It's New Skoda Rapid on the Road

[Varun560061]

Re: Its new Skoda Rapid on the road

A typical Skoda sign it is,the headlight adjustment cluster it is.

the knob is used to switch the headlights ON or OFF,while the scroll is used for the leveling,here is one pic of it:-

It's used for fog lamps and rear de-fogger too.

Thanks for the info, will there be the normal type of headlamp switch along with this ?

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Its new Skoda Rapid on the road

It's used for fog lamps and rear de-fogger too.

Oops,a mistake of mine,not mentioning the complete thing.

Thanks for the info, will there be the normal type of headlamp switch along with this ?

Normal type means,the ones on those sticks behind the wheel(CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT WE CALL THEM??)where all the controls lie?
If yes,then NO,those normal type is abnormal for Skoda...

 

[Varun560061]

Ha Ha, thanks ,

 

[Surfer]

SedateDriver congrats Most Rapid review on TAI.
Please provide detailed cost details also. What freebees they offered you (if any) ?

"Why people dump their cash on SX4 when they can buy this thing(log apne paise SX4 mein kyun barbaad karte hain jab woh iss bala ko kahrid sakte hain)?

Because of great Maruti ass, After paying hard earned 10+ L rupees people do expect some respect at ass and also Sx4 is also a very good VFM car. Just peace of mind experiance after purchase is what all Maruti car offers and they do car each and every customer. (PS there might be very few exceptions also)

 

[TSIVipul]

SedateDriver congrats Most Rapid review on TAI.
Please provide detailed cost details also. What freebees they offered you (if any) ?
Because of great Maruti ass, After paying hard earned 10+ L rupees people do expect some respect at ass and also Sx4 is also a very good VFM car. Just peace of mind experiance after purchase is what all Maruti car offers and they do car each and every customer. (PS there might be very few exceptions also)

Here in Meerut no freebies are being offered,no cash discount,no schemes,no other offers..NOTHING EXCEPT THE CAR is offered for your money.

Well,Skoda guys give respect at the A.S.S.,at least I get it and have seen everyone else too getting it.
In fact I too have once owned a Swift VXi(I have mentioned it somewhere before too,dunno if you have read it)and what I can say is that now a days Skoda a.s.s. may not be as good as MS,but its not bad too.It has improved a lot and spares are not that expensive too now.

 

[SedateDriver]

Congrats for the beauty, smell of new car interiors is joyful.

Thanks Maddy, it is indeed a joy

Accelaration will improve after, around 1k and noise will also subsidize a bit. Do keep engine ideal for 30 seconds after starting and before switching off it will prolong turbo life.

Great! Thanks again for the advice. I'll take care of engine idling.

How much Kms you have driven so far? Also is this car comes with engine guard as Laura does ( Before initial few kms you can't pull it above 60/80 kmph, if I remember correctly)?

Not more than 50 kms. No engine guard. Odometer reading was already 300+ at showroom but I am sure it was not used for any other purpose than transportation.

Also brakes should be good, not just satisfactory, made me ask, what was your last possesion?

Brakes are good in fact. FYI, my first car was Maruti Alto in 2003 which I still own. While in USA for 3 years, I owned Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata. Also drove powerful SUVs for weekend long trips.

Also tell us about accessories you have purchased, along with dealership experience.

Purchased floor mat and mud flaps for 2K, (got around 1K discount after I insisted). Will install seat covers and ICE next month as priority.
Dealership experience was nice. Quoted delivery schedule was met. Sales consultant was polite. Though he didn't know everything but tried his best to get my queried answered promptly. Paperwork was smooth. Overall it was good, didn't expect better than this.

 

[SedateDriver]

Dear Sedate,accept my warm CONGRATULATIONS on your new ride...
Any ways you have got the car,what I know is,you have got the best out of the crowd.Ambition means the mid variant,the one with driver side airbag and ABS.Right?Now a get a good dual din ICE system for your car and rock us all.

Thanks Vipul. Ambition has got all safety features I needed so why to go for top variant. I can get ICE and Alloys later. I must say thanks to Skoda for giving buyers this option.

6):Since I love the simplistic styling,that's why I feel only Vento and Rapid to have a complete desing,I mean I always feel something missing in Verna's design,but in Rapid I love the way it looks(actually I love the cars like this only,that's why I own Innova,Laura and Corolla).
I agree, it is age-defying design. Too fancy designs like Verna fade early but not this long lasting beauty.
7):about front arm rest,put it on lower most position and then see,you will really shift up and down with your elbow resting on the armrest.
True, that's exactly I drive. Can't describe the pleasure of it. Brilliant.
10)The friend saw SX4 before Rapid and after seeing Rapid he said "Why people dump their cash on SX4 when they can buy this thing(log apne paise SX4 mein kyun barbaad karte hain jab woh iss bala ko kahrid sakte hain)?
SX4 was on my list too considering peace of mind that M.S. gives. But somehow I was not able to convince myself to buy 5 years old model.
11):One thing that I seriously disliked is the center tunnel at the rear,it intrudes a bit too much in the cabin.Agree?
Not really. Rear center seat is not for an adult anyway.
still please post some more,also that dash is not looking good without the ICE,so get it done as soon as possible.
I'll get ICE next month. Open for suggestions till then...

