It's time! Skoda's most affordable sedan in the Indian market gets a thorough makeover on Thursday, as the Rapid facelift goes on sale. The sedan is launched at a starting price of Rs 8.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Maharashtra) and the top end variant is priced at Rs 12.67 lakh. The new version continues to be based on the same platform as the Volkswagen Vento, but there are a few thoughtful additions as well. Let's take a look.


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The Looks


This is where folks from Skoda have spent most of their time. The Rapid now looks like a member of the Czech family, sporting a face that's in tune with its elder siblings - the Octavia and the Superb. It gets an entirely new face, sporting the new family grille and a new pair of headlamps that not only get a projector setup, but also daytime running lamps. The air dam gets some honeycomb detailing and is flanked by a sharper set of foglamps. The silhouette and the rear do not feature any major overhaul save for a new set of alloy wheels and updated detailing in the taillamps. Other minor updates include a restyled rear bumper, new wing mirrors with indicators, as well as a stubby antenna.


The Cabin


The insides of the Rapid remains largely identical to the outgoing version. It now sports a friendly beige-black theme instead of a brown-beige combo. As is the case with most Skodas, the Rapid is decked with a lot of features as well. On the convenience front you get a height-adjustable seat, tilt and telescopic adjust for the steering, as well as a central armrest. Other goodies include a touchscreen audio system with MirrorLink, automatic climate control, one-touch down on all four power windows, a multi-information display that reads out fuel efficiency, distance to empty, current speed and more. There has been no change to the wheelbase of the car, which means that space on the inside is identical to the outgoing Rapid.


Engine Options


The updated Rapid will soldier on with its tried and tested motors - a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. Both motors get a 5-speed manual transmission. Automatic options include a conventional 6-speed torque converter paired with the petrol motor; the diesel gets the 7-speed dual-clutch DSG. Notably, the diesel motor has just got an update and it now produces 110PS and 250Nm. The petrol motor on the other hand belts out 105PS and 153Nm.


The Rivals


In its latest avatar, the Skoda Rapid will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the Honda City, the Hyundai Verna, and its own sibling, the Volkswagen Vento. With the new looks and the plethora of features on hand, the Skoda sure looks well prepared.


Source: CarDekho.com