[sleepyhead148]

Voted for the Rapid Rider variant.

Fog lamps, a more advanced audio unit and alloy wheels are something that can be easily added to the car as aftermarket addons. Including height adjustable seats, something that's imperative for fairly bulky people like me. The service intervals and talks of how Tafe in Bangalore have improved their service are definitely a positive thing for me.

The only concern for me would be the long term reliability and resale value of the car. I sure hope Skoda/VAG will definitely address these over the course of the car's lifetime.

Anyone in the market looking for a car in the 10 lakh OTR range should have this on top of their list.

[krishkayc]

We cannot compare the handling and performance characteristics of a skoda with Indian sub 4m cars. There is a difference between "perfectly engineered" and "perfectly marketed" cars.

The 1.0L TSI had already proved it's efficiency and performance outside India. Even Octavia had a 1.0L TSI/1.8 TSI engine choice. So it's already a deal breaker.

Voted for Skoda.

[the.shivaraj]

Voted for Compact Sedan.
My intention of buying a car would be totally enjoying it in terms of features, engine+gearox, etc. So if I had to buy a vehicle it would be a top variant with all bells and whistles. Skoda Rapid is good in terms of performance but when it comes to creature comforts it is still basic, you would have to spend a good amount of money to upgrade it. Further adding, you won't be able to get that factory fit. I upgraded the ICE for 2006 Baleno, trust me there is a panel gap near the head unit and the local technician made a huge scratch near the door panel. It's an eyesore every time I see it.
Newer vehicles will also be having warranty issues. So it's better to enjoy these from the factory itself. Sure, compact sedans are not so good looking in my opinion but when you sitting inside and driving, these negatives are secondary.

[MOTORON]

Voted for Any Sedan - Top Variant

Rider variant though tempting but misses out on bare essentials like height adjustable driver seat, rear camera & feel good but important functional steering wheel controls. Any enthusiast will invest in 16 inch Alloys & perhaps upgrade steering wheel as well from the dealer. Even after that Rider will miss out on Touchscreen HU, Push Button start & Projectors. Talking of higher variants like Onyx you would be getting into Ciaz Petrol Manual Alpha variant which is loaded to the gills & is 40K cheaper on ex-showroom rate vis-a-vis Onyx ex-showroom!! Sorry Skoda but you still don't appeal to the rational buyer given your other cons w.r.t. ASS experience & low resale cost. See you some day Skoda!

[46TheDoctor]

I voted for Rapid but thats only due to lack of a third option on the poll which should have been a 'Compact SUV/Crossover', the primary reasons being:
1. Safety Ratings - no compact sedans or even the Rapid has a 5 star NCAP rating which a few crossovers like Nexon, Xuv300 have.
2. Practicality - Added practicality and go anywhere abilities compared to the sedans at practically the same acquisition and running costs.

In fact i actually voted with my money in favour of Nexon over Amaze/Rapid last year!

[ramki.grandhi]

Though on Rapid rider is obvious choice on online(team bhp) or in real world, but outside world actual numbers might be quite different because of various reasons.

1) Some users might think, they need a beater car for city usage. requirement can be: smaller than rapid but it must have all the features. And easy on pocket, as this is mostly 2nd car for these users.
2) Maruti has 3000 showrooms in india, where as skoda has only <90. This is a big reason for low numbers from skoda. For example, we've 4 showrooms for entire Andhra Pradesh. With product like rapid rider, skoda should focus on smaller cities as well atleast they should start having more service centers.
3) Perception of being expensive to maintain.(partly true)

Skoda sales-marketing team should do a video that explains how skoda service expenses have reduced. They should highlight skoda cars service interval is longer than hyundai. Infact, they should directly compare service costs with other brands likes hyundai.

[Guna]

Depends on the situation:
If this is the only car and you have occasional outstation trips, Skoda Rapid.
If it is used only within the city, a top-end compact sedan which provides better 'feel good' factors, including the possibility of going for an automatic

[sanyog26]

Originally Posted by rj22

Voted for the compact sedans.

We were recently faced with the same dilemma- we had to cancel our pre-lockdown booking of Ford Aspire Titanium Plus due to some reasons, we were now looking for an alternative. Test drove the Honda Amaze and found it to be a decent car.

But just a day before booking the amaze, the Rapid was launched with a really attractive price tag. I immediately showed interest by contacting the Skoda showroom in Noida- and till date (it has been 17 days since) I haven't got a follow up call from them.
.

Which dealership in Noida did you pay a visit/contacted over phone ? Was it Brite Skoda, Noida Sector-6 ?

Contrary to your experience, I've had a very pleasant experience with Brite Skoda Noida.

