[maheshramaling]

Great review Samurai & Vidyut! I think you have throughly reviewed the car and IMO this car is going to steal quite a numbers from both hatches like i20, Jazz, Swift & Sedans like City, Vento, Dzire, etc., - thanks to their built quality & competitive pricing.

However, IMO - they will increase the price in 2012.This seems like "new launch" offer.

Quick observation; though Rapid is pretty much the same length (rapid is 2 mm longer @ 4386 mm) & has exact same wheel base as vento (@ 2552 mm) - the turning diameter is better in Rapid @ 10.6m. Though the difference value is very small - but not sure, how it was achieved.

Attaching the Rapid brochure downloaded from Skoda India website for easy reference & couldn't upload vento's brochure - since it was 10MB.

[bala80]

If I recollect it right, vento has the same turning circle too (Dia-10.6m and Radius - 5.3m).

Did you read anything different for the vento?

Originally Posted by maheshramaling

Quick observation; though Rapid is pretty much the same length (rapid is 2 mm longer @ 4386 mm) & has exact same wheel base as vento (@ 2552 mm) - the turning diameter is better in Rapid @ 10.6m. Though the difference value is very small - but not sure, how it was achieved.

[kpbhatt]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Bringing in the DSG would have done two things:

1. The pricing would have increased.
2. That may lead to eating into sales of the Laura/Jetta.

Agree on the points you have made -- however this is one segment that is getting more and more crowded. The options available are aplenty. What can be a deal clincher in such cases -- of course the differentiators. I have been looking for a good automatic diesel sedan @ the price range of 10 lacs
refer thread ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...s-mad-man.html). The closest that any manufacturer has come to my requirements is the Hyundai Verna -- I dont fancy it much knowing its ride and handling on high speeds , however the rest of the family adores both the older and newer Verna.
Trust me this can be a bigger differentiator in the crowded market than the steering mounted controls or the USB or Bluetooth connectivity.

Skoda can do a coup of sorts by being a differentiator and pricing a diesel auto for 10 lacs and sweep the market at one go across Dzire, Manza, Verito, Fiesta, Magnum, Verna, City and Linea ..... but then thats just my business inclined common sense speaking -- which is largely absent in most of the marketing and sales heads across these manufacturers.

[SkyWalker]

Dropped into TAFE to check out on Rapid.

a. Overall, looks good! I don't like the snout, it looks too fabia'ish - as many pointed out. But it looked substantial and elegant in black.
b. Liked the interiors - elegant
c. Rear seats dont feel as plush or spacious as City, but it could be a visual feel

On the other hand, climate control, rear AC vents, and a solid diesel engine makes this car a good deal.

The top end comes at 9.31L ex showroom, which means its on road cost is 11.23L (Tax is a killer in Bangalore).

[ku69rd]

Thanks for the review Samurai & Vidyut. This car does appeal to the mind but somehow feel let down with the initial appearance. Front looks compare to Fabia which does not suit the mentality of a 10Lakh buyer. But it appears more appealing than Vento for not so sure reasons. Should be able to comment post a visit to Showroom.

[ahuja365]

Originally Posted by kapursaket

With Car Market being highly competitive do you think the Manufacturers have the leverage of cutting down Rs.One Hundred Thousand without reducing the features and Quality.

Take time off and study thier balance sheets............they are bleeding because of competition and Dollar Volatility!

But what about economies of scale which is the only way one can succeed.All the manufacturers are thinking low volumes and are achieving if they want higher volumes they need to invest more.Just look at the car prices abroad and with the sales increasing don`t you think that someday the manufacturers would have to adopt a more rational pricing.I feel we are being discriminated and if we raise voice may be they would fall in line.Look at the example of britain where earlier car manufacturers would price their car the same as us but in pounds.When media and people raise their discontent they amended it but kept it higher sighing reasons for right hand drive conversion costs.I don`t know when will our turn come.

[Th!ru]

Thanks for the excellet review samurai and vidyut. It was really helpful. I had a look at the car and its really impressive in flesh as well. I was in the hunt for a vento, but this car proves to be more realistic and a VFM option as stated by many.

