Skoda Auto India Private Limited had a great 2020! The Czech carmaker launched multiple products this year in the Indian market and grabbed news headlines. The company launched a gigantic digital launch event in May this year where Skoda launched not just one or two but three new cars. They were the all-new Skoda Karoq, Superb Facelift and the BS6-compliant Rapid TSI. The new Rapid TSI was very aggressively priced with a starting price of just Rs. 7.49 lakhs, Ex-showroom pan-India. But now, the company has officially discontinued the base Rider variant of the new Skoda Rapid BS6 and here we have for you all the details about it.
As already mentioned before, Skoda launched the new BS6-compliant Rapid TSI in May this year. The base-spec Rider variant of the new Skoda Rapid TSI was priced very aggressively. At just Rs. 7.49 lakhs, Ex-showroom pan-India, it became the most affordable TSI car to be sold in India. The Rapid Rider started grabbing the news headlines as it was a terrific value for money option in the mid-size sedan segment. The Rapid Rider became so popular that the demand exceeded the company's expectations and Skoda India had to halt the bookings for the base Rider variant of the car.
The base-spec Rider variant of the new Rapid BS6 was equipped with only basic essential features and it lacked creature comforts. However, it was the new 1.0-litre TSI engine of the Rapid and its aggressive pricing which made people go gaga over the base variant of the car. Just a few weeks later, the company launched a new variant of the car called the Rapid Rider Plus. It was priced at Rs. 7.99 lakhs, Ex-showroom pan-India. For just 50,000 rupees more, the Rapid now got a lot of creature comfort features and it became the new favourite variant of the Rapid for the customers as it was a great value for money deal. The bookings for the Rider variant was closed long back and now the company has officially discontinued the base-spec model.
The Rider Plus is now the new base-spec variant of the BS6-compliant Skoda Rapid TSI. Talking about the features on offer in this new base-spec variant, so the Rapid Rider Plus gets a new 16.51 cms touchscreen infotainment system which Skoda likes to call the 'Drive'. This touchscreen infotainment system gets MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. It is also equipped with SmartLink technology which helps to control selected apps like navigation, etc. Some other features include USB charging ports, Bluetooth, 12V power sockets, etc. It also gets adjustable dual rear AC vents, a multifunction steering wheel with adjustments for both rake and reach, adjustable headrests, central locking system with remote control, MID etc.
The new 2020 Skoda Rapid TSI is powered by a BS6-compliant 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. This is the same engine that also powers the new Volkswagen Polo and Vento. This motor churns out 110 PS of power between 5000-5500 RPM and 175 Nm of peak torque between 1750-4000 RPM. The engine comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and also a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The ARAI-certified fuel-efficiency of this new Rapid 1.0 TSI with the manual gearbox is rated at 18.9 kmpl while the automatic transmission's mileage is rated at 16.24 kmpl. This means that the new 2020 Skoda Rapid 1.0 TSI is terrifically powerful and extremely fuel-efficient, both at the same time.
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Now, as the base-spec Rider variant is discontinued, the new BS6-compliant 2020 Skoda Rapid TSI is now available in five variants. They are Rider Plus, Ambition, Style, Onyx and Monte Carlo. All the variants are available with both manual gearbox as well as the automatic transmission. The prices of the new Rapid TSI starts at Rs. 7.99 lakhs and it goes all the way up to Rs. 13.29 lakhs, Ex-showroom pan-India. The variant-wise prices of the new BS6-compliant Skoda Rapid TSI are mentioned in the table below:
| Variant Name | Available Colour Options | MT Price | AT Price |
| Rider Plus | Candy White, Carbon Steel, Brilliant Silver and Toffee Brown | Rs. 7.99 lakhs | Rs. 9.49 lakhs |
| Ambition | Brilliant Silver, Toffee Brown, Candy White and Carbon Steel | Rs. 9.99 lakhs | Rs. 11.29 lakhs |
| Onyx | Lapiz Blue and Candy White | Rs. 10.19 lakhs | Rs. 11.49 lakhs |
| Style | Candy White, Brilliant Silver and Carbon Steel | Rs. 11.49 lakhs | Rs. 12.99 lakhs |
| Monte Carlo | Flash Red and Candy White | Rs. 11.79 lakhs | Rs. 13.29 lakhs |
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So, this was all about the new 2020 Skoda Rapid TSI. It rivals against a lot of mid-size sedans which include the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Toyota Yaris and the Volkswagen Vento. What are your thoughts on the new Rapid? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments section below. You can also join our 91Wheels Auto Enthusiast Telegram group (click via mobile to join) curated exclusively for the fans, enthusiasts and the owners. Further, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more such amazing motoring updates.