I paid a visit to their dealership this past Sunday (14/06/2020) with full family, parents and brother. We enquired about the Rider variant of the Rapid and were immediately allotted a Sales Advisor Mr. Prabjot. I must express my gratitude to him for his excellent hospitality. He immediately asked us about our present cars and as soon as I told him that we own a VW Polo, he understood our seriousness that we aren't window shopping and being a VW owner are pretty satisfied with VAG products. He immediately took us for a test-drive and we had a decently long one (Noida Sec-6 to Mayur Vihar and back). Upon our return to the dealership, I sat with him to get the on-road price along with the offers available on it.

In the meantime, my parents were getting bored and my father enquired about the Superb, and he happily answered all his queries and insisted he sit inside the Superb and experience the luxury offered by it, all this knowing fully well that I was on a tight budget and was interested only on Rapid Rider, not even the slightly pricier Ambition Variant. Thereafter, I told him that I'm in no hurry to purchase the Rapid and shall be looking at the delivery during Navratra time, mid-October. At this juncture, he did not insist that I pay the booking token immediately and took down my details and advised me to book it by September, when the festive season discounts shall be available. After half an hour, when I reached my place, I received a WhatsApp message from him saying that it was his pleasure attending us and he shall be happy to assist us in our new car purchase. Now these small things matter a lot and it did make a difference to me.


Two days later (16/06/2020), I WhatsAppd him to enquire about exchanging my almost decade old Polo, and within a few seconds I got a call from him telling me that they are having some dispute with their empanelled used-car dealer and hence, would be unable to get the car evaluated immediately and also that he's on leave that day and is accompanying his pregnant wife to the hospital. I immediately apologized for the trouble and told him that I shall make a booking probably after a month, since I was traveling back to Agra (my workplace) the next day. But I gave him a hint that I was interested in making the booking that day itself, else my mood may change and I might be titled towards the Hyundai Venue or the soon-to-be launched next-gen i20.

Well, within an hour, I got a call from him saying that he outside my colony and wanted to meet me to complete the booking process, if I wished so. I was pleasantly surprised. I could see his customer-centric approach since he came to my place on his off-day, in his personal vehicle (Swift DDiS) and ensure that I make the booking. Well, I was already sold on the Rapid TSI ever since I took it for a spin, and now I was sold on their dealership's wonderful hospitality. I immediately transferred Rs. 31,000/- via IMPS to their dealership's bank account and the booking was confirmed. Although, no discount was offered to me at the present, yet he promised the best offer available at the time of delivery (Navratra time/festive season).

Two days later (yesterday 18/06/2020), I got a WhatsApp from him informing me that the booking amount has been processed towards the Rapid Rider TSI and he shall be happy to assist me in future. He also promised me that if my decision of purchasing the Rapid changes henceforth, I shall be at liberty to cancel the booking with Zero deduction. Now, that's really bold of him. He said that customer satisfaction is what matters the most to him. Well, this incident made me realise that I approached the correct dealership. Subsequently, I got a call from Skoda Corporate office confirming my booking and extending a warm welcome in their 'Skoda Family' and that they wished me happy miles with a Skoda. Within a few minutes, I received an email conveying the same message.

I guess, if my experience till now, touchwood has been excellent, I hope your experience with Brite Skoda Noida too shall be equally nice.

P.S: I am in no way associated with either Skoda or Brite Autowheels.
Also, a BHPian who got his Superb serviced from them a week ago, only suggested me to pay a visit at their newly opened dealership and I thank him for his advise. Frankly, you cannot afford to believe the Skoda ASS stories as such. You need to visit them and deal with them to get a better picture. Although, I do not say that they would have been the best right from beginning, but they have certainly made improvements and I guess there is no reason we shouldn't beleive in them.

[sanyog26]

Voted for the Rapid Rider (base) variant.

Reason- Build quality, more space as compared to sub-4 metre sedan/SUVs, bigger boot, rear AC and the snob-value of Skoda (VAG group in General).

I must mention at the outset, that I have already taken the plunge and booked myself a Rapid Rider TSI Carbon Steel color 3 days ago.

Well, I was in the market looking for relatively premium fun to drive hatchback. Although, I didn't really require a diesel engine and petrol would have served me well, still I was looking at Figo S/Titanium tanTDCi purely due to the excellent 1.5 TDCi Diesel mill and the torque it has. But the price was bothering me, an OTR price (in Delhi) of almost 8.9-9 lacs for a quickly depreciating car. No doubt it is a very capable and VFM car, but spending close to 9 lacs for a hatchback didn't just seem justified. I was confused, totally confused.
In the meantime, came the news that Skoda Rapid TSI has been launched witha starting price of Rs. 7.49 lacs ex-showroom. I was quite intrigued with the starting price but ignored it thinking probably it won't be equipped much. But boy, I was so wrong. I first came across and article on this forum about the decent features on offer even on the base variant (Rider), rear AC Vents, rear defogger, front as well as rear arm-rest, Auto AC were the brownie points in the car. Only thing to be seen was the 1.0 TSI Engine's performance and the AC's performance.
I immediately contacted Prem Skoda, Agra and they arranged for a test drive vehicle and I was sold. The engine was so quick. Initially, I was apprehensive about the 3-pot engine but never did I feel it's a small displacement 3-cylinder engine. I was sold on that car. Next weekend, I travelled to my hometown Delhi and took my family for a test drive to Brite Skoda Noida, and everyone was mighty impressed with the new Rapid and yes, we booked one.

