2017 Skoda Rapid facelift unveiled; all you need to know

Czech carmaker Skoda Auto has released images of the updated Rapid sedan ahead of its public debut at 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Positioned between the Fabia and Octavia in Skoda's international portfolio, new Rapid gets mild visual enhancements at the front. These include modified fog lights with chrome strip and newly designed lower part of the bumper. Newly designed bi-xenon headlights and LED DRLs add freshness at front. Black-tinted C-shaped tail-lights with optional LED lights lend the new rapid a sportier rear-end.

Also read: Skoda Octavia Onyx edition launched in India; what is it?

In addition, Skoda is now offering an array of wheel options such as Costa for the size 15-inch, Evora (silver) and Vigo (silver / black metallic) for the size 16 inch, Trius(silver), and Torino (black polished, for the Monte Carlo edition) the size 17 inch.

The interior has been spruced up with new door inlays, re-designed air-vents, revised air-conditioning controls and the addition of two USB ports for rear-seat passengers. Auto high-beam and a WLAN mobile hotspot are the additions on the technological front.

The new addition in powertrain option is the Volkswagen Group's turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, available in 94bhp or 108bhp. The rest of the engine range consists of the existing 1.4-litre petrol, 1.4-litre diesel and 1.6-litre diesel.

Skoda India has launched updated Rapid sedan in November 2016 in line with the new design language. Priced from Rs 8.34 lakh ex-showroom Maharashtra, the India-spec version gets a signature grille with chrome surrounding, newly designed front bumper, new projector headlights, new rear bumper, C-shaped smoked tail lights and rear spoiler. The Rapid is offered in 1.6 MPI petrol and 1.5 TDI diesel engine options in India. While both engines come mated with five-speed manual transmission as standard, petrol models are also offered in six-speed automatic transmission. The Rapid diesel models are also offered in 7-Speed DSG automatic gearbox.