The Skoda Rapid has always been a handsome car and is one of the best sellers from the Czech automaker’s stable in India. It has been over five years since the introduction of the car and the company has now given it a facelift.
Currently, the car has a base price of Rs 8.27 lakh for the petrol variant and Rs 9.48 lakh for the diesel variant ( all prices ex-showroom, Delhi) . It continues using the 1.6-litre petrol engine from the previous generation, but the diesel engine has been retuned for better power delivery.
We tested the top of the line diesel-powered ‘Style’ variant with the 7-speed DSG gearbox which is priced at Rs 12.67 lakh ( ex-showroom, Delhi) .
The Rapid facelift has a lot to offer thanks to some of the changes that the car has received. But, the question is, do these changes make it a better value for money offering than before?
Let’s find out.
The Looks
Being a facelift, one expects a few nips and tucks to the overall design of the car but in this particular case, the company has gone all the way and given it a completely refreshed front-end design.
It now has Skoda’s signature ‘Butterfly’ grille which brings it in line with the designs of the Skoda Superb and the Skoda Octavia. The bold grille is complimented by the new smoked projector headlamps and the top-spec variant also comes with Daytime Running Lights ( DRLs) . This, along with the new bumper design, gives the Rapid a premium feel and presence on road.
The side profile remains the same other than the addition of chrome on door handles and new alloy wheel design.
At the back, the C-shaped tail lamps have the same layout as the previous generation Rapid but now get smoked treatment and there’s an addition of a boot spoiler.