Skoda Rapid - Intital expressions - Good buy

Exterior Exteriors of the car are nice. With front and rear fog lamps, the looks are great from the front. Though side and the back profile is kind of Vento-ish.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The car comes with ABS, driver side airbag etc. which is good at this price. The car is quite spacious at the back with decent amount of rear legroom. The quality of the plastics in general is good and it gives a feel-good feeling. The only feature which is the lacking at this price is the lack of Audio equipment. If not the audio system, then at least a set of speakers at the front and the back should come as standard. The other point of concern is the raised back shelf which hinders the rear view while reversing.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine & Performance- The engine is absolute silent at idle and one is hard pressed to know if the car is actually running. Skoda has done a good job at insulation though the engine is not that refined. The engine does get a bit coarse while revving hard but the power comes in linearly and the car is QUICK. Skoda has intentionally reduced the gear ratios and that is immediately evident. The car picks up speed right from 15-20kmph in the 3rd gear. What the reduced gear ratios has done is that it has given the vehicle great drivability and there is no need of frequent gear changes in the city.

Gearbox- The car comes with one of the slickest gearboxes. The throw is precise and swift.
FE- Currently the car is giving me 11.5kmpl in the city, which is predominantly stop and go traffic. Personally I think this is good.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride Quality and Handling is one of the best in the segments. The car is absolutely stable even in the speeds ranging 140-150kmph. It does a great job in masking speed. The steering is very light which is a boon in the city and weighs up nicely at high speeds inspiring confidence. Aided by ABS, the car is stable under hard braking.

Final Words Initial expressions for the vehicle are good. Its just been a couple of thousand kms till now.  Lets see how it does in the long run.

Areas of improvement Accessories & engine refinement.

Drivability,Slick gearing, Handling, Suspension, Braking and MileageNo accessories - not even foot mats, engine noise at very high rpm - but that is kind of nice