New Skoda Rapid to be introduced by late 2016

Skoda is in the process of giving the Rapid a major makeover and plans are underway to launch the same later in 2016. The Rapid was first introduced in India back in 2011 and has only received minor cosmetic updates till date. The new Rapid will bear a lot of resemblance to the international model. While the international spec Rapid is constructed on the MQB platform, the Indian version will continue to use the same chassis as the Volkswagen Vento. The Indian spec Rapid is slightly shorter in length compared to the model sold outside.

The next generation Rapid will depart from the current facia which is quite similar to the last India-spec Fabia, and evolve with a more edgy design as seen on the international model. The new Skoda Rapid will receive a fresh front-end with a new bonnet and grille design with new side fenders carrying sharply drawn body lines. The all new angular headlamp unit completes the look at the front of the vehicle. The front bumper is also new and blends well with the overall makeover. The silhouette of the car will have an uninterrupted body line originating from the front and continuing all the way to the rear. Expect the new Rapid to ditch the Vento shaped tail lamps and adopt the distinctive C-shaped units at the rear.

The current generation of the Skoda Rapid is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel powerplant. Expect Skoda to continue with the same engines in the next generation model with minor tweaks. Although it is dubious for now, a slightly larger turbo sourced locally might be seen spooling more power out of the 1.5-litre diesel engine which powers the Volkswagen Vento. The same updated diesel engine is likely to be continued in the new Rapid soon after its deployment. As we mentioned earlier, the new Skoda Rapid will be based on the Vento platform like it has always been based on and not on the MQB platform like it gets internationally. This is mainly because of the fact that the MQB platform that is today available on cars like the Skoda Octavia, Skoda Superb and the Volkswagen Jetta is too expensive for Skoda India to utilise in cars like the Rapid which will go up against competition like the Honda City. In fact, Skoda India had temporarily shelved plans of getting the new Rapid to India due to this but have resurrected the project with the existing chassis making the car a more viable product in terms of manufacturing expenses.