[CARDEEP]

Skoda rapid (Euro-spec) first drive report by Autoexpress UK:

Skoda Rapid review | Auto Express

550 Ltr Boot, comfortable seating for 5 adults, 1.2 Ltr TSI (85 & 104 bhp) & 1.6 Ltr TDI 104 bhp & more...

... I wish they launch it in India soon.

[DieselDon]

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

Skoda Rapid review | Auto Express

550 Ltr Boot, comfortable seating for 5 adults, 1.2 Ltr TSI (85 & 104 bhp) & 1.6 Ltr TDI 104 bhp & more...

... I wish they launch it in India soon.

Another review - from Autocar-UK
First drive review: Skoda Rapid 1.2 TSI S Review | Autocar

Key Takeaways:
- 17 inch wheels
- 4.48m long, 1.94m width, 2.6m wheelbase. Hence rear seating and space is better
- 1.2-litre four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine - 84 and 104 bhp
- 1.4 TSi petrol engine. - 121 bhp
- 1.6-litre TDI engines - 88 and 104 bhp
- A 7-speed DSG ‘box is standard on the 1.4 TSi and optional on the lower-power diesel engine
- Boot Space(550 Ltrs) is 50 Ltrs more than the Jetta and opens like a Hatch (Also classified as a hatchback)

I too wish they launch it in India soon. Personally - Not happening till 2-3 yrs

[Turbo car]

Diesel Don..thanks for the update.

Do you have any idea when they are relaunching the face-lifted octavia in India ?

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by Turbo car

Do you have any idea when they are relaunching the face-lifted octavia in India ?

We already have the latest Octavia here, just that it is renamed Laura for our country.

[Turbo car]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

We already have the latest Octavia here, just that it is renamed Laura for our country.

Thanks Anshuman..

Does that also mean that skoda has totally discontinued their flagship model in India viz Octavia, for good ?

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by Turbo car

Thanks Anshuman..

Does that also mean that skoda has totally discontinued their flagship model in India viz Octavia, for good ?

Flagship model for Skoda worldwide(& India) is Superb. Old gen Octavia was discontinued in April 2010 as it could not meet Bharat IV emission norms and anyways it was dated model sold only in India.

[Turbo car]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Flagship model for Skoda worldwide(& India) is Superb. Old gen Octavia was discontinued in April 2010 as it could not meet Bharat IV emission norms and anyways it was dated model sold only in India.

Thanks Anshuman.

That is really sad. I loved the old octavia's shape and i felt that it was the most aerodynamic one in that time period. Used to remind me of the old model Standard 2000 as that car ( by HM if i recall correctly ) had a great shape.

Why did HM really stop the production of the car ? I had decent volumes at that time and was considered to be an aspirational model at that time.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

Originally Posted by Turbo car

Do you have any idea when they are relaunching the face-lifted octavia in India ?

Some updates on Skoda:

1. The new Rapid is being launched for the first time at the Paris Motor Show to be held on 29th September. It is 50mm longer than the Indian Rapid on account of the changes in the front grille. The other change is to the rear lights which are positioned in line with the top of the boot. The width remains the same.

2. Skoda is changing it's logo slightly - the new logo is as seen on the Mission L and will be introduced in India too - showrooms in India will bear the new logo.

3. The new Octavia is coming to India by the end of the year / beginning of next year according to sources in Skoda India. There are two conflicting reports here - one was that the Mission L will be badged as the Octavia in India and the other is that the Laura name is being dropped and the new Laura will be sold as the Octavia. As is the case with Skoda it will be possible to finally ascertain this only when the actual car arrives as Skoda does effect last minute changes in the areas of the name - the Rapid was going to be launched as the Lauretta until the final few months when the decision was changed.

[Tats07]

Originally Posted by nik_kapur

Wonder if it now makes sense for Skoda to bring in the Euro Rapid as an Octavia into India and forget about bothering to replace the Laura/Octavia in India. VW can use the Jetta to target the upper c segment and the Euro Rapid could easily be priced between 12-15L (on Road).

At 12-13 L their is a huge market and the old Octavia in India was a huge success at that price point. There are volumes at that price point. At 17-20L, the demand is still limited and at best companies do a few hundred units. No one does thousands of units in a month.

Jetta has already been launched with a 1.4 TSI engine making around 121 BHP, the base model being priced at 13.6 ex-showroom. Launch of a Skoda model in the same segment is unlikely to happen. And the Euro Rapid seems to be having 1.2 TSI engine, making the same hp (104) as the Indian Rapid with a 1.4 regular petrol engine.

[Turbo car]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

Some updates on Skoda:

3. The new Octavia is coming to India by the end of the year / beginning of next year according to sources in Skoda India. There are two conflicting reports here - one was that the Mission L will be badged as the Octavia in India and the other is that the Laura name is being dropped and the new Laura will be sold as the Octavia. As is the case with Skoda it will be possible to finally ascertain this only when the actual car arrives as Skoda does effect last minute changes in the areas of the name - the Rapid was going to be launched as the Lauretta until the final few months when the decision was changed.

Thanks and Great..!!!

So what we can expect is Lauretta ie Rapid in a new avatar, and Mission L sans Octavia, or Laura is no more Laura but Octavia...

And does Mission L have any resemblance to our old Octavia in terms of shape or is it a new car altogether ?

[VeyronSuperSprt]

Originally Posted by Turbo car

Thanks and Great..!!!

So what we can expect is Lauretta ie Rapid in a new avatar, and Mission L sans Octavia, or Laura is no more Laura but Octavia...

And does Mission L have any resemblance to our old Octavia in terms of shape or is it a new car altogether ?

Mission L is the UK Rapid you see in the links above. The yet to be released new Laura is the one that is being considered for rebadging as the Octavia.

[nik_kapur]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

Mission L is the UK Rapid you see in the links above. The yet to be released new Laura is the one that is being considered for rebadging as the Octavia.

There is no such thing as a new Laura. The Laura is simply a rebadged Octavia in India and we will now get the new Octavia in India with its original name i.e. the Octavia.

One thing that could happen is that the Euro Rapid is brought in as a Octavia in India and the new Octavia is once again rebadged the Laura as the brand name is well established in India.

One issue is that Skoda would then have 4 cars between 8-20 L and that is a marketing nightmare.

[.anshuman]

Just read the Auto Express and Autocar UK reviews posted above. The enthusiast in me is disappointed, being set up for a safe predictable handling, they say it isn't very appealing to the driver.

Just like our Indian Rapid, this Euro Rapid too is based on the stretched Polo platform, my guess is it might be a more thorough job compared to cut-stretch-paste the boot job we have for the Indian Rapid. Euro car too carries the cheaper non-independent rear suspension, maybe carried over from Polo.

Another rough guess is, some years down the line, they might bring it here as Rapid II. In current form, at a possibly quite higher price point, it does not deliver anything substantial over our Indian Rapid. It might have the newer design language, the quality of materials used might be superior but under the skin there might not be much that is different. The Diesel engine used is same as well.

I just hope they do not push it as Octavia(or anything else) for our market. I'd be much more happier to see the Golf based un-diluted Octavia III here. I don't care what they name it.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

It's probably been already posted here but here are some pics and other news of the new Octavia. Whether it would be known as the Laura or Octavia is still in the realm of conjecture.

Skoda India plans to re-launch new Octavia, to replace Laura in 2013 | Bharath Autos - Automobile News Updates

[DieselDon]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

it does not deliver anything substantial over our Indian Rapid.

This statement kind of feels nice to see from a Skoda owner - Soothes the nagging thought at the back of my head (Would the current Rapid be obsolete in a few months - You do not know what Skoda can do).