[RacingStripes]

Originally Posted by nik_kapur

Looks like its gonna end up looking like the Laura at the rear end and the Vision D concept front on. With Skoda elements, the car may look more upmarket i feel...

Hope it works out the way you have mentioned. But some of the reports suggest that the headlights of the car might look similar to that of Fabia's. For me that would be a disappointment.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by RacingStripes

Hope it works out the way you have mentioned. But some of the reports suggest that the headlights of the car might look similar to that of Fabia's. For me that would be a disappointment.

The Fabia's curved headlamps would not suit the straight lines of the Vento much. But, going by the looks of the test mules, the head lamps would be closer to the Vision-D concept than the Fabia. Definitely looks promising!

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

The test mules do look launch ready.

Looking at the price difference b/w Fabia and Polo, case should be similar here as well. Skoda might play around with the goodies being offered in the variants.

I didn't get how do you look at the price difference between Polo and Fabia. There used to be a good difference between them (around ~20-30K) but from this April onwards Skoda hiked Fabia prices and now its almost comparable with Polo. I'm looking for top-end petrol Fabia (Elegance) and difference is <10K for HL Polo.

I personally like the Fabia as a whole package, otherwise considering the costs of missing features from Fabia like electronically adjustable ORVMs, rear wash wiper and defogger, makes it costlier than Polo! Except good space and rear ac vents (I'm assuming that Polo doesn't come with it) there isn't more to offer from Fabia, as compared to Polo.

Anyways, my motive was not to compare these two cars but to inform that there is not much difference between the two. And if somebody takes into account the features offered, Fabia looks even bit costlier, specially after the April price hike.

[aravind.anand]

I don't understand this point. When the Polo and the Fabia are totally different Visually, now why is Skoda using the Vento's body for the Rapid? So now only the Fabia would be the distinguished car of the four!

[ashutoshb]

That's what I am trying to say, the difference isn't much, Skoda doesn't have much space to play around on the pricing front.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

I don't understand this point. When the Polo and the Fabia are totally different Visually, now why is Skoda using the Vento's body for the Rapid? So now only the Fabia would be the distinguished car of the four!

Fabia is based on a older platform, so making a Sedan keeping the Fabia as the base would not be as good option as the Fabia is already past most of the lifecycle. Choosing the Rapid to be based on the Vento will be much easier and cheaper option.

I feel Skoda would be wise enough to engrave the Skoda design language to the Rapid, to be able to distinguish it from the Vento and make it instantly recognisable as a Skoda.

Even if they manage to price it below the Vento, there is not much on equipment which they can consider to delete. In comparison to the future competition(Verna, Fiesta etc) the even Vento's equipment list feels too basic. A smarter way will be to get more equipment for Vento and get most of it to the Rapid.

Just like last fews years were dedicated for launches in hatchback segment, 2011 is going to be the year of Sub 10L sedans. Eagerly awaiting the positioning, equipment and pricing information on all the upcoming sedans.

[manualManuel]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

I don't understand this comment. All Skoda cars are priced below their VW siblings. Its a part of their band positioning.

Internationally, I do think all Skoda cars are priced below the VW siblings.

However, as Skoda was in the Indian market before VW and the existing Skoda prices during VW entry period would have resulted in VW over-pricing their cars, Skoda was left with the option of either reducing prices or discontinuing existing models to launch cheaper variants.

Since the old Fabia was more expensive than the Polo, the launch of the new Fabia at a reduced price. Other than the Fabia/Polo category, and the Octavia/Jetta category to some extend, I dont think Skoda and VW had any other cars in India in the same category. So no price clashes.

But there is one thing I don't quite get. Shouldn't the Jetta and the Octavia be in the same category, with the Vento in a lower class? One explanation might be that the Skoda Rapid is a new category of Skoda and not a replacement to the Octavia, and the replacement to the Octavia will be launched at a later date and priced above the Vento but below the new Jetta.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by manualManuel

But there is one thing I don't quite get. Shouldn't the Jetta and the Octavia be in the same category, with the Vento in a lower class? One explanation might be that the Skoda Rapid is a new category of Skoda and not a replacement to the Octavia, and the replacement to the Octavia will be launched at a later date and priced above the Vento but below the new Jetta.

Rapid is Vento in different clothing, so how can you expect it to be positioned in a segment above. Internationally Octavia was replaced by Octavia II= Laura, but in India they were selling 2 generations of Octavia together. It's like when NHC replaced the OHC, NHC was cheaper and a segment lower.

BTW Skoda has introduced cheaper Basic Models of Laura over time to fill the gap created after the departure of the Octavia.

[manualManuel]

Completely forgot about the Laura!! My mistake. The Laura is the new Octavia. So the Octavia replacement (i.e., the Laura) should be cheaper than the new Jetta.

To clarify, I was not saying that the Rapid is to be priced above the Vento, but trying to indicate that it would not be right to say the Skoda Rapid is a replacement to the Octavia, but it would actually a new category of Skoda.

[ashutoshb]

Another artist's impression (Courtesy: Skoda Rapid Sedan | Theophilus Chin) :

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

Another artist's impression (Courtesy: Skoda Rapid Sedan | Theophilus Chin) :

The grill should be bit more wider for the car to show the Skoda character! The artist has left the rear as is! You can easily make out its a Vento from the side & rear portions.

I never found anything wrong with the Skoda grills ! They looks quite ok. This one is just not there!

[Naparajito]

Here is a picture people!!

[ashutoshb]

It looks launch ready!

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

It looks launch ready!

I dont think so These initial batch of prototypes would be masked with camouflage would undergo lakhs of kms of testing and then the original production would begin.

And from the initial pics, I dont like the integration of the Fabia's rounded nose with the straight lines of the Vento. Hope its the picture that makes it seem bad to me.
I dont want the Rapid to be criticized for its nose integration like the Dezire is being criticized for its boot integration Skoda would want to do something about that in the early stages itself.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Here is a picture people!!

If this is the final version, I must say it looks disappointing. We were expecting something better but the Headlamps and front end seems to be from Fabia and rest of the body is from Vento with minimal changes(Look at the C Pillar). So this is just a rebadged Vento with minor changes to front end and backside.

Let's wait for some more pics.