2013 Skoda Rapid to Make World Debut at Paris Motor Show

Skoda Auto is all set to unveil the 2013 Rapid at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, slated to start from September 27^th .  This car, the first to feature SKODA’s wholly new design, underscores the brand’s growth ambitions. The SKODA Rapid will be introduced in Europe from the end of October, continuing SKODA’s international model offensive. In 2012, the brand has been growing rapidly, increasing deliveries to customers by 8.5 per cent to a new record of more than 633,300 from January through August.

As in the past years, SKODA also proved very successful in the 2012 motorsport season, securing two of three titles several weeks ahead of season’s end.  In launching the SKODA Rapid, SKODA ignites the next stage of its model offensive. “The SKODA Rapid is SKODA’s new class and it has a central importance for our 2018 growth strategy. We think that in the years ahead, the Rapid will become our largest volume model after the Octavia,” says SKODA CEO Winfried Vahland.

 “Our new model line sets standards among compact saloons and it is a SKODA in the best sense: roomy, elegant and affordable at the same time, a car for the whole family, with clever solutions, modern technology, high efficiency and the best price-value ratio,” says Vahland. The SKODA Rapid complements SKODA’s model palette between the smaller SKODA Fabia and the larger SKODA Octavia. The car’s extremely generous space offering is the benchmark in the segment. No other car in the segment offers as much knee and headroom and as large a boot volume (550 litres) as the new SKODA Rapid. “This is an extremely flexible saloon, and its boot has estate-car qualities,” says Vahland.

As in every SKODA, the subject of practicality has a special emphasis in the new SKODA Rapid. The new model features no fewer than 19 “simply clever” solutions. One example of a solution that is especially ingenious, is the ice scraper integrated in the fuel filler flap, providing the ice scraper with a fixed space in the car, so no more cumbersome searches in winter. Other practical solutions include the reversible floor covering in the boot and practical holder underneath the driver’s seat for the warning vest that is mandatory in many countries.

The SKODA Rapid is the brand’s first series car to feature SKODA’s new design: attractive, modern, clear, precise and timelessly elegant. At the centre of the car’s front is the new SKODA logo: a precisely executed winged arrow in chrome set on a black matte base and framed by a fine chrome line. The positioning of the car’s fog-lamps and headlights is reminiscent of a cloverleaf. The Rapid’s elegant side aspect impresses with a coupé-like silhouette and a clear division of surfaces and lines. The car’s rear end again stands for clarity, freshness and precision: the taillights show the SKODA-typical C design in its new shape with a fine crystalline grind.

In the field of safety, the SKODA Rapid impresses with the comprehensive active and passive safety equipment. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is standard in many EU countries. The engine line-up in Europe includes four petrol and two diesel aggregates, with five especially efficient GreenTec variants also available from launch.

Read More on : Skoda Rapid in India