7:28 am, July 16, 2012
SKODA have set themselves a target of selling 6,000 Rapids a year in the UK when the compact saloon is launched here in November.
An entirely new car that sits between the Fabia and Octavia, buyers will be able to get hold of a Rapid for less than £13k.
There’s no doubt about the target market: families.
With plenty of space in the cabin and boot, the car is capable of carrying five adults and their luggage with room to spare. The 550-litre boot is even equipped with a dual-surface interior: carpet for the trip back from Sainsbury’s, but rubber for muddy wellies or wet camping gear.
That’s just one of 19 ‘simply clever’ touches Skoda have designed into the car. Another ingenious feature is a built-in ice scraper that nestles next to the fuel filler cap.
Six different engines will be available including four petrol and two diesel versions. Selected Green tec variants will also be part of the offering and the car will be available in three trim lines, Active, Ambition and Elegance.
Vicky Magill, UK product manager for Rapid and Octavia, told Car Dealer: ‘This car is something for our retailers to get excited about.
‘Not only will this car be important to dealers but the impact it will have on the whole range will be key.
‘In the UK we will be looking at launching around November time. Skoda’s always been a very rational, logical choice. We offer fantastic value.
‘You don’t have to pay the earth to own one of our cars and now, with our new design language, we’ve not only stuck to those core values but we’ve introduced more desirability.
‘When Skoda designers design the car, they design it to match what people will want to use the car for. All our cars are famous for that. Buyers can instantly see how they will be able to live with our cars and that’s why we have so many fans amongst our customers.
‘We don’t just have customers, we have fans because they can see how much effort we have put into our cars.’
Magill said Skoda had been successful in filling a number of open points around the UK recently, showing that the brand ‘was clearly an attractive proposition’.
And there’s no doubt that Skoda are pretty sure that the Rapid will be a success.
Jurgen Stackmann, Skoda board member for sales and marketing said the car was a ‘blockbuster’ and that potential purchasers would be ‘amazed’ when more pricing details emerged.
