Czech out the new budget-friendly Skoda

THE NEW Rapid, named unselfconsciously for the old rear-engined Skoda saloon of the eighties (as well as other, more venerable Skoda models) represents a slight, but significant, change of tack for the Czech firm.

In recent years, Skodas have become ever more sophisticated, and their prices have risen to reflect this. Step into a Superb saloon or a Yeti crossover, and you are confronted with interiors and equipment that are easily the equal of any Audi or Mercedes.

The Rapid, while not a backward step, draws more from Skoda’s more utilitarian past. While it retains a level of sophistication appropriate to a modern Volkswagen group car, it feels like a simpler, more straightforward car.

And, thankfully for those of us looking at vastly reduced car buying budgets, its price will reflect that. A basic Rapid, fitted with a 75bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, will cost around €15,995 when it goes on sale in November, and that price will include electronic stability control.

The Rapid also represents a subtle shift in the centre of gravity in the Skoda range. Until now, the Octavia had been Skoda’s core model; a rival to the Ford Focus in price and demeanour, even if its physical size drifted closer to the likes of the Mondeo.

The Rapid is more obviously Focus-sized, albeit narrower than the norm for the class, and its arrival will allow the new Octavia, due next year, to grow in size and luxury to be a true Mondeo rival. The larger Superb will get even bigger again next time around, close to BMW 5 Series size. The Rapid, Skoda expects, will shortly become its second-best selling model after the Octavia, sold globally and the spearhead of a massive renewal of the Skoda range. New or facelifted models will be launched every six months over the next few years as Skoda seeks to double its current sales.

Mechanically, the Rapid reflects the idea that it is meant to be a simpler, more affordable car. Instead of being based on the VW Group’s high-tech new MQB platform, it uses a mixture components, some lifted from the current Polo and Jetta. That means a straightforward torsion bar rear suspension, which allows the Rapid to have a truly cavernous 550-litre boot, but also means that you’ll feel a lot more of the road surface than you would in some rival cars. The boot also has quite a long drop over the loading lip down to the floor; not a problem when putting things in, but it could prove awkward when reaching in to extract heavier items.

The rest of the Rapid’s cabin is very well-executed, with high quality (although noticeably not soft-touch) surfaces and clear, bright instruments. Rear legroom and headroom are excellent but you’ll notice that the cabin is quite narrow, and larger passengers will occasionally clonk elbows, and the front armrest frequently gets in the way of your elbow when changing gear.

As with the Ford Focus 1.0-litre Ecoboost we tested recently, the Rapid also offers a compelling reason to switch back from diesel to petrol power, especially if your average mileage is relatively low. The 85bhp 1.2 TSI turbo petrol engine (which should roughly split the difference between the basic model and the bigger-selling 1.6 TDI 105bhp diesel’s circa €19,000 price tag) feels lively, spins eagerly and sounds crisp and sharp to the ear. Its fuel consumption figures hover around the 55mpg mark (which seems achievable) and its 119g/km Co2 rating means it matches, for now, the diesel in terms of motor tax.

If the Rapid has a failing it’s in that low-cost suspension set-up. We’ve been spoiled ever since the launch of the original 1998 Ford Focus by family cars that ride and handle with increasing sophistication and precision.

The Rapid is not by any means a bad car to drive, but the way the rear suspension constantly jiggles and jitters over poor surfaces is annoying. On a smoother road, with smooth driver inputs, the Rapid begins to feel more fluent and it settles into an enjoyable rhythm, but you’re never going to drive it for the sheer pleasure of it.

No matter, reckons Skoda; this is a car aimed squarely at cost-conscious families and in that regard it squares up excellently. That tempting entry price (albeit for an engine what will likely prove underpowered, especially if you’re using the Rapid’s 500-odd-kg payload) will be sufficient for many, but the Rapid’s other qualities (space, comfort, Band A B emissions, Skoda’s excellent reliability reputation) should also prove deal-sealers. The fact that, although a hatchback, it looks like a four-door saloon and its simple, rugged nature will also doubtless appeal to more traditional Irish car-buying minds. Mind you, it’s worth pointing out that Seat will shortly be launching a new Toledo, mechcanically identical to the Rapid, and likely close on price too. Nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry.

While the Rapid is pretty much an innovation-free zone, Skoda has kept up its reputation for leaving in some small, pleasant touches. An ice-scraper tucked into the fuel filler cap for one, a phone and music player interface front and centre on the dashboard (not tucked awkwardly away as many rivals do) for another. Small touches, but they add up.

And in a quiet way, it’s stylish. It won’t draw eyeballs like a Lamborghini, but the new corporate Skoda “face” (deep-set headlamps either side of a discreetly-chrome-ringed, wing-shaped grille) is handsome and the rest of the Rapid, although plain, looks pleasingly chiselled and chunky.

From the perspective of the road-test writer, the Rapid is a tough car to get especially wound up about. There is no screaming V12 engine, nor cutting-edge battery or hybrid technology to rhapsodise about. Nor is there curvaceous styling or razor-sharp chassis responses.

But speaking for a moment as a car buyer and a family man living on a budget, it’s very appealing. Spacious, solid, pleasant and affordable. In that sense, you could easily see it pleasing a great many buyers.

Factfile

Skoda returns to its no-nonsense roots and produces a solid, likeable car for families.

ENGINE1,197cc four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 85bhp @ 4,800rpm; 160Nm of torque @ 1,500rpm

PERFORMANCE0-100km/h in 11.8 seconds, max speed 183kmh

ECONOMY5.1 L/100km (55.3mpg)

EMISSIONS119g/km (€160 motor tax)

RIVALS

Seat Toledo1.2 TSI – €TBA (motor tax: €160)

Ford Focus1.0 Ecoboost Edge – €22,335 (motor tax €160) Hyundai i30 1.4 MPi Elite – €17,995 (motor tax €225)

Kia Ceed1.4 TX petrol – €18,995 (motor tax €225)

PRICEApprox €17,500 for the 1.2 TSI Ambition we tested, most basic 1.2 Active will start at €15,995

Our Rating6/10