The new Skoda Rapid looks pretty hip with tech-savvy features. And yes, you can’t miss the Škoda after-sales services either
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The Skoda Rapid was born five years ago and has been revamped for the first time now. Was half a decade’s wait really worth it? We headed to Dehradun to find out.
To start with, the swanky looking exterior of the new Skoda Rapid is the freshest from the Czech carmakers. The headlamp unit is new with LED DRL and lends the car a very European look. The new bumper and wide grille adds a lot of fashionable character to the Rapid’s fascia.
The whole design exudes an air of maturity, elegance, and sophistication. The new dashboard has all the necessary touches, including a new 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with MirrorLink connectivity that allows you to pair your smartphone with the system and it literally mirrors your phone on to the display. Apart from that, the new Rapid comes with a host of other comforts and features that are sure to entice a whole bunch of tech-savvy customers.
The info console on the Rapid is sparse, yet functional
Cabin-wise, the Rapid remains the same; however, the leatherette seat-covers are new and they do feel premium. Space-wise, the Rapid is one of the best cars available in its segment with plenty of space. Rapid is pretty good in terms of interior quality and overall fit and finish.
The 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel motor is the same, but has been tweaked a bit. Earlier the same 1.5 TDI motor used to produce 105 PS and 250 Nm of torque. But this one churns out 110 PS and 250 Nm of torque, which is transferred to the front wheels via the superb seven-speed DSG.
The engine doesn’t feel much different; the refinement and smoothness levels haven’t really improved either. The 250 Nm of torque is available from 1,500 rpm all the way up to 2,500 rpm and max power is available from 4,000 rpm. Although there is a bit of turbo lag below 1,500 rpm, it doesn’t really intrude while accelerating. The delivery is also linear rather than abrupt and once you reach 1,500 rpm, the Rapid moves ahead in much civilised way.
There have been a few choice upgrades on the inside too
Overall, the driveability was awesome and the seven-speed DSG gearbox works wonders. It shifts smoothly, the power transmission is seamless and the downshifts are pretty quick. It makes driving the Rapid at low speeds a matter of convenience.
Talking of performance, on the few stretches of straight open road, we did manage to nail the throttle and check the acceleration and the Rapid was quick.
As we drove from Dehradun to Mussoorie, the Rapid did not feel any different in terms of handling because the suspension setup is exactly the same but on the softer side, giving the Rapid a nice ride quality. It allows the Rapid to absorb bumps and undulations with ease while keeping everything in line when tackling sudden direction changes.
In the hills, direction changes are everything. The steering also responded well providing a lot of feedback. The brakes are also the same as before and they perform well with ample bite and feel.
The 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine has been worked on for this iteration of the Rapid as well. Pics/ Aditya Dhiwar
Safety-wise, the Rapid was never lacking. The twin-airbags, ABS, electronic stability control and hill hold control (in the top two variants) makes the Rapid a well-equipped car in terms of safety.
Overall, at Rs. 12.55 lakh (ex-Pune), the fully loaded Style AT variant was pretty good. There are a number of benefits that you get when you buy a Rapid such as the four-year warranty, four-year maintenance package and also four-year roadside assistance. Skoda is probably the only carmaker in this segment to offer such after-sales features.
Considering everything, we would say that the Rapid offers lot more than before and not just good looks.
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