Looking forward to a very satisfied and happy ownership of the Rapid for almost a decade..

[Funny]

Being a previous owner of Skoda Rapid 1.6 MPI, the choice is very clear here. I will pick the Skoda Rapid Rider eyes closed. Not because I am a Skoda fanboy, it's because I know what this car is, it's a true European sedan which exudes quality and elegance. This car is a brilliant package when it comes to driving dynamics, highway performance and build quality. I do not think any other car (apart from Polo) would be able to match up to this package at this price point.

[vikramvicky1984]

Voted yes,
Evertyhing is great except for reliability concerns, higher service costs and lower resale often associated with Skoda.
Rapid is a great car to drive and own.Buy extended warranty

I'll post conversation between me (toyota owner) and a Rapid owner friend.

Rapid owner: Yes I pay 10-15k for service versus 4-5k for you. It feels bad for 2-3 days but then I forget about it. Does your happiness of lower cost linger on any longer? When I'll sell, I'll feel worse than you, but that will also be forgotten in a month or so. In any case, everyone will feel their car is better than what it was sold for.
So while on paper you have a better deal; except for those 2-3 days a year and a month evey 7-8 years, don't I drive something which brings happiness, great handling, FE and looks- dont you love driving my car over yours?

Me: speechless.

Many of my friends have got Rapids over Honda city, Verna after driving one, even though there is just one A.S.S. in Jharkhand and a normal sevice means ~2 days. This was before the new pricing (though most are diesels)

[coolboy007]

Voted NO, have had prior experience with both Vento and Rapid which we bought in 2012 and the experience was disappointing to say the least. No complaints with the car, had solid build, good handling and the 1.6 TDi was a beast, the only grouse i have is with the parent company.

These cars had a list of issues like brake juddering due to poor quality rotors at 10-12k kms mark, broken ac vents, egr failures suspension parts going bad, dampers leaking at 25-30k km and the biggest issue was with the faulty injectors used in 1.6 TDi. VW/Skoda offer segment lowest brake and suspension warranty of 6 month/10000 kms and this shows the confidence they have in their products, even the extended warranty claims process is so time consuming as they have to wait for the company's approval for each and every thing.

The true german pedigree starts from Octavia/Jetta, using cheap made in India suspension parts which do not last even 30k kms is no german engineering. If you have made a faulty product, step up, own upto it and replace it for your customers but after the diesel gate scandal, have understood how these guys work.

No recall was ever issued for major parts like injectors and many owners had break downs and got stranded as these injectors failed without any warning leaving the ownership experience very sour. All emails to both Skoda and VW went unheard pushing for a precautionary replacement of injectors.

The resale value is terrible as well, lost 70% money when i sold the car in 6th year. Even though the car is great, it is too dated now, the parent company support is bad and i would not touch the new engine which has no track record of reliability. Will go for a reliable top spec compact sedan.

I would not put my money down on this one for sure, however good this car may be, it needs to be reliable and should have atleast decent backing from the manufacturer, getting stranded on the road at 2 am with family is a horrifying thought.

[rj22]

Mod note: Please avoid Quoting entire large post for short replies. Affected readability. Thanks.

Originally Posted by sanyog26

Which dealership in Noida did you pay a visit/contacted over phone ? Was it Brite Skoda, Noida Sector-6 ?
==========
Although, I do not say that they would have been the best right from beginning, but they have certainly made improvements and I guess there is no reason we shouldn't beleive in them.

Great to hear that you had a really positive experience. It was indeed Brite Auto, Noida whom I contacted.
I still haven't got a call back from them, though, which is quite unfortunate, as the Rapid is a really nice car.
Also, since my parents will shift to a tier 2 city with no Skoda service center in the near future, we had no option other than to give it a pass.
May you have many memorable journeys in the Rapid.

[CountMe91]

I like performance engines but if its the ONLY car in the family, I would give Skoda a miss! Unless they sort out the after sales service and maintenance issues in the long run, I won't be touching Skoda/VW with a barge pole.

That being said, had it been in Europe/UK, I wouldn't have thought twice before purchasing a VW/Skoda since their maintenance is comparitively less and Skodas are known to hold their resale value in the long run. They are mostly used in the Taxi segment though. I would go for a DSG mated gearbox combo if I am purchasing a Skoda.

[KPR]

It's heart vs head ratio going on. 80:20. Definitely Skoda dealers will have to attend many footfalls in their showroom, provide sufficient TDs. How far they are going to convert into a sale let's see in monthly numbers. Despite corona scare they are attracting buyers to come to their showroom. Great going Skoda. Advertise more. Bring Red colour rider variant too. It's a beauty for sure.