Skoda Rapid facelift spied testing; India launch expected during festive season

Skoda Auto India Private Limited's (SAIPL) Rapid midsize sedan is rumoured to have a possible facelift this year. The volume driven sedan of Skoda has been spotted recently on Indian roads while testing.

The spy picture of taken by MotorBeam shows the outlook of the facelift version. Judging by the picture, notable changes are the new bonnet, grille, headlamps and bumpers. Side and rear profiles largely remain untouched. Rear bumper would get tweaks in line with the overall design change. The creases on either sides of the rear number plate and tail lamps will be untouched for the 2016 Rapid.

The biggest level of advancement is expected in competitive pricing. This would be achieved with aggressive localisation in manufacturing. The new Rapid is expected to come with carry-over engines of the current model. The 1.6 MPI petrol mill currently develops 103bhp and 153Nm of torque available in five-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5 TDI diesel mill develops the same power of petrol unit with higher torque of 250Nm available with five-speed manual and seven-speed automatic transmissions.

The spy picture also indicates that the new India-spec Rapid will not feature the VisionC concept inspired design of the Rapid sold in the global markets. The next generation rapid will only reach Indian shores sometimes in second half of 2017. The facelift will keep the product fresh till the time Skoda launches next generation Rapid in India.