I am thinking of booking the mid variant and adding an ICE setup and maybe alloys to it later, I have a few doubts which i would like to raise it here and get them cleared before i go ahead with the booking.

1) Are the internal functioning of the climatronic and manual AC the same? Will there be any differences in the effectiveness of them? I am OK with fiddling the controls now and then to get the right temperature.

2) What is this After market 1 DIN audio preparation ? Does this mean i get a 1 din basic HU fitted with no speakers?

3) Skoda dealer in Chennai doesn't seem to provide a 2 year Extended warranty, at least that's what their site says, is this true everywhere else in India too?

4) Does Skoda sell the same alloys for an additional cost, Has anyone inquired about it, if so how much would that cost? Those really improve the stance of the car!

Thanks!

[architect]

It is cheaper than the Vento and it has better ride and handling.

Logically, Skoda will not use parts with worse quality than VW for the common components.

The only catch is the infamous Skoda After Sales. If they could fix that, they could have a winner on their hands.

@Vidyut / Samurai: As an enthusiast, which one would you like to buy: Rapid or Vento?

[90BHP]

Very well priced entry by Skoda. It is definitely going to get the competition thinking ! What would be the OTR price for the Elegance variant in Mumbai.

Why should Skoda omit key features like Bluetooth & Steering control in their cars ?
Was not clear with the FE of the manual diesel version ? Can you please confirm ?

[sumeshmani]

Thanks Vid6639 and Samurai for an instant detailed review. I have couple of queries
1. I don't see parking sensors listed in the brochure. No mention of them in the review too. Is it available as an accessory?
2. Has Skoda after sales service been improving over the past couple of years?

[PPS]

Nice Review. Does the Rapid feel marginally more spacious than the Vento or is it the same?
The floor hump in the middle is a major issue in my Octavia as well, i have sat there once and i've sworn never to sit there again! Sad that they couldn't do anything about it.
The mild clutch vibration is felt even in my ageing Octavia, i have got used to it over a period of time.
Regarding the Apollo Accelere tyres, they are quite decent & i agree with you that they take all the abuse that you throw at them. Only issue i found with them is that they tend to become noisy after a period of time.

The Rapid will look more appealing in brighter colours. I think initially they are only offering the usual boring colours.

[LandCruiser]

Very well priced! Ford must learn again. After the success due to Fiesta and Figo it got into their head. Overpriced Fiesta, now trying to give offers worth75k! Stands no chance.

Rapid and Vento will be a success. Skoda service, fingers crossed!

[srishiva]

Dont know if the differences seen in ride and handling vs Vento are just perceived ones. If Skoda says its the same then how can it differ?
Are the tyres different which is making a difference?

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by ahuja365

People are saying the rapid as a vfm but i strongly disagree.

I agree to your point to some extent. Just because the Rapid is slightly cheaper than the Vento, it doesn't become VFM car suddenly. For me, Rapid could have been called VFM if the price of the top-end diesel variant would have been <=9.5-9.75 lacs on-road, just below the barrier. I am sure Skoda(infact VW) could have positioned( and can afford too) it that lower and kept Vento as a premium car and managed superb sales for the Rapid. On the contrary, someone just mentioned that Skoda might hike the price starting 2012, which is not going to work in their favour I feel. For me, it just falls in the similar range as that of the Verna, Vento, City(petrol variants). Nissan Sunny IMO looks like a VFM with 8.75 lacs OTR (Pune) for the fully-loaded top-end XV variant.

The only variant that I really liked was the AT, which as everyone knows is the cheapest AT sedan in India.

[maheshramaling]

Originally Posted by bala80

If I recollect it right, vento has the same turning circle too (Dia-10.6m and Radius - 5.3m).

Did you read anything different for the vento?

Yes - Vento's turning raidus as per brochure is 5.4m which means 10.8m in diameter. Whereas - Rapid's turning radius is 10.6m diameter which means 5.3m in radius.

Vento's brochure can be viewed @ http://220.226.186.168/ebrochure/vento_ebrochure.pdf

Rapid's tech specifications can be viewed @ Technical Specs Skoda Auto -

Not sure if there is a error while printing or they did something different in Rapid.