[Old_Salt]

Now this is another twist in the tale.
Waited for the Polo GT TSI, BS6 and then the Polo TSI seemed a good option and then comes the Rider TSI.

Ofcourse the sedan vs hatchback choice make their own compelling case but a 40k difference will surely leave the buyers a bit confused. I am surely for one. The touchscreen infotainment, steering mounted controls and some other features are hard to ignore.

[CARDEEP]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Checked with the Accessory Team, and got the following cost:
1. Alloy Wheels: INR 45,000 (New Ones with GST Invoice) / 30,000 (Buyback-Only cash, No GST Inovice, just a normal receipt slip)
2. Fog Lamp: INR 15,000
3. Seat Cover: 14,500 ( 3 years Warranty)
4. Infotainment: 42,000 ( Buy Back- Android unit approved by Skoda, although not purely OEM GST Invoice shall be given, original OEM ones cost 75,000)
5. Side SIll: INR 2800

I am considering the Rider variant, with Alloy wheels (a little bit confused with the whole buy back thing), and that's pretty much it. Infotainment can be an upgrade planned for later, as the speaker set remains same for all variants, should not have lot of variation in terms of music quality.

IMO you can avoid seat covers & side sills at dealer level

Others can buy peace of mind if dealt at Skoda dealer than outside, though many would even get good alloys set from outside.

[Nifty.Nishy]

Originally Posted by SidR

Did you get a chance to talk them into waiving off handling charges and essential kit? Also, is the dealer ok if you take insurance on your own?

Regarding, handling charges he was not sure to even discuss, however when i make the booking I'll definitely talk about it, and essential kit were the ones that I would anyways be needing so didn't ask much about.

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

IMO you can avoid seat covers & side sills at dealer level

The only thing I would be going for are the alloys, side sills (maybe).

Actually the only other thing I would be interested is the infotainment upgrade, especially for Android Auto and the convenience it offers, will look into it maybe later on, as currently the car comes with decent music system, and Navigation duties will have to be done by Smartphone till then.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by SidR

Hi, one quick question. Let's say I buy rider variant, can I get the dealer to upgrade the wheels to 16" and install clubber glossy black alloys from the onyx addition into rider without voiding warranty? I understand it can cost me north of 60k or so but if it saves me from voiding warranty I would go for it.

I had a Rapid 1.6 TDI and had upgraded to Momo alloys and 205/15 profile tyres, but this was after my warranty period expired. When I visited the Service centre for another issue, the executive said that the 205 tyre profile was not recommended by Skoda and it could have resulted in my warranty being void In case of any suspension issue, if I had done the change in my warranty period. So my recommendation is stick to official alloys from Skoda, and also keep the tyre profile same as what is available in the Rapid range, so just check what profile the top end variant runs on and stick to that.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

4. Infotainment: 42,000 ( Buy Back- Android unit approved by Skoda, although not purely OEM GST Invoice shall be given, original OEM ones cost 75,000)

Did they provide any more details on this HU? Specs, screen size?

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Actually the only other thing I would be interested is the infotainment upgrade

If it helps to keep the warranty intact - I would have picked only the HU from the dealer. Everything else you will get a better deal outside.

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Checked with the Accessory Team, and got the following cost:
1. Alloy Wheels: INR 45,000 (New Ones with GST Invoice) / 30,000 (Buyback-Only cash, No GST Inovice, just a normal receipt slip)
2. Fog Lamp: INR 15,000
3. Seat Cover: 14,500 ( 3 years Warranty)
4. Infotainment: 42,000 ( Buy Back- Android unit approved by Skoda, although not purely OEM GST Invoice shall be given, original OEM ones cost 75,000)
5. Side SIll: INR 2800

You can contact Vagtunes for the same. You can get OEM Infotainment, OEM steering wheel, OEM alloys from them for a cheaper price than this.

[SidR]

Originally Posted by motorworks

When I visited the Service centre for another issue, the executive said that the 205 tyre profile was not recommended by Skoda and it could have resulted in my warranty being void In case of any suspension issue, if I had done the change in my warranty period.

If I understand it right, the skoda guy had problem with increased tyre profile( not exactly with the after market alloys). Does that also mean that if we stick to recommended tyre size and add alloys from after market, it might save on warranty?

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Regarding, handling charges he was not sure to even discuss, however when i make the booking I'll definitely talk about it, and essential kit were the ones that I would anyways be needing so didn't ask much about.

Got it. Also, if I remember correctly, Zac, at the launch, did announce some sought of corporate discount or something like that. He also mentioned some great exchange scheme. Do check these if you're in discussion with your sales advisor.

[Nifty.Nishy]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Did they provide any more details on this HU? Specs, screen size?

If it helps to keep the warranty intact - I would have picked only the HU from the dealer. Everything else you will get a better deal outside.

Regarding this Skoda approved unit, they didn't say the make, they just mentioned that it comes through the OEM, post their approval. Size is gonna be around 5.5 inches and will be compatible with Android Auto & Apple Car play, however this didn't really instill any confidence. I would like to wait for some more time before upgrading the HU.

As I'm aware the amount of research that goes into designing an Alloy and the simulations/testing that goes into the same before coming to the production line is pretty robust and methodical, so I am more inclined towards opting for the same 15 inch Alloys that comes in Ambition variant.
And probably that's the only thing I would be opting for.

Steel wheel setup on the Rider variant had too much Road Rumble, and considering I'll be doing lot of Highway trips, I have to get this sorted.

[shankha007]

For anyone who is considering the Rapid Rider, but the lack of a detailed MID is putting you off, please consider buying an OBD II scanner! You will have access to every information you need, more than what the MID can display!

I was myself considering the Vento Highline, but the announcement of the Rapid Rider has made me look at the world differently!

[SidR]

Also, I did ask Zac about the launch of the automatic variant of Rapid. He said it's gonna be in 3-4 months. He didn't confirm whether Rider variant will get the automatic transmission or not. Attached is the screenshot of the conversation.

[Tapish]

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

You can contact Vagtunes for the same. You can get OEM Infotainment, OEM steering wheel, OEM alloys from them for a cheaper price than this.

Can an OEM steering wheel with ICE controls (the one from Ambition/ Style) be added without voiding the warranty?

[Venkatesh]

Initial Drive Impressions

https://youtu.be/zRlKRlpdpgw

[promit]

Wow. Seems good value. Only needs some nice aftermarket wheels. I had a mental block against 1L three cylinder turbo motors. Until, I drove a Venue with the same engine configuration. It was incredible zippy and hard to not drive like a hooligan. Don't let the numbers fool you, like they did me.

For 7.5L it makes a very compelling case for itself. A good engine, a C segment size sedan, and some basic features - airbags, normal stereo, climate control. While I usually would not consider a base model - an upgrade to the next model (Ambition) is 2.5L more (ex showroom) while the Style is a whopping 4L more. That's an extra 54% to upgrade to the top model... The on-road difference is about 4.6L (in Gurgaon).

[itwasntme]

One surprising item I just noted is that the Rider & Ambition versions run on 185/60/R15s while the Ambition is on 195/55/R16s.

That translates to a variation of +2.97% which is right upto the recommended ceiling of +/- 3%. This kind of variation is not typical within variants of the same model; can we assume that the Ambition's speedo is also appropriately calibrated for this variation?

The correct upsize for the Ambition should have been 195/50/16 but I assume Skoda wanted to avoid sidewall damage plus retain ride comfort, so went for the 195/55 version.

[Latheesh]

We need Rider variant with automatic transmission. Price it at 8.5-8.7 L ex-showroom and it will bring ~ 500 units a month sales to the company.