The new iteration of Skoda’s entry-level sedan will break cover tomorrow. With the launch scheduled in less than 24 hours, here are a few things you can expect from the new Skoda Rapid facelift.
1. New look - The Rapid is set to get a new look partly resembling its elder sibling, the Skoda Octavia. The front bumper is all new and gets the new sculpted grille and a mesh-grille on the air dam. While the body shell is the same, the profile will now get angular cuts. The tail lamps are also all new and the boot lid gets chrome treatment to add a touch of premium.
2. Projector headlamps - The smoked headlamps are rectangular as against the old rounded ones and projector headlamps will be offered from Ambition along with alloy wheels. It will also get bumper mounted front fog lamps and rear fog lamps integrated into the tail lamp. The headlamp glass has crystalline elements in it as a tribute to the glass-making industry in Czech Republic.
3. LED Daytime Running Lamps – The new Rapid will have LED daytime running lamps right from the Active (base) variant. The signature lamps will follow the pattern set by the bigger Skodas.
4. Touchscreen music system – The Rapid gets a new 6.5-inch touchscreen music system with MirrorLink which helps seamless connectivity. It gets a four speaker and two tweeters audio setup along with USB, Bluetooth and AUX connectivity with steering mounted audio controls.
5. New Interior – The Rapid gets a black and beige interior with automatic climate control and all-four power windows standard with auto up and auto down functions. The top-spec automatic gets ESP and rain-sensing wipers along with cruise control and leather upholstery.
6. Powerful diesel engine - The new Rapid will have the same engine options – the 1.6-litre inline four cylinder petrol engine and the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. Both engines come with a five-speed manual gearbox while the diesel will come with a seven-speed DSG and the petrol will come with a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The 1.5-litre EA189 series had been worked upon after the Dieselgate and now pumps out more horsepower (112bhp) while limiting emissions as well.
7. Safety – The Skoda Rapid, like all other Skoda cars, is built like a tank, literally. The build quality is great and has inherent structural safety embedded in the design. It also gets dual front airbags and ABS standard across the range.
8. Competition – The Skoda Rapid will fight in the C-segment with its sibling – the Volkswagen Vento and bigwigs like the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna and the erstwhile Nissan Sunny. With modern looks and rock-solid handling, the new Skoda Rapid might turn out to be worthy competitor.
