Re: Skoda Rapid : Test Drive & Review Quote:
Originally Posted by MAS One question: How do you find the handling & NVH when compared to the New Fiesta? |
I drove the new Diesel Fiesta 3 days after the Rapid. It was withing town on a 20mins long TD. I found the NVH was better in the Rapid than the Fiesta. In the city I found the Fiesta suspension to be stiffer than the Rapid's. The Fiesta was not as absorbent as the Rapid. However I loved the Fiesta's steering. The steering is on the heavier side even though it's electric and felt much more sporty than the Rapid.
Engine wise the Fiesta diesel was disappointing. The Rapid's diesel engine was in a different league. Quote:
Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar About the car itself - Whats the difference between this and Vento? If I were to put VW logos on this and drive around, 8 out of 10 people wouldnt be able to point the difference!
Its a good product at VFM price, no doubt, but so much of similarity? Thats taking things a bit too family way!
Hasnt VW/Skoda received enough negative feedback on those atrocious tyres? Why get the same (Appolo Acleres) on this again? They are plain pathetic! |
That's what we thought when we went to review the car and so did many of the other reviewers. That this is a rebadged Vento. Only after driving it we realised that there is much more than a change of clothes.
The tyres are not that bad. They took all the abuse we threw at them without complain. They are not high performance tyres but they do the job well. We drove over some of the worst roads possible, missed a couple of craters and at the end of the day there were no tyre bubbles bulges or punctures. If this was a soft performance tyre, one particular sharp crater we hot would have finished that tyre for sure. Quote:
Originally Posted by e46 Commendable job you have done there Vid and Sam! Rated it 5*. Could any of you confirm these:
1. Can I get a Ambition Diesel and get the 15" Antares as an accessory fitted? I feel its much better and bolder than that of Vento's.
2. Howz Skoda service in Kolkata? |
I don't see why the dealer won't be selling the 'Antares' alloys as accessory. They look very nice and many buyers of the 'Ambition' might want to add these. The Laura has a set of optional alloys and I'm sure the Rapid will too.
Skoda Service in Kolkata is nothing to write home about I've heard. I have an uncle who has an Octy and is looking for a change. When I told him about the Rapid, he said anything but Skoda. The service is very bad. Quote:
Originally Posted by vb-san Is this the first proper sedan from Skoda? AFAIK, their sedans are generally have the notchback styling. |
You are forgetting the earlier Skoda Superb. That was a true sedan and not a notch back. Quote:
Originally Posted by aaren Outstanding review !!! The sheer eye for details is amazing. Gave the thread a deserved rating of 5 stars. However, I did not see any comment on: (a) the kind of rear view the driver will have and (b) the all round visibility from the Driver's seat. |
Well, it's the same as the Vento. There were no blind spots and overall visibility was good. The seats and steering have a wide adjustment range so it's easy to be comfortable even for short drivers. ORVM's are wide and have good visibility. However similar to the Vento rear view for driver is hampered thanks to the smallish IRVM and the sloping rear shelf. Quote:
Originally Posted by abhi413 The segment is really hotting up. But is the pricing mentioned on page 1 really the correct indicator? At Gurgaon the Honda City AT is typically available for around 9 - 9.24 lacs plus freebies. (Source: Pearl Honda) while the price shown here is 9.37 lacs ex-showroom!
Most Petrol cars nowadays are selling at a discount in the market, whereas being a fresh launch the Skoda would sell at the listed price itself for some time. |
The prices are ex-showroom in the table. As you mentioned dealers are giving discounts but these vary from dealer to dealer and from city to city. Moreover the Honda City has higher discounts as a refreshed version is around the corner. Once that is released discounts will come down as well. Quote:
Originally Posted by oxyzen How is the performance of the diesel Rapid when compared to the Vento. Are they at par? And how does their high speed handling compare? Body-roll, under-steer, grip, steering feedback etc. |
The review mentions that the diesel Rapid has similar performance than the Vento but we found the driveability better in the Rapid than the Vento. In crowded streets the Rapid was better as you could do with fewer gear shifts. Otherwise performance is at par with the Vento. It's the same engine as the Vento and even the weight is similar.
Handling is mentioned in detail in the review but we were driving on public highways not a track to know under-steer of the car. Everything was well controlled and we did not see any drama throughout our 400kms drive.
If the handling was not good we wouldn't have pushed it till 120kms even.
Last edited by Vid6639 : 17th November 2011 at 10:49.
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