All-new 2020 Skoda Rapid is larger than India-spec Rapid and is specifically made for the international markets
Skoda Auto has unveiled its 2020 iteration of Rapids sedan for the European and Russian market. The new 2020 Skoda Rapid will be sold first in the Russian market followed by other markets where is the car is being sold.
One cannot say whether this new design language of the Rapid will come in India as this particular variant is based on PQ35 platform which is larger than the India spec Skoda Rapid which is built on a smaller PQ25 platform. Therefore the European-spec Rapid sedan is placed in a higher segment than the one offered in India.
Speaking about the changes, the Rapid sedan gets fresh styling with LED headlights on the higher variants. The side profile of the car is similar to the previous generation model. However, the rear part of the car gets redesigned tail lamps as well as reworked rear bumper and boot lid.
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For the European and Russian markets, the new 2020 Skoda Rapid will continue to power from 1.6-litre MPI engine and a 1.4-litre TSI engine. The Naturally Aspirated and turbocharged engines are mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG gearbox respectively.
Skoda is expected to bring the new design language to India-spec Rapid sedan which is based on PQ25 platform but with only 1.0-litre TSI engine for the Indian market. The reason being that Volkswagen and Skoda have decided to phase out other BS4 engines and develop only one BS6 compliant engine to reduce the development costs. This new 1.0-litre engine will pump out 115bhp and 200Nm torque which is better than the current 103bhp and 170Nm figures of 1.2-litre TSI unit.
As of now, Skoda will continue to utilise the PQ25 platform for the Rapid in India before replacing it with the MQB A0 IN platform for its India 2.0 plans. The new platform will spawn a Creta rivalling SUV and an all-new sedan. The company will expand to about 200 dealers across the country to increase its presence and sales.
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