Photo: CarPix
The all-new Skoda Rapid has been spied for the first time with a production body. As we reported late month, it's now a notchback sedan, but exclusively a big hatchback that aims to compete with the VW Golf.
The fact that the Golf Allrack accompanies it for testing is probably not a coincidence. However, the Rapid won't have the AWD necessary for a true Scout version.
The production body will still seem dull to some, but the people who buy Skodas will find plenty to appreciate. The front features a prominent grille which integrates the radar sensor and is flanked by narrow headlights. They look like they were designed with indirect LED projectors in mind.
The back, meanwhile, shows an awkward bottom skirt, but also the first long taillights on a Skoda car since the Superb. Usually, the Czech automaker cheaps out and puts the lights to the side of the trunk opening, like on the Octavia and Fabia.
We believe the Rapid won't be directly related to the Golf, being derived from the Polo's MQB A0 platform. However, refinement will be substantially improved, which is something that plagues the current model. Just looking at the prototype, we feel that it's been built around a large cargo capacity, something every family car needs.
Most of the engines should be small ones. Every European automaker now has go-to 3-cylinder units, and the one Skoda will use is called the 1.0 TSI, making up to 115 HP. Since diesel is growing increasingly unpopular, the Czechs are probably going to rely on the 1.5 TSI as well, including the hybridized version VW will use in the Golf BlueMotion.
Of course, a true hybrid can't be ruled out either. According to the latest rumors, a new generation of TDI engine is on its way as well, built on the 1.5-liter architecture and fitted with AdBlue.
The production body will still seem dull to some, but the people who buy Skodas will find plenty to appreciate. The front features a prominent grille which integrates the radar sensor and is flanked by narrow headlights. They look like they were designed with indirect LED projectors in mind.
The back, meanwhile, shows an awkward bottom skirt, but also the first long taillights on a Skoda car since the Superb. Usually, the Czech automaker cheaps out and puts the lights to the side of the trunk opening, like on the Octavia and Fabia.
We believe the Rapid won't be directly related to the Golf, being derived from the Polo's MQB A0 platform. However, refinement will be substantially improved, which is something that plagues the current model. Just looking at the prototype, we feel that it's been built around a large cargo capacity, something every family car needs.
Most of the engines should be small ones. Every European automaker now has go-to 3-cylinder units, and the one Skoda will use is called the 1.0 TSI, making up to 115 HP. Since diesel is growing increasingly unpopular, the Czechs are probably going to rely on the 1.5 TSI as well, including the hybridized version VW will use in the Golf BlueMotion.
Of course, a true hybrid can't be ruled out either. According to the latest rumors, a new generation of TDI engine is on its way as well, built on the 1.5-liter architecture and fitted with AdBlue.
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