Skoda Auto is delivering on its promise of being product offensive this year. There were a ton of products lined up for this year. However, with the worsening pandemic situation at the moment, there might be a delay in some plans for the Czech carmaker. Still, there are spy shots that reveal the upcoming executive sedan, the next-gen Rapid. Now, by the time it launches, we might have a new name, but until then we will call it Rapid itself. The launch is slated for the end of this year or the beginning of the next if there are no delays because of some unforeseen reasons. Also, to keep the current model fresh till then, Skoda has made minor tweaks to the Onyx and Monte Carlo variants of the Rapid. Let us check out what these changes are and what impact they might have on the sales figure of the Rapid.
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Skoda Rapid- Changes
The mid (Onyx) and top-trim (Monte Carlo) of the Skoda Rapid have been updated in a bid to keep the sedan fresh until the next-gen Rapid is launched in our market. The Onyx variant is reported to have received some external cosmetic changes. This includes sliver accents at various parts of the car including on ORVMs, silver split lip spoiler and silver strips on the side of the body. There will be new gloss black alloy wheels on offer as well.
The top-trim, Monte Carlo, have also seen some changes on the outside including a gloss black grille which contrasts well with the overall design of the sedan giving it a very sporty appearance, a set of dual-tone alloy wheels, blacked-out window surrounds, a lip spoiler at the rear, contrasting black roof, new side skirts and front split lip spoiler. These changes make these variants very desirable without any change in the prices of these variants. This will make sure that people will still opt for the Rapid until the new model is here.
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Skoda Rapid- Spy Shots
The latest spy shots don’t reveal much because of being completely camouflaged but we expect the next-gen Skoda Rapid to carry the brand’s design language. This will translate to sharp creases around the body, new LED headlamps with sleek design, bold new alloy wheels and LED tail lamps with sharp rear along with sporty front and rear bumpers. The overall dimensions of the new Rapid will be larger than the current model because it will be based on the company’s new MQB A0 IN platform which has been specifically designed keeping in mind the requirements of Indian customers. On the inside, we don’t have any reason to believe that the quality of interiors will not be top-notch and practical with all the modern connectivity and comfort features.
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Skoda Rapid- Expected Engines, Prices and Rivals
The one thing that we can safely assume is that the next-gen Rapid will come with either or both engines including a 1.0-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol making 110 hp with 175 Nm and 150 hp with 250 Nm respectively. There will be options of either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission to complement the TSI units. The prices of the current model range between Rs 7.70 lakh to 13.20 lakh, ex-showroom and we expect a slight increase in the prices of the next-gen model. The rivals of the executive sedan will include the likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the upcoming VW Vento and Toyota Belta.
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Image Source: AutocarIndia
