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-   -   2016 Skoda Rapid Facelift : A Close Look (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/182745-2016-skoda-rapid-facelift-close-look-6.html)

Took delivery of my 1.5 DSG (Style). Installed the Reverse Parking of Autocop as I felt that Reverse-cam is absolute necessity. Also, the AC vents could have been given a different treatment rather than being Vento-ish. In short, much better than the City CVT I had previously. Now, that may throw up many questions :D


Congratulation Mysticeyes, Red's smashing in Rapid.:thumbs up I was desperate to get a red Rapid in the year 2015 but couldn't get one as the color was discontinued then. Rapid has really grown on the looks and it’s looking more elegant now. Wishing you a wonderful journey with your steed.

Congratulations on your new Rapid. The car certainly looks dapper. To each his own, but to me the City always feel a grade lower than the Rapid/Vento twins. The build & part quality feels so much superior to the City, and the difference in the drive quality is huge when it comes to highway/expressway driving.

My brother's looking to buy a mid-size sedan right now and we are really impressed with the City, but with the new facelift Honda has brought up new pricings too.
The V-MT Diesel is turning out to cost around 13.5 Lacs on road and along with that the diesel clutter that Honda has not been able to resolve. It feels a bit disappointing to hear that when spending so much.
So other option included the Ciaz, The Rapid and The Vento.
The Ciaz is clearly out of the question as none of us liked after the TD. Yes it wins on pricing by a huge margin but it just doesn't feel that premium on the inside especially from the driver's seat.
The new Rapid is definitely on our minds and looks to be a very good machine but given what we've always heard about the after sales services by Skoda we just tend to take a step back.
We haven't owned any Skoda or VW before but but have heard numerous stories and first hand experiences of long long waiting periods for car parts and the cost of ownership of being comparable to petting a WHITE ELEPHANT.
But recently I've heard Skoda making improvements in their A.S.S. So is it actually true or are these changes by Skoda just superficial?

Why are you not thinking of the verna? I was exactly in this dilemma a few months. I almost booked the rapid but something inside was pulling me back. Its not the service or the costs involved, i was more worried about some engine light or other glowing which would leave me stranded on a highway at night. My friend who came with me bought the pre face-lift rapid.

Casually I strolled into a Hyundai showroom with no interest of buying. But right from the customer service to the vehicle itself you would be amazed. I took a 5 min TD of Verna and booked it. In my case the dealer had a cancelled booking of a 1.4 CRDI base version. We negotiated a deal of 90k cash discount plus touch screen entertainment, reverse parking camera and auto lock if i booked it in the next few hours. I went to their stock yard, inspected the vehicle and booked it straight away. Took the delivery the next day. I have done 8300 kms so far and the experience has been nothing short of fantastic especially considering the fact that I got this for 10.1 Lakh on road with zero dep insurance and Hyundai's 3 year unlimited warranty. Small advice as a fellow bhpian, check out the verna too. Since the face lift is launching in aug, you might get one great deal.

Thanks krishnakarthik1.
I too was thinking about the Verna too but 2 things stop me from going forward:
1. The upcoming new version for the Verna is itself the reason we don't wanna buy one right now. We don't wanna regret the decision a few months later and think that we could have had a completely fresh looking car soon along with the added features that may come along.
But yes, it truly would be a great buy as discounts are definitely expected. I'll give it a TD too and see what the quote looks like.
2. THE HANDLING. You being a Verna owner too, maybe you can put some good light on this.
I don't know much how good the 4S handles but the earlier version really was a bit disappointing on the handling front given that extremely frugal and refined diesel engine. I've heard that Hyundai had done some good work on the 4S on the handling front and improved it a lot. Would love some input on this..

Despite these 2 constraints, I completely agree Verna would be a great buy if some good discounts are on offer.

I am looking at a car for myself as an upgrade from Fabia. As we drive ~1000 km per month so divided between petrol and diesel as well. Here is what I have come to a conclusion:

- If it is Petrol Manual - I will likely go for City for peace of mind, better FE etc.
- If it is Petrol Automatic - it has to be Vento TSI. CVT just doesn't compare
- If it is diesel (MT / AT) - it has to be one of Vento / Rapid twins

I currently drive a Fabia (which I chose over a Jazz when I bought) and the car has been very reliable and a pleasure to drive. Car is heavy, planted on highways, give extreme sense of safety and still has better interiors than any other under ~20L including current gen Rapid. So I may have leanings for VAG twins, but this is my very objective conclusion. Now waiting for my better half to test drive before I take a call.

my 2 cents

~m

This is the best verna ever made in terms of ride quality and handling. Ride quality is very plush in the city and on the highways too its pretty planted. And this handling business is a bit over rated in my view. Which roads in India really offer you a chance to go all out and test a car's handling. Second, on a winding roads why do we have to go all out and take those turns. Can't we just break once, take the turn and then go all out again. :D

Do TD the vehicle. The best part is the fuss free ownership. Swapping a bit of handling for 3 years of peace of mind ownership does not seem too bad!

Given that you are based in Banglore (bad, bad traffic) and are a (satisfied) Fabia owner, I suggest you stick with an AT VAG car. After living with a Fabia for so long, a City will just not cut it. Very different breed, lighter, drives differently, quirks (compared to Germans) etc.

May i go further and suggest, Vento automatic. Petrol or Diesel. Your left leg will thank you for life, the car quality and drivability will be familiar (only better), and since its not Skoda, it will offer sufficient differentiation for you to get the new car feel.

nice review -

where did you get your german font liscence plates? also can you do me a favour and do a review on the head unit? startup screen - does it show SKODA logo? also in the setup menu, can you tell me what HW version it shows on the HU? would love to know the Part number. I am thinking of retrofitting it to my Superb. Does it support Apple CARPLAY?

The car belongs to my friend so I can ask him and let you know on the plates. Yes it shows the skoda screen on start up. The Part number is RC330G. The hardware version I will let you know in a bit. Will drop you a message on whatsapp.

Dear Friends,

One of my friends is contemplating to buy a Rapid in the next month. Could anyone let me know if the Monte Carlo Edition is expected soon?

Thanks

Got a call from THE Skoda Dealer. Some new features have been added.

Those which he listed were

1. 16" diamond cut alloy wheels instead of 15
2. Reverse camera from Superb
3. soft touch boot release button

and then some more. Can somebody confirm about the other features?

Also what is the max discount negotiated by anybody here?

edit: he also confirmed Octavia Onyx edition and Kodiaq for now. Monte Carlo was suggested for next year.

Saw this in today's local newspaper:



The ad mentions reverse camera & 16" Clubber alloy wheels as new additions. The alloys seem to be this one:

Skoda India has launched the upgraded Style variants of the Rapid, at a premium of Rs 35,000/- over the older Style variants.

For the premium asked, the additions include a reversing camera and 16-inch "Clubber"-design alloys to the top Style variant, offered in both petrol and diesel fuel options.

Engine options and other variants & features continue as is.

Any idea on the tyre profile?

The sales person who called me also confirmed a soft touch boot release.