expectations of its buyers.
Thomas Kuehl further added, “The Rapid is positioned as a family car, compact enough for the city and spacious enough for longer trips. Our plans for the Rapid in India are fairly ambitious, given that we expect it to become the best-selling car in our model line-up in India, in the near future. We aim to penetrate in the competitive C-segment and have an advantage over our competitors with our high quality design and unique features for the Indian market.”
Skoda currently has 90 dealerships under its umbrella in India, and is striving to take the count to 100 by the year-end.
Skoda Rapid petrol version will be assimilated with a manual and automatic transmission, while the diesel version is available with a manual transmission only. It has been introduced in three variants namely, Active, Ambition and Elegance. Buyers can make a choice from the 5 different colour schemes namely, brilliant silver, candy white, cappuccino beige, deep black pearl and flash red. Rapid has an overall length, width and height of 4386 mm, 1699 mm and 1466 mm respectively, along with a wheel base of 2552 mm and ground clearance of 168 mm.
It is equipped with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that churns out a maximum power of 104 hp at 5250 rpm and peak torque of 153 Nm at 3800 rpm. On the other hand, the 1.6-litre diesel engine is capable of generating a maximum power of 104 hp at 4400 rpm and a peak torque of 250 Nm at 1500 rpm to 2500 rpm.
Skoda Rapid carries plethora of special features that speak volume regarding the creativity and advancement that rule each and every end of the car. Front passenger seat adjustment from rear seat using ergo-lever, anti-pinch windows, one-touch operation for electrically adjustable windows, adjustable dual rear air-conditioning vents and security code for audio player brings class to its interiors.
In addition, height and length adjustment for steering wheel, foldaway cup holders, rough road package, along with Climatronic that comprise automatic air conditioning with electronic regulation of cabin temperature offers immense comfort to the occupants.
Driver & front passenger airbags and anti-lock braking system (ABS) have found a place in the car that further proves its mettle in terms of safety. The Skoda Rapid is a complete package, with the Skoda 2-DIN integrated audio player comprising aux-in socket and SD/MMC data card reader ensuring an entertaining ride every time.
Skoda Rapid has been launched with a price range of Rs. 6.75 lacs and Rs. 9.19 lacs, ex-showroom Delhi.
| Skoda Rapid variants | Prices(in Rs.) | ||
| Ex-Showroom Maharashtra | Ex-Showroom Delhi | ||
| Active 1.6 MPI MT | 662,363 | 675,000 | |
| Ambition 1.6 MPI MT | 695,717 | 709,000 | |
| Elegance 1.6 MPI MT | 784,007 | 799,000 | |
| Ambition 1.6 MPI AT | 793,818 | 809,000 | |
| Elegance 1.6 MPI AT | 882,108 | 899,000 | |
| Active 1.6 TDI CR | 780,084 | 795,000 | |
| Ambition 1.6 TDI CR | 813,437 | 829,000 | |
| Elegance 1.6 TDI CR | 901,728 | 919,000 | |
Thus, this time Skoda has entered the Indian market with a sedan that is capable of unsettling rivals without much efforts being made.
