[TusharK]

Skoda has removed the Rapid Rider from its official website. It has been reported that the variant is sold out for 2020 and has therefore been temporarily removed from the website. It will be re-introduced in January 2021.



In fact, earlier this year, Zac Hollis, Director - Sales, Marketing & Service, Skoda India, had stated that the Rapid sedan was overbooked for this year and that demand was higher than the production capacity.

The Rider is the entry-level variant of the Rapid. It is equipped with a 2-DIN audio system that has Bluetooth connectivity, automatic climate control, electric ORVMs, dual-front airbags, ABS and rear parking sensors. The car is powered by a 1.0-litre, turbocharged, 3-cylinder petrol engine that produces 108 BHP and 175 Nm. It is paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The Skoda Rapid is also available in Rider Plus, Ambition, Onyx, Style, and Monte Carlo variants and gets a 6-speed automatic option as well.

Source

Link to Team-BHP News

[Akash86M]

This is what I was told when I went to book my car, guy said Rider plus deliveries will start from Jan end/Feb 2021. So booked Ambition AT instead.

[freakmuzik]

The November sales figure of the Rapid is around 800 and over the last few months, the maximum has been 1k and nothing more. With a production capacity of 89,000 vehicles per annum (acc: to Wiki), I don't know how can they even say the 'Rapid is overbooked'?

I think a company should easily be able to manage at least this minimum number of cars. Or maybe this is just a tactic to make more profits by pushing people to purchase the more expensive variants.

[anshumandun]

Brilliant strategy by Skoda on the Rapid Rider variant.

For the customer, it's a win to be able to buy a decently specced sedan with the new and amazing TSI engine at an affordable price.

For Skoda, it's a win to be able to sell a 10 year old car in healthy numbers when the newer generation is not very far away.

I can't recall ever seeing the base variant of a car doing so well. The magic of disruptive pricing for a good car!

[Altocumulus]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

The November sales figure of the Rapid is around 800 and over the last few months, the maximum has been 1k and nothing more. With a production capacity of 89,000 vehicles per annum (acc: to Wiki), I don't know how can they even say the 'Rapid is overbooked'?

I think a company should easily be able to manage at least this minimum number of cars. Or maybe this is just a tactic to make more profits by pushing people to purchase the more expensive variants.

Actually Rapid is not manufactured in Aurangabad, but in Pune where it shares the same with VW. That has a capacity of 200,000 however I guess a small part is given to Skoda for use.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Skoda: Rapid Rider is overbooked. We don't have production capacity. It is sold out!

Also Skoda: But for an additional 50k, you get Rider Plus which is the same car + some stickers + a headunit. You get nice discounts on Ambition variants and big fat discounts of more than a lakh on Onyx variants - because apparently Rapid isn't selling all that well!

Looks like Skoda got greedy with all the hype generated by the Rapid variant, and nothing more!

[VigneshMC]

I was informed Rider variant was discontinued/unavailable when I test drove Rapid in August. So I don't think they took any new booking for Rider variant after initial few months post launch.

[Dry Ice]

Right, they could have just said we won't book it for the next 20 days. You are welcome to visit us after the holidays.

Wonder what they would do if they ever getting a response like Thar. Our product is sold out till 2050?

[PrasunBannerjee]

But then 2020 is ending in just 20 days, which is less than three weeks What sense does it make anyway? Gimmicky PR tactic I believe.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Skoda has removed the Rapid Rider from its official website.

So this is really weird. Why would you remove something from the website when you are sold out for a few weeks. Won't you keep it there to gather more popularity across your potential customer base.
Gravity-defying logic Skoda!

[firstdrive]

Originally Posted by TusharK

It has been reported that the variant is sold out for 2020 and has therefore been temporarily removed from the website. It will be re-introduced in January 2021.

A nice tight slap to that Youtuber who twitted to Zac Hollis about features missing in Rapid.

For many it's about how the car drives and not the features!

More info on this thread Skoda India Heads Response Rapid Critique Buy Something Else Then (Skoda India Head's response to Rapid critique : "Buy something else then!")

[gopaneel]

I had gone to checkout the Rapid two weeks back and was told that the Rider is discontinued and they are not taking bookings for Rider Plus this year.

I checked this month's sales figures and saw that the Rapid sells below 1000 cars. Its surprising if at such low numbers, the supply for a variant are limited by capacity. It therefore seems like the company doesn't want to sell the Rider variant.

For a company that wants to grow in India, it does not look like a good idea to squeeze supply of a variant in demand. Makes the Rider look like a marketing stunt to just say starts at 7.49lakhs.

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

Commendable, given the fact it is a Skoda.

I hope, by now VAG group would have deciphered Maruti's mantra, VFM = VOLUME FETCHES MONEY.

I'm not so sure its an achievement. The Rapid is the best selling car for Skoda. But in November, the figures for the best seller are less than 900. At such low numbers, I don't think its good news if you cannot meet the demand for a variant - Rider, in this case.

Maruti on the other hand, sold 18000+ Swift cars, which is their best seller. And I don't think Maruti turns down anybody coming to buy an LXi or stops manufacturing the variant because of low margins.

[tirumalavoleti]

IMO, Sheer gimmick to make people buy higher variant.

They were spot on with the Rider variant and might not be doing the margins. As it has created the initial buzz which was needed for the RAPID TSI, now there is no need for selling the variant.

Showrooms might tell that is sold out, but nothing is sold out. Any customer could order the variant if its not available in stock. And definitely it is not a exclusive limited number variant.

Anyway, Rider plus is also very good VFM.

[dgogold]

A nice tight SLAP on that Youtuber who twitted to Zac Hollis about features missing in Rapid.

The more I see this, actually it looks like a "tight slap" on the Skoda fanboys who think the gimmicky marketing of Skoda is far more justified than providing features in their car. Let Skoda first run their factories in full capacity and produce the number of cars they are supposed to, then I think they can talk about being "sold out". Selling merely 600 - 700 units per month, in this way Maruti or Hyundai would be sold out for the next decade!

[Sen]

With the thousands of cars Skoda and VW are exporting to other countries from here, they mean to say they can't supply under 1000 vehicles to the Indian market for three weeks? Allotment/stock for 2020 manufacturing exhausted or not, this stinks of PR stunting.