[ajay_satpute]

Excellent review guys. Rates 5 stars.

Rapid looks like a good proposition at the price point and having 2 options for the AT is the best thing to happen in the recent history of Indian Automobile industry.

I just have one doubt, though. Why in the world, Skoda did not use the detuned TSI engine from the Laura rather than uptuning the MPI engine from the Fabia? The TSI is a gem of a petrol engine having super FTD factor and also fuel efficient (to a large extent, my friend gets 14 kmpl in city with AC). Rapid with TSI would have been the USP for Skoda.

IMHO, I dont think Rapid will eat too much into Vento's sales. Instead of 3k per month, Vento might give away about 500(minimum) units to the Rapid and both will sell well(atleast 2k per month). I think that must be VW's plan. They won't panic if Vento sales go down by 1k.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

I just have one doubt, though. Why in the world, Skoda did not use the detuned TSI engine from the Laura rather than uptuning the MPI engine from the Fabia? The TSI is a gem of a petrol engine having super FTD factor and also fuel efficient (to a large extent, my friend gets 14 kmpl in city with AC). Rapid with TSI would have been the USP for Skoda.

Ajay, the TSI engine is a turbo charged direct injection engine. It's one of the most complex engines out there. Not only would the cost of the car have skyrocketed with that engine, the maintenance costs would have shot up as well. With this simple MPI engine Skoda have got decent performance and FE without making the engine complex. A turbo alone on any car increases the cost by 40-50K. This is without the strengthening of the engine block to handle a turbo.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Ajay, the TSI engine is a turbo charged direct injection engine. It's one of the most complex engines out there. Not only would the cost of the car have skyrocketed with that engine, the maintenance costs would have shot up as well. With this simple MPI engine Skoda have got decent performance and FE without making the engine complex. A turbo alone on any car increases the cost by 40-50K. This is without the strengthening of the engine block to handle a turbo.

Thanks Vid for that turbo-charged super fast response. I get the point now. I am tempted to go and book the AT. Fingers crossed.

[Superleggera]

Thanks for the detailed review. This car is going to eat up some of the numbers from i20.

[kpbhatt]

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!

SI -- agree to your point but only partially ; look at the markets elsewhere , the US and Europe ( although a lot more mature than India) have enough examples of the same car being sub-branded and being sold under 2 or more different names.

The case is a bit different here. However similar these 2 cars look in terms of specs or features, the review clearly shows the Rapid as the better one when it comes to Price vs Features as well as on the better handling of the car over different terrains. Also clearly pointed it out in the review is the fact that its the cheapest AT petrol in India as on date. I am not sure why Skoda left out the diesel -- if they bring in the diesel with the dsg on this one and price it well it could kill everything in sight ....

[Vid6639]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

[rahul_9327]

Excellent review there Sam and Vid. Rated a well deserved 5*.

Loved the car inside out. It is quite a looker and got great road presence going for it. Skoda has definitely got a winner on hands.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by kpbhatt

Also clearly pointed it out in the review is the fact that its the cheapest AT petrol in India as on date.

Yes, I did read that, and to be honest, I was actually surpirsed that Skoda could be the cheapest available product in that particular catagory!

I am not sure why Skoda left out the diesel -- if they bring in the diesel with the dsg on this one and price it well it could kill everything in sight ....

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.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

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.

Hmm, I suppose one needs to drive them back to back to understand the difference in both the cars. Well, that calls for a TD of both of em then .

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.

Vid, not that the Aceleres are bad, right from zero Kms. They tend to develop problems post 5000 clicks. The tyres start getting hard and there is a distinctive increase in noise. Same's the case with the NCT5 from Goodyear. Hence, I said they could have given better tyres.

[kumarsiddhi]

Hi Samurai and Vid, how do you compare the Rapid TDI with Laura TDI MT in terms of driving and performance, considering that both have about the same power outputs 105bhp vs 110bhp and 250NM vs 250 NM

[thelastsmoke]

Excellent review. Loved the comprehensive nature of the report. So am confused now which diesel should I go for? Hyundai Verna Fluidic 1.6 diesel or the Rapid diesel? Also is there some method by which one can connect an iPhone to the 2-DIN audio system in the Rapid at least to play the music in the phone?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by thelastsmoke

Excellent review. Loved the comprehensive nature of the report. So am confused now which diesel should I go for? Hyundai Verna Fluidic 1.6 diesel or the Rapid diesel? Also is there some method by which one can connect an iPhone to the 2-DIN audio system in the Rapid at least to play the music in the phone?

As far as engine and driving dynamics are concern, Rapid is way ahead of Verna. No comparison there.

Regarding iPhone, aux-in is the only available method.

[kumarsiddhi]

Originally Posted by thelastsmoke

Excellent review. Loved the comprehensive nature of the report. So am confused now which diesel should I go for? Hyundai Verna Fluidic 1.6 diesel or the Rapid diesel? Also is there some method by which one can connect an iPhone to the 2-DIN audio system in the Rapid at least to play the music in the phone?

Yes, there is a cable you can buy which has 3.5mm jack. You put one end of it in the iPhone headset slot and another end in the AUX IN slot. I use it in my Fiesta.

You can also buy cable that goes into the charging slot and has an extension for connecting to the AUX IN slot in the car stereo. So you can charge the iPhone and listen to the music at the same time. However if you have a car charger already you don't need this one

[Vibhanshu]

Thank you for sharing such a great report.

Some other Test Drive Reports have mentioned that the amount of Vibrations are not upto the standards. How far is this true ?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Vibhanshu

Some other Test Drive Reports have mentioned that the amount of Vibrations are not upto the standards. How far is this true ?

Can you be more specific? Other than slight clutch vibration and wind noise at higher speeds, we haven't noticed any other NVH issues.

[razor4077]

Great review guys - rated it 5 stars!

VW will feel the heat for sure now. In my recent interactions with them, they hardly seemed bothered to sell a car... very poor from a sales/relationship perspective, and mine was not an isolated incident. Maybe now they'll stop taking customers for granted.

Skoda sales were the polar opposite - very eager, very helpful and it seemed like they actually wanted to make a sale! I am hoping their a.s.s has also improved similarly. How about some inputs from current Skoda owners? For all the Skoda bashing that happens (most of it deservedly!), I think most of us really like Skoda cars , and I for one would love to own one. So a current status check on the a.s.s situation would be helpful.

The Rapid looks very promising - need to td it asap!