Team-BHP - Skoda Rapid : Test Drive & Review

Just to update the forum, confirming that the prices of all Volkswagen group vehicles have increased from last week (had hinted it here .

I visited TAFE over the weekend with a friend who was interested in checking out the Fabia. Fazel, the sales person who I had interacted with, showed me the new price list. Less than 3 weeks back, the OTR of Rapid Elegance stood at ~11.7L (including extended warranty and Skoda 0 depreciation insurance). Today it is ~12L, which translates to an increase of 30K on the top-end variant.

They also confirmed that the price rise is across the board, on all Skoda and VW models.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxaud (Post 2862617)

They also confirmed that the price rise is across the board, on all Skoda and VW models.

Hyderabad has not joined the bandwagon completely I guess.
Skoda - Yes(new prices ~ 2+ % on ex-showroom).
VW - Probably Not(no new prices yet).

Cheers, D

Dear All ...

I booked Skoda Rapid(Ambition, Diesel) and getting the car delivered on Monday.
I have decided to go for insurance from outside. I dont have any NCB.

I got the following quotes. IDV=875000, 0 depreciation
1. Royal Sundaram - 26900
2. Tata AIG(Pearl Plan) - 26800

Is this the best price I can get?
Has anyone negotiated a much better price?
Which insurance company should I go with?

Please advice.

Many Thanks.
--Yash

Quote:

Originally Posted by yash.giri (Post 2865409)

I got the following quotes. IDV=875000, 0 depreciation
1. Royal Sundaram - 26900
2. Tata AIG(Pearl Plan) - 26800

Is this the best price I can get?
Has anyone negotiated a much better price?
Which insurance company should I go with?

Hi Yash,

Congratulations on your new Car. The best Insurance experience has been with Bajaj Allianz, however even AIG is also pretty hassle free. :)
Drive safe !

Ensure that the following are included
- Flood
- Earthquake
- Riots

These add up a bit, and the most frequently omitted covers to reduce the price.

While selecting a Zero depreciation policy, apart from the track record, consider the "one time" charge to be paid with every claim.

If you can, get the insurance from a company that Skoda has a tie up with. There are plenty of independent insurance agents who deal in it, you have just to search for them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yash.giri (Post 2865409)

I bought the Skoda Rapid-Ambition TDI with an IDV of 828000 (ex showroom cost is 871600) and paid a premium of 24600 with ICICI Lombard. Its a zero dep.
I guess with the higher IDV, your quotes seem attractive too. Do check on the compulsory deductibles, in my policy it is Rs.2000 per claim. It is usually Rs.500 to Rs.1000 in most policies.

EDIT: As per the below thread, as per the new IRDA guidelines, for Vehicles above 1500 CC, compulsory deductible is Rs.2000/- This is a big jump from the earlier Rs.500 on my Honda City and National Insurance

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2730804

Finally got my Rapid TDI Ambition delivered. Enjoying the car.
Its absolute beast and adorable beauty at the same time.

Thanks Team-BHP and BHPians for all the info and help.
Team-BHP review was really insightful in making decisions.

Cheers,
--Yash

Quote:

Originally Posted by yash.giri (Post 2877812)

Yash..congrats on your purchase on one of the most utilitarian cars here in India . May you have many many years of great and safe driving ahead !!!

Please post pictures of the car as soon as possible. By the way, have they introduced audio controls on the steering wheels now ( like vento ) ?

Guys just discovered that Rapid has one-touch operation for all the four power windows! Always thought that it was only for the front windows as i never happened to lower my rear windows before :P

There is a problem too..The two buttons on the meter console which show Trip 1 and are meant for clock adjustment get stuck inside when pressed and data gets reset! I have had this problem from the beginning but didnt think it to be a big issue but now I am not able to use the buttons. It wasnt this bad earlier as the buttons were only slightly sticky, never very crisp though. Off late, I have to try hard to get the buttons back in position

How does the comfort level in Diesel Rapid/ Vento compares with that in Honda City, Verna and Ford Fiesta. Which of these cars would be preferable over long drives / poor roads and over ghat section with steep climbs? Thanks.

Test drove this car and found her to be having a great heart. Rapid has a very well tuned engine. I deliberately dropped the speed to 30 while on overdrive and pushed the gas to the floor. It didn't even make any noise, no complain about this torture, she just went on.

The only thing I didn't like about this car is the ground clearance. These days, even urban roads are very bad. While driving the car at a particular speed breaker, the tail pipe (exhaust) hit the speed breaker which created a dent there.

The car is good in all aspects except the above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pamiboy (Post 2889220)

Both Vento/Rapid are better handlers when compared to City and Verna. Fiesta has the Ford DNA of ride and handling. But for long drives and poor roads i think both Vento and Rapid should be comfortable. Verna's ride is too bouncy and City doesnt have great ride to boast about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pamiboy (Post 2889220)

I used to drive the New Honda city 2006 model for the past 4 years before moving to Rapid. Ride quality of Rapid is definitely more stable than City over long drives. And slightly better ground clearance helps over the speed bumps in Bangalore.
However, the rear seat comfort is better in city, due to the missing transmission hump for the 3rd passenger.This is a constraint in the Rapid and Vento.