Photo: SB-Medien
The Rapid models are known for being cheap and not much else. In the past, that would have been enough for Skoda, but the Check automaker now thinks it can compete with the Volkswagen Golf.
The Rapid came out in 2012, gained a Spaceback hatch body in 2013 and a mild facelift for 2017. One Skoda official opened up about the compact car and where the all-new model is headed.
"How should I put this? Our presence [in this segment] is very humble. With the current Rapid Spaceback, we didn’t manage to come through to convince people that we are a credible competitor in this segment," ales and marketing boss Alain Favey told Autocar magazine.
Right now, the Rapid is like a small car with a big body. It doesn't ride particularly well and lacks certain features. The Octavia is the Skoda that's like a Golf, even though it's much bigger, since both share the MQB platform.
"The new Rapid will not be available as an estate, while the Octavia Estate makes up a lot of the Octavia’s sales. The Rapid is clearly a Golf rival in design, while the Octavia is a three-box hatch. The real Golf contender will be Rapid. You will not be able to be confused between the new Rapid and Octavia," Favey added.
We think that means you won't get a regular Rapid model, just the Spaceback hatch. Further changes include a name change, which is the go-to strategy when automakers realize they messed up a car. Remember the Opel Vectra or the Ford Escort?
And Skoda is so confident its hatchback is good that Favey even boasts sales in the first full year will double 2017's 66,512 units delivered in Europe.
Under the skin, the compact Czech model will be underpinned by the same MQB A0 platform as the VW Polo. That means it probably won't have independent rear suspension, but this likely won't affect the ride quality.
Under the hood, we'll find the familiar 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI, maybe even the 1.6 TDI. Meanwhile, a new generation of infotainment system should make the cabin feel upmarket.
"How should I put this? Our presence [in this segment] is very humble. With the current Rapid Spaceback, we didn’t manage to come through to convince people that we are a credible competitor in this segment," ales and marketing boss Alain Favey told Autocar magazine.
Right now, the Rapid is like a small car with a big body. It doesn't ride particularly well and lacks certain features. The Octavia is the Skoda that's like a Golf, even though it's much bigger, since both share the MQB platform.
"The new Rapid will not be available as an estate, while the Octavia Estate makes up a lot of the Octavia’s sales. The Rapid is clearly a Golf rival in design, while the Octavia is a three-box hatch. The real Golf contender will be Rapid. You will not be able to be confused between the new Rapid and Octavia," Favey added.
We think that means you won't get a regular Rapid model, just the Spaceback hatch. Further changes include a name change, which is the go-to strategy when automakers realize they messed up a car. Remember the Opel Vectra or the Ford Escort?
And Skoda is so confident its hatchback is good that Favey even boasts sales in the first full year will double 2017's 66,512 units delivered in Europe.
Under the skin, the compact Czech model will be underpinned by the same MQB A0 platform as the VW Polo. That means it probably won't have independent rear suspension, but this likely won't affect the ride quality.
Under the hood, we'll find the familiar 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI, maybe even the 1.6 TDI. Meanwhile, a new generation of infotainment system should make the cabin feel upmarket.
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