A first look at the latest entry-level sedan from Skoda stables, the Rapid, and you wonder if it is an elongated Fabia or a Vento in a Skoda shell. Platform sharing is commonplace amongst automotive companies who own multiple brands under one umbrella. And, the Volkswagen group owns the biggest brands, including Skoda, Audi and Porsche. Still, after a a lot of platform sharing between Vento and Rapid, in the process, Skoda has managed to retain its own identity.
But it?s hard for one to dismiss the car as it throws up enough reasons to drive and finally own it. Skoda Rapid will be priced a tad lower than the VW and the idea of getting a brand new Vento for cheaper is a great deal indeed. What?s more, the Skoda badge has a certain amount of brand recall. So what you get for your money is a competent, decent performing car with good brand recognition. In the process of creating the Rapid, Skoda has found themselves with a car that isn?t a Fabia with a boot and still isn?t quite a Vento with a redesigned front end either.
Exterior: At first glance and especially in profile, the Rapid is just the same as the Vento. It does get the Fabia front-end treatment though with the bonnet sporting traditional Skoda creases. You find the headlights, grille and fog lamps come from the Skoda Fabia, and the key modifications to incorporate the Skoda face into the design are the new bonnet, new fenders and the mildly altered chin. At the rear, it?s a straight lift from the Vento. The major underlying difference is the detailing on the tail lamps, which adopt Skoda?s characteristic badge. There are also subtle changes to the boot lid and the rear bumper.
Interiors: Inside, the cabin is almost identical to its VW counterpart, apart from the Skoda family steering wheel (which has no steering-mounted controls), instrument panel, gear lever and audio system. The model we are driving, Elegance, has climate control too. Finished in black, the central console, however, stands out because there is some mismatch in the design of its parts. The vents, buttons and climate control come from VW, while the audio system, with its large buttons and fonts, is clearly Skoda. All in all, the Rapid is a comfortable car to be in and capitalises on VW?s proven design. You even get rear air con vents and a front passenger seat that can be adjusted from the rear bench as well. The driver?s seat is adjustable for height as well and can make for a great driving position when adjusted properly with awesome support all round. Other differences are in the amounts of chrome in various places in the car?both inside and out. The Elegance version also gets fabulous 15-inch alloys while the lower variants settle for 14-inch steel wheels.
Performance: We drove both cars for about 200 km each through a route of mixed terrain and road conditions near Jaipur in Rajasthan and the diesel was way more efficient than the petrol with gear ratios that not only make the car driveable, but enable one to sneak out superior performance as well. The suspension set-up on both cars seems to be slightly on the softer side compared to the Vento, but while it takes bumps and broken roads well, it also doesn?t compromise much in terms of body roll and handling. So what you have with the Rapid is a car that delivers the same quality in its underpinnings as other Skodas. The torque is phenomenal and acceleration is effortless, the right combination to get the adrenaline pumping.
Verdict: The Rapid may be the Vento in Skoda attire but is more appealing to the eye and looks bigger than it too. There is no difference in the dimensions of the two cars, but the exterior designing makes it appear longer. Overall Rapid seems to be a nice car. It will easily impress an average Indian car buyer. The diesel is a strong performer without unwanted turbo lag to speak of. The car seems to be one mile muncher and the fuel economy is impressive. But all those who want a petrol with stellar engine and nice suspension performance may very well head to a Honda dealership. We expect the spare part prices to not be north of those of the Vento.