Congrats for the new car !!

Whats the use of the knob\switch found below the air vent (right ride) in the 6th pic..

Thanks Varun

Congrats SedateDriver on the acquisition of your Rapid, it is surely a game changing car of future.Take good care of her and drive sedately (need I say that seeing your user name).

Thanks Xover. Driving sedately is pleasure

looks great :) !! congo sedatedriver. SKODA classic !!

Thanks car_crazy

First Proud owner of Skoda Rapid. This car looks killer and pricing is perfect. Many many congratulations buddy!

Thanks Thetraveller

Congratulations SedateDriver. I am sure you are going to love this beauty for a long-long time.

Please share your experience at Nawab motors and how you managed to reach to a car "Rapid". I mean what all cars you considered before sealing the deal. What is the OTR price and discounts (if any).

Thanks shailinder. I posted dealership experience in just previous post. I'll write about "what all other cars" in separate post.

@sedatedriver
Congratulations a lot on your new car. You had put to money on right product. No other car can give you this level of satisfiction. With its pricing a little lower than Vento it bacame the Best VFM in this segment.

I read your post regarding alloy upgrade in other thread. Beware of any warranty issue instead of regretting later. Do check that the upgrade meets the terms of warranty and also consider Extended warranty and AMC if available. As VW has already provided extended warranty on Polo and Vento. I hope that skoda will definately follow this soon.

Thanks ashikawa.
For now I dropped alloy upgrade plan. Will come back to it when I sell my Alto sometime next year and start using Rapid full time.

hwz the clutch in rapid?is it hard like in vento?i found it very difficult in the traffic.

I didn't find clutch hard. From a brand new car perspective, it was ok.

 

[SedateDriver]

Heartiest congratulations, SedateDriver. Skoda Rapid is indeed a value for money deal. The sophisticated design and interior feel falls in a class of its own. Yesterday I was checking this out. There’s not a single scheme going on though, and the dealer informs that delivery will take at least a week or two. How long did you wait? Do share some more photographs and keep us updated.

Drive Safe,
350Z

Thanks 350Z.
I was offered a cancelled booking with delivery scheduled after 3 days. Short waiting was the only deal, no offers.

congrats dude..welcome to skoda gang!! do you mind telling total cost??

Thanks dodge
9.3L OTR in UP

Congrats for your Rapid SedateDriver.The color choice is good and looks very decent when viewed from a distance,so how is the rear seat space? And how much did it cost you on the road?

Thanks Vishwas
Rear seating space is excellent. Not cramped. In fact, I found all 3 parts (front seat, rear seat, boot) well balanced in terms of space.

Congrats for your Czech Beauty SedateDriver .
Can see the legacy build class with Skoda. Nice to see that they have maintained it in quality unlike their Japanese/ Korean counterparts despite the killer price.

Do share the Average fuel effeciency that you've noticed so far. And as usual, please pour in more pictures.

Thanks truecitylover
It is too early to answer your query buddy. No idea about FE yet.

SedateDriver congrats Most Rapid review on TAI.
Please provide detailed cost details also. What freebees they offered you (if any) ?

Thanks Surfer,
No discounts at all. Got 1K off on the set of floor mats and mud flaps.

 

[SedateDriver]

My journey to Skoda Rapid:
=====================
It started in around May when I decided to switch job and put off long term abroad assignments. So I now what...new car! my 2003 model Alto is still good but falls short of luggage space + interiors. Budget upto 7.5L OTR

Swift 2011 -
I waited for August launch. Was excited about it. Went to see it at nearest Maruti showroom. Disappointed by boot space and black interiors. Didn't feel to even ask for a Test Drive. Came straight out of the showroom.

Honda Jazz -
Just opposite to Maruti showroom, there was Honda. Just then Jazz prices were slashed and I knew this so went there too. My wife was with me. It is instant hit. Took test drive. Next day, I went and booked it. Delivery was told in Dec first week but I was ok. It was only because, it was such a practical buy. With 6.36 Lakhs OTR I was getting top model features except fog lamps. Boot space of 380 liters is good enough for family of 4 (2 adult, 2 kids).

November mid I asked about the status, I was told March April delivery. My patience was over by then. I told myself, Honda is not for me. Cancelled booking, got full refund.

