We had reported way back in June this year that Skoda is readying a special edition Rapid sedan for our market.
Now, our sources tell us that the special edition we'd spied is, in fact, a variant of the updated Rapid sedan which will hit showrooms on September 30, 2014.
As seen in the spy photo, the new variant — called the Skoda Rapid Black Edition — is expected to get cosmetic tweaks on the exterior such as black inserts for the headlamps with projector units, black surrounds for the grille and also blackened wing mirrors. It will also get a black-roof which is not clear in this photograph. The Rapid Black Edition will also get special 16-inch Skoda Comet alloy wheels and blackened fog-lamp inserts.
The big news is that the updated Skoda Rapid sedan will come with an all-new 1.5-litre diesel engine good for 104 bhp and will also get the option of a DSG automatic gearbox.
Earlier this year, Skoda had updated the interiors of the Rapid sedan with minor tweaks and adding equipment such as a new steering wheel with steering-mounted controls for some variants and a new gear knob, among other features. We expect these tweaks to be carried over to the updated car.
The 2014 Skoda Rapid is available at a discount of around Rs 90,000 depending on the variant.
AKBAR MERCHANT