Skoda Rapid to get Estate variant this year

The Skoda Rapid is all set to add a new variant to its line up in the form of an estate. The car will feature the same wheel base of the regular model and is dubbed as a more practical variant of the Rapid. Set to be launched at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Rapid estate will be on sale in the UK from October this year.

 The estate variant built on the same platform as the Rapid will sport the same wheelbase but will feature modified C and D pillars. The car is surprisingly shorter than the standard variant by 180mm but still manages the same leg room at the rear. Sticking to the rear, the car gets a rear spoiler to give the car a sportier appeal.

The Rapid Estate has been fitted with standard safety features like multiple airbags, ABS, ESC and three-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners and height-adjustable head restraints. Optional features like xenon headlights, fog lights with cornering function, a tire pressure control system and hill hold control assistant and a double cargo floor in the boot. But, the highlight of the feature list is the option of fitting a panoramic tinted glass roof which stretches from the windscreen to the rear window, which will give a roomier fell from the inside of the car.

The car will get both fuel options in India like its standard sibling and so will come with the 1.6-litre petrol engine that makes 104PS and 150Nm of torque and a 1.6-litre diesel mill that makes the same power but 100Nm more of torque. The car is likely to be priced at 10,500 GBP (Rs 9.49 lakh) in the UK.

The European spec Rapid is quite different from the one sold in India. We are unlikely to get this car any time soon, leave alone an estate version. However, it gives a glimpse into what upgrades we can expect with the Rapid as and when Skoda decides to give it a facelift for the Indian spec version.