Hyundai i20 -
My next in the list i20 Asta. Everything was good here too. Nice exteriors, Well designed interiors, boot space of 300 liter is ok if not good. Test drove the Asta Petrol model, felt good. Overall I liked it but petrol/diesel war has started to come out of me. There is absolutely no discounts in Diesel and waiting period of 2 months. Asta Diesel was costing me 7.75 OTR...Do I want to spend this for a hatchback? Familiar question to many readers but my answer was still 'yes' (my wife's answer was 'no') because I drive daily and driving a sedan in peak hours is cumbersome.

Anyway, I decided to hold on and see some other options but hatchback/sedan debate has sparked off.

Maruti SX4 -
Advantages are proven vehicle and M.A.S.S. It also cheap and affordable.
Disadvantage - Old model, kind of neglected elder child of Maruti family

Skoda Fabia/Rapid -
Went to Skoda showroom with my wife. I was with Fabia Elegence diesel and my wife was with Rapid. She was willing to settle with hatchback but sedan was something she had her eyes set on. We came out of the showroom extremely satisfied and decided our next car will b a Skoda, either Fabia or Rapid. For Rapid, I have to stretch my budget little bit but thats ok as I plan to keep the car for at least 7-8 years. Also the fact that if I don't buy a sedan now when my kids is small, probably I won't buy when they are grown up so better buy early now.

During the weekend, I read lot of reviews about Rapid and it was praised in critics reviews at Autocar/Overdrive etc. Had another discussion at home and finally decided it is going to be Skoda Rapid. Next day I asked for Test Drive, I was told that TD vehicle is not available...whooops! My next question to myself - Can I book a vehicle without the TD? Probably not. So again decided to put it on hold

Next day, got call from sales consultant that my choice variant in diesel has been shipped but its booking is cancelled so I can get delivery in 2-3 days. I asked myself "Is it for me"...voice came "yes". Booked it, got it as promised in just 3 days. It was so sudden that my parents and brother got to know about it on the day and after delivery.

Cars that were considered but could not be my choice -
Fiat Punto - Problem of driver space cruch, long clutch, poor visibility
Fiat Linea - Low ground clearance
Hyundai Verna - Priced higher, not VFM
VW Vento - Treadline is too basic, Highline exceeds budget
Honda City - Heard about facelifted City coming soon but not sure about delivery schedule. Production is running very low.

 

[anirban_i20]

Odometer reading was already 300+ at showroom but I am sure it was not used for any other purpose than transportation.

First of all a very big congrats for your rapid sedatedriver skoda rapid is a great car and according to me it has defined the word VFM in the c segment sedans
I myself picked up its sibling the vento last month.
Also 300+ km is outrageous for a new car no way it can accumulate such high kms during transportation. Iam sorry to say but nothing cant be done now.

Normal type means,the ones on those sticks behind the wheel(CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT WE CALL THEM??)where all the controls lie?

Hey hi TSiVipul those control sticks behind the steering are known as Stalks.

 

[cooldhaya]

Congratulations sedatedriver , i like this color very much! Haven't yet seen a rapid in the streets till now. I have driven my friends Vento extensively and i just love driving that car!

Have you driven the Vento? How is Rapid compared to Vento , any differences?

 

[SedateDriver]

Thanks cooldhaya. No I haven't driven Vento. Yes you are right, most of the Rapids on road will be of this color. One I saw in Delhi last Sunday, one yesterday at EDM mall ghaziabad and today one in my society itself !!! all in this color. I am sure there will be more and more Rapids in coming months on road. IMO this is best buy in C segment diesel segment.
Got chance to touch 100 kmph today, ride was excellent. Only issue till date is NVH at low speed but that is true to all diesel engines. Due to this sometimes I could not believe that its brand new car
Ordered leather seat covers today, will get them sometime next week. During the installation of seat covers, I plan to get ICE and teflon coating and R. P. sensors. Will post new pics once all that is done.

BTW, one news to share
Skoda Rapid has been awarded as 'Family car of the year' in India by Top Gear India
?KODA Rapid voted ?Family Car of the Year? in India ?KODA AUTO

 

[SedateDriver]

Some additions to my Rapid : Leather seat covers, 2-DIN Pioneer and Rvs Pkg Sensors. More pics are here

 

[Vishwas]

Hey seat covers looks brilliant! the color perfectly matches the body's color.
And how much did the rev.sens costed and there's no place near RHS to place that reverse sensor? think is kinda far.

 

[SedateDriver]

More driving observations - Now with music always on, NVH inside car is suppressed a lot. Acceleration in all gears, cornering, overall ride is excellent. Going on long drive tomorrow on highway. Will post how it responds to higher speeds.

Hey seat covers looks brilliant! the color perfectly matches the body's color.
And how much did the rev.sens costed and there's no place near RHS to place that reverse sensor? think is kinda far.

Thanks! There was scheme on RPS at accessory shop. Because of the seat covers (of 7K), I got this simple RPS at 1.5K only which is otherwise 2.9K. RPS speaks out the distance so I didn't feel the need to add it at RHS.