The Rapid becomes more potent to take on rivals

Looks

A lot has changed on the exterior. Prominent amongst them are the new headlamps that come with DRLs as well as the signature Skoda grille that we’ve seen on other brand cars like the Octavia and Superb. The chrome strip surrounding the front grille adds some more character to the car. There’s a redesigned bumper as well as new fog lamps round off a nice looking front of the new Rapid. The profile of the car pretty much remains the same barring the alloy wheels which have been redesigned as well as chrome surround on door handles.The rear also sees a few changes. These include a small spoiler just on the edge of the boot as well as a chrome strip that runs just below that. Smoked tail lamps also are a new addition to the car and overall the Rapid now looks more a part of the Skoda family and less like the Volkswagen Vento, a car it shares a lot with.

Interiors

The feature list inside the car is long and that impresses. It includes rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlamps, electronically retractable outside rear view mirrors, auto-dimming inside rear view mirror and cruise control. The 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the top of the line variant is equipped with a MirrorLink feature, which allows you to transform your smart phone on to the screen. The steering wheel is adjustable and the fit and finish is very sound. The seats are comfortable however on the second row owing to a big tunnel in between it may get cumbersome for 3 passengers to sit comfortably. The middle passenger is also devoid of a headrest so we say use the armrest and just make 2 passengers occupy the rear seat. Unlike other Skoda cars this one is not a hatch and there’s no smart access to the boot from the second row. The 460 litres of boot space can gulp a lot of luggage, enough to take a family of 5 on a weekend getaways or to do those pick or drop trips to the airport.

A lot has changed on the exterior. Prominent amongst them are the new headlamps that come with DRLs as well as the signature Skoda grille that we’ve seen on other cars like the Octavia and Superb. 

Engine

Even before the facelift the Rapid was available in both petrol and Diesel engine options and both came with manual and automatic options. The story remains the same on this facelift as well albeit the diesel now gets a new 1.5 litre motor. The 105 PS petrol motor remains the same as it was in the earlier car. A peak torque of 153 Nm tilts the things in its favor and especially the 5-speed manual is a well performing car that doesn’t disappoint. The 6-speed automatic does have a bit of a lag and is more suited to the slow moving city traffic. The power on the Diesel engine now is 110 bhp which is around 5 bhp than before. This certainly makes it a more capable car to drive. The inclines on the traffic laden roads to did throw a lot of challenges to the car and it was able to tackle almost all of them. The NVH levels could certainly have been better and sometime you do mind the amount of clutter that creeps into the cabin. On the manual the peak torque kicks n pretty early but on the 7-speed DSG you also feel a little bit of lag.

Ride &Handling

The use of galvanized steel on the body has helped Skoda to reduce the weight of the car which helps both performance and handling. Having said that, the ride quality is still not the best in the segment. Brakes on the Rapid also inspire a lot of confidence and especially on the mountain roads where they are really required, they perform very well.

Verdict

The new Rapid is a good all round product but Skoda may have missed a trick in pricing the car which is anything but aggressive. And in a segment that has cars like the Honda City and MarutiCiaz that is very important. But they’ve addressed one very important issue that concerns a lot of prospective Skoda buyers —  service and ease of ownership. The company is offering 4 years warranty on all its products including road side assistance and Skoda’s maintenance package. Most of these packages are included in the cost of the car barring the 4 year maintenance package for which you’ll have to shell out Rs. 30,000 extra.

Shams Naqvi  is an anchor/producer  for the News X motor show Living  Cars