The new Skoda Rapid has made its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show boasting of possessing the company’s new design study MissionL and also holds a new Skoda logo. The 5-seater mid-sized sedan offers ample space on the inside and has a boot capacity of 550-liters. The Skoda Rapid has been exceptionally doing well in the Indian market but the European Rapid is a world apart from the Indian Rapid. The car has already entered production at Skoda’s Mlada Boleslav plant in Czech Republic and will be available for sale in UK from 12th of November, this year.
The Czech carmaker has offered a total of six powerplant options on the Rapid. There will be four petrol engines and two diesel engines on offer. The base variant of the Skoda Rapid will feature a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated, 3-cylinder petrol engine which would give an output of 74 BHP. There is also a 1.2-litre turbocharged, 3-cylinder petrol engine with power outputs of 83 and 105 BHP. Going a little higher, on offer is a 1.4-litre turbocharged, 4-cylinder petrol engine delivering 121 BHP.
The diesel powered Skoda Rapid will feature a 1.6-litre TDI CR 104 BHP engine and later in 2013, the same engine with an output of 89 BHP. The engines will be mated to either a 5-speed or a 6-speed manual transmission and additionally a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic DSG gearbox is also available. The 1.6-litre TDI engine is considered the most eco-friendly among other engine options with CO2 emissions of about 114 g/km.
The Skoda Rapid will be sold in three variants – S, SE, and Elegance. However, irrespective of the variants, the European Rapid will feature front and curtain airbags, adjustable steering wheel, height-adjustable driver’s seat, front power windows and remote central locking system as standard. The SE variant will additionally get air-conditioning, trip computer, Bluetooth, leather steering wheel and will sport 15-inch alloy wheels. Choosing the top-end Elegance variant will pamper you with a 4-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, cruise control, all power windows, chrome interior lining along with fog-lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels. The price range of the Skoda Rapid is £12,900 (Rs. 11 lakhs) for the S 1.2-litre petrol engine to £17,850 (Rs. 15.28 lakhs) for the 1.6-litre fully-equipped Elegance variant.
