New Skoda Rapid: Beijing 2012

Skoda Rapid debuts in Beijing

The new Skoda Rapid – a new Skoda to sit between the Fabia and Octavia – has been previewed at the Beijing Motor Show.

Skoda revealed the MissionL Concept at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show which neatly filled a gap in the Skoda range between the Fabia and the Octavia. And now it’s turning in to a production model – the Skoda Rapid.

Although its shares a name with the Skoda Rapid launched in India last year, the Rapid for Europe and the UK is a different car. It’s a liftback instead of a saloon (a hatch at the back of a notch) and is expected to hit Skoda showrooms in Europe before the end of 2012 with a Chinese version - built in China – arriving there in 2013.

Skoda aren’t saying what powerplants will be offered in the Rapid, but they are pursuing aggressive growth with the Rapid – and more new models to come – so expect everything from a frugal 3-pot to a vRS with, perhaps, the forced induction 178bhp lump in a Rapid vRS.

Skoda boss Winfried Vahland said of the Rapid:

As part of its growth strategy, ŠKODA has initiated the largest model offensive in its corporate history and will bring a new vehicle to market every six months on average in the years ahead. The Rapid is our next new model. It has a central importance for our growth and will provide us with a strong tailwind on international markets.

No doubt as the Rapid approaches showrooms we’ll get some proper detail from Skoda.

By Cars UK