More spy shots coming in from the Nurburgring, and this time around it’s the Skoda Rapid’s turn. The pictured prototype sports a few decals around the front and rear lights to hide the new shapes, and they also tried the same trick with the shape of the rear door. Nice try guys, but it didn’t quite work out the way they expected.

Initially the Rapid will be introduced as a hatchback, while a station wagon version is also in the works. As for the powertrain, the model should make use of the latest VW developments in terms of engines and gearboxes. The Skoda Rapid should be officially unveiled at the next 2012 Paris Motor Show.

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During the last Frankfurt Motor Show Skoda showed up with the Mission L concept, and today we received the first lot of spy shots starring the future production version of that model, which - according to the latest rumors - will be named Rapid. If these rumors have to be believed, the choice would be quite strange as the VW Group is already selling a sedan version of its own Polo in India with the same name, a model that could also be introduced in Europe later on. However, some people think that this last model will end up being sold in Europe as a 3-box variant of the Skoda Fabia.

Going back to the spy shots, it is fair to say that this new Rapid will be positioned in Skoda’s current range between the Fabia and the Octavia, and that a hatchback and a station wagon versions are also in the cards. Moreover, the model will be marketed in Spain as the new version of the Seat Toledo.

The next Skoda Rapid will be developed on the standard platform - hence it will not be based on the brand new MQB one - and will come with the most recent VW’s engines and gearbox options. The definitive version should be ready by the summer, and chances are that its official unveiling will happen at the next Paris Motor Show.

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The Skoda Rapid sedan, based on the Volkswagen Vento and Polo sedan, will soon get to market in India and these spy shots show it in testing phase. While the same VW platform is being used, apparently the Skoda model could prove to be quite different, with restyled body panels and styling cues from the Skoda VisionD concept being used to give it a new look.

The Skoda Rapid is set to have the same engine line-up, though, with the Vento’s 1.6-litre petrol and diesel powertrains matched to manual and automatic transmission. It will cost less on the Indian market than the VW and should contribute to expanding the Skoda presence in other markets as part of Volkswagen’s bid to become the world’s biggest car manufacturer.

In fact, Asia has been cited as a source of significant growth for brands like Seat and Skoda and we assume that the new Skoda citycar model will also debut eventually in a market like India. The low-cost Skoda sedan demonstrates the potential that VAG has to expand right across its brands and we won’t be surprised in the future if Volkswagen makes its world domination target, offering both luxury and low-cost ranges.

Source | Indianautosblog

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