Skoda introduced its mid-size sedan, the Rapid in the year 2012 to fill the product gap between the Fabia and Octavia. But the Rapid did not receive any major updates ever since its introduction. So now, the Czech manufacturer will launch the refreshed variant of the Rapid today at an event in Delhi.
The new 2014 Rapid will retain the 1.6-litre petrol engine that is found on the current generation Rapid. What’s new is the replacement of the 1.6-litre diesel engine with a 1.5-litre unit. Although the power output figures remain the same at 105 PS and 250Nm of torque, Skoda has added an option of a 7-speed automatic transmission in the diesel engine. Surprisingly, on paper, the automatic transmission diesel version churns out more miles to a gallon of fuel than the manual transmission variant.
Click here to read our review of the 2014 Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI DSG Transmission>>>
Technical Details:
| Technical Description | 1.6 MPI | 1.6 MPI (Auto) | 1.5 TDI | 1.5 TDI (Auto) |
| Engine Type | In-line, liquid cooled, 16 valve, DOHC | In-line, liquid cooled, 16 valve, DOHC | High pressure direct injection system, 16v DOHCV | High pressure direct injection system, 16v DOHCV |
| Cylinders | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Displacement | 1598 | 1598 | 1498 | 1498 |
| Max Power/revs | 105@5250 | 105@5250 | 105@4400 | 105@4400 |
| Max Torque/revs | 153@3800 | 153@3800 | 250Nm between 1500-2500 | 250Nm between 1500-2500 |
| Fuel Consumption (Arai rated) | 15 kpl | 14.3 kpl | 21.14 kpl | 21.66 kpl |
| Transmission | Manual 5-speed | Automatic 6-speed with tiptronic manual gear changing | Manual 5-speed fully synchronized | 7-speed automatic |
| Front Axle | McPherson suspension with lower triangular links and torsion stabilizer | |||
| Rear Axle | Compound link crank axle | |||
| Braking System | Hydraulic dual-diagonal circuit braking system vacuum assisted | |||
| Front Brakes | Disc brakes with inner cooling, with single piston floating caliper | |||
| Rear Brakes | Drum Brakes | |||
| Steering System | Direct rack and pinion steering with electro mechanic power assist | |||
| Wheels | Steel Wheel 6.0Jx15” (Active, Ambition, Ambition Plus); Alloy Wheel 6.0Jx15” (Elegance) | |||
| Tyres | 186/60 R15 (Active, Ambition, Ambition Plus, Elegance) | |||
| Length (mm) | 4386 | |||
| Width (mm) | 1699 | |||
| Height (mm) | 1466 | |||
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2552 | |||
| Ground Clearance (mm) | 168 | |||
| Storage Capacity (Litres) | 460 | |||
| Tank Capacity (Litres) | 55 | |||
| Turning Radius (Metres) | 10.6 | |||
1:59 PM
The stage is all set to unveil the new 2014 Skoda Rapid.
2:31 PM
The Skoda Rapid launch event begins as Skoda Auto India Chairman and Managing Director Sudhir Rao addresses the journalist.
2:50 PM
The new Skoda Rapid revealed. The entry level variant is priced at Rs 722,230. Here is the complete price range:
| Engine | Gearbox | Active | Ambition+ | Elegance | Elegance Black Package |
| 1.6 MPI/77kW (BS4) | Manual | 722,230 | 817,181 | 872,017 | 885,117 |
| Automatic | – | 914,940 | 968,583 | 981,683 | |
| 1.5 TDI/77kW (BS4) | Manual | 838,772 | 924,813 | 974,324 | 987,424 |
| Automatic | – | 1,034,813 | 1,084,324 | 1,097,424 |
All prices Ex-showroom Delhi.
In terms of exterior design, the new Skoda Rapid remains unchanged. But if you opt for the Black Edition Rapid, you would get a smoked out headlamps, fog lamps with black surrounds, black front grille, special 12 spoke black alloys and black ORVMs. Not much has changed on the inside as well. The Ambition Plus and Elegance variants get a cruise control.
