Skoda India's volumes are driven by the Rapid midsize sedan. Launched in 2011, the Rapid has helped Skoda to set its foot in Indian market.

A report from Shifting-gears says the Indian arm of the Czech manufacturer is currently working on a new Rapid, which is in line with the Rapid sold globally. The vehicle is expected to be showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo and the launch is expected to be in mid -2016.

The new Skoda takes its design cues from the Skoda Octavia and Superb. The vehicle features an angular design, which is the new signature design of the Skoda cars. The vehicle is likely to get an array of comfort features on the interior.

The new Rapid will come with a set of turbo petrol and diesel engines. Apart from the new engines, the current set of petrol and diesel engines in a more efficient state of tune is also expected.

Most importantly, Skoda will make every effort to maximise the localisation of the vehicle. The majority of the components will be locally manufactured at Volkswagen's manufacturing facility at Pune. The aggressive localisation effort will also result in pricing the new Rapid very competitively.

Unlike the current Rapid, which shares most of its parts and design with the Volkwagen Vento, the next generation Rapid will be different in terms of design. Volkswagen learned that badge engineering is not serving either of the two very well after their sales dropped.

The new Rapid is expected to be slightly costlier than the current model.

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