Skoda Rapid TSI Automatic launched in India at Rs 9.49 lakh

With the new Skoda Rapid launching just recently, the car got a much needed update in the form of a 1-litre TSI engine. Expanding on the Rapid lineup, Skoda has now brought in the automatic variant as well.

The car virtually remains the same everywhere else. It gets the same 1-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 110 PS of maximum power and 175 Nm of peak torque. This was originally mated to just a 6-speed manual transmission.

The 6-speed torque convertor gearbox that the Rapid now gets was first introduced in the Volkswagen Polo and the Volkswagen Vento. Fuel efficiency ratings from ARAI for the automatic stand at 16.24 km/l. This is a slight increase from the BS-IV automatic variant which allowed for 14.84 km/l. The manual variant of the new Rapid, however, gets a slightly better mileage figure at 18.97 km/l.

The automatic gearbox option is available on all of the variants except the entry level ‘Rider’ trim. This means all of the features starting from the Rider Plus variant will be available including the 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system to features like cruise control, auto headlamps and a larger 8-inch touchscreen on the higher variants.

The Skoda Rapid TSI Automatic gets a starting price of Rs 9.49 lakh for the Rider Plus variant and goes all the way up to Rs 13.29 lakh for the top-spec Monte Carlo trim. Competition for the Rapid comes in the form of the Volkswagen Vento, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Toyota Yaris and the Honda City.