Equipment:
| Design | Active | Ambition | Ambition Plus | Elegance |
| Exterior Chrome Decor | ||||
| Chrome trim on Radiator grille | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome surround for radiator grille | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interior Chrome Décor and colours | ||||
| Chrome décor for interior door handles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome décor for front centre console, gearshift selector, locking button of hand brake | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome trim on AC vents and duct sliders | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome trim on steering wheel | No | No | No | Yes |
| Ivory interior dual tone Mocca/Ivory front dashboard and door panels, Mocca Centre console, Ivory Upholstery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exterior colour coding | ||||
| Body colour external mirrors and door handles | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Body colour bumpers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gloss black décor on B-pillar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety | ||||
| Illumination | ||||
| Halogen projector headlights with manual leveling | No | No | No | Yes |
| Halogen Headlights with manual leveling | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Front Fog Lights | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Fog Lights | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High mounted LED Brake Lamp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visibility | ||||
| Anti Glare interior rear view mirror | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear windscreen defogger with timer | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Braking | ||||
| ABS | No | Yes (With Automatic Transmission) | Yes | Yes |
| Brake Assist | No | Yes (With Auto) | Yes | Yes |
| Parking Sensor | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Airbags | ||||
| Front Driver side airbag | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front passenger air bag | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Occupant Restraint | ||||
| Height adjustable seat belts (Front) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Two three point outer seat belts and centre lap belt at rear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Height adjustable head restraint (Front and rear) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| More | ||||
| Rough road package | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Child proof rear door locking and windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Child proof rear window locking | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Speed warning alarm | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel cut-off in a crash | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Door Open indicator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency triangle and dual tone horn | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Security | ||||
| Engine immobilizer with floating code system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Security code for audio player | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remote control with foldable key | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote door and boot lid lock/unlock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central Locking and unlocking of doors/boot lid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote opening/closing of windows | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Door lock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Height adjustment for driver seat | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front / Rear centre armrest | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steering wheel adjustable for Rake and reach | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Interior equipment:
| Entertainment | Active | Ambition | Ambition Plus | Elegance |
| Skoda Audio Player (2-Din) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Large format display | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Front and rear speakers | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| After market audio preparation 1-Din+Cable+Connector | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Audio controls on steering wheel | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| USB and Aux input | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| SD/MMC card reader | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Climate control | ||||
| Manual A/C | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Climatronic ACC with electronically regulated cabin temperature | No | No | No | Yes |
| Dual rear A/c vents on rear centre console | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dust & Pollen filter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Upholstery | ||||
| Ivory fabric upholstery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather wrapped steering wheel | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Leather wrapped gear shift selector | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Leather wrapped hand brake lever | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| External Mirrors | ||||
| Manually adjustable rear view mirrors | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Electronically adjustable rear view mirrors | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | ||||
| Front and rear power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| One touch Up/Down | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bounce back system | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tinted windows and wind screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Convenience | ||||
| Telephone Pre-installation | ||||
| GSM telephone preparation with Bluetooth | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Telephone controls on Steering | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Audio streaming | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Information Display | ||||
| MFD Display for travelling time, distance travelled, average speed, immediate consumption, average consumption, distance to empty, service interval, outside temperature, clock | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Gear change indicator (Diesel) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Interior Illumination | ||||
| Reading lamp at the front | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reading spot lamps at the rear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Boot light | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 12v power socket in centre console | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front sun visors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vanity mirror in left front sun visor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Foldable roof handles Front/Rear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lights on acoustic signal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote boot release | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage | ||||
| Passenger compartment | ||||
| Storage compartment in front and rear doors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bottle holder in front doors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cup holders Front/Rear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage compartment under front centre armrest | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage pockets on the backrest of the front seats | No | No | No | Yes |
| Magnetic card holder | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coat holder on B-pillar and roof handles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Black Package (Optional) | O | |||
| Black shades with front fog lamps | O | |||
| Black Shades on projector headlamps | O | |||
| Black Alloy Wheels 15” | O | |||
| Black colour outer rear view mirror | O | |||
| Black colour front grille including logo lip | O |
*Black Roof and side mouldings are optional dealer level accessories.
Variants and Colour Options:
| Variants | Engine | |||
| Trim | 1.6 MPI | 1.6 MPI (A) | 1.5 TDI CR | 1.5 TDI CR (A) |
| Active | Yes | – | Yes | – |
| Ambition / Ambition Plus | Yes | Ambition Plus | Yes | Yes |
| Elegance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colours | ||||
| Brilliant Silver | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Candy White | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cappuccino Beige | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deep Black Pearl | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Flash Red | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Toffee Brown (New body colour) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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