A HAT-TRICK of blue cars for me in recent weeks, but I’m certainly not feeling blue. The Skoda Rapid came in a much lighter shade of blue that the Grand Megane and the Volvo V40R.
I was among a group of Irish motor writers that Skoda brought to Cheltenham last November for the launch of their new Rapid. The new car sits between the Fabia and Octavia in what is now a seven-car Skoda stable for the first time in their history. I can now say that I made it to Cheltenham and back without losing a penny.
And if you in a situation right now where you have to be careful with the pennies it’s good to know that you can get a 1.2 petrol version of the Skoda Rapid for e16,515. Now that’s an attractive price for what is a decent sized family car. However, like most new cars the higher the spec the higher the price and the top of the range 1.6 diesel Elegance version I drove will cost you
?¬24,265.
If you have that kind of money to spend on a new car I would recommend the new Skoda Octavia.
The
‘Rapid’ name was first used by Skoda in 1934. Now it’s in use again for this spacious hatchback. Plenty of room for five adults and the boot is massive, offering 550 litres of space, lots of room for the golf clubs or any kind of club. And there is still more storage space underneath plus a full-size spare wheel.
Externally the Rapid looks like a smaller version of the Octavia. Inside it’s really bright with cream seats and a cream roof. There is plenty of leg room, but somehow it’s not as classy as the Octavia.
An unusual extra is a frost scraper, which is located inside the cover of the fuel cap. Hopefully you won’t need to use it for a few more months. The scraper can also act as a magnifying glass if you forget your glasses!
As mentioned earlier you can get a 1.2 petrol version for just over e16,000, while the 1.2 diesel will cost you
?¬17,695. Also available in 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and diesel. For the launch of the Rapid, Skoda staff did a comparison between diesel and petrol. The result was that long term it’s cheaper to opt for petrol. Diesels are more expensive and if you take into account the initial outlay plus annual service charges, it would, they claim, take you 14 years to recoup the money you spend on a diesel.
Despite the name, you definitely won’t see any boy racers driving a Rapid. And judging by the relaxing arm rest for the driver, I think this frugal motor will be more suitable for people like myself, on the wrong side of 50.
Externally the Rapid won’t win any prizes for looks, but the interior is very bright and would certainly give you a lift if you happened to be feeling
‘blue’ in the morning. The entry level price is certainly attractive, but then the price really jumps up if you go for the higher spec.
Maybe Skoda should look again at their pricing for the Rapid; it’s a fine car, but cannot compete with their own excellent Octavia, where prices for their recently launched new version start at
?¬18,995 for the 1.2 petrol version.