[Manoj2268]

Will definitely go for the base level rapid. Tempting price.

Psssst: After purchase, will bookmark, Gannu's and Shibujp's TSi threads and mod the car to my liking.

[Comrade]

Rider has all features I need from factory except rear power window switches at driver's reach, so I would definitely buy carbon gray rider. For modifications, I would add oem alloys, maybe some RCD radio and rearview camera. Thats all I need from a car.

[jithin23]

Voted for the first option.

It's a rare scenario to see a full size sedan cost less than 10L on-road. Agreed, factory fitment is the best but when you're getting a bigger segment car with better safety and performance, it's a better buy. The basics are covered with this variant.

Basically choosing the variant depends mainly on the brand and the ease of modifying it. For VW group cars, the VCDS is sufficient to unlock quite a few hidden features which one would find it hard in other brands and most of the brands are not very mod friendly unlike the VW group cars.

Also, the service costs are on par with the market because the service intervals are longer(15k or 1 year).

A headunit with Android auto, reverse camera, Alloys enable folding mirrors and MID features through VCDS and you get a decently spec'd car.

I wish the Sub 4-m rules and taxes are scrapped so that we can get the internationally sold models in India with equal safety measures. I feel this is the major deterrent for manufacturers to give lesser quality cars in India because our regulations are not conducive and profitable for car makers.

Just now I saw the website of Skoda and there is no mention of Airbags Airbags are offered from ambition variant onwards. No wonder they priced it so less.

Rider key specs


Ambition key specs

[ridehard]

Originally Posted by jithin23

Voted for the first option.
Just now I saw the website of Skoda and there is no mention of Airbags Airbags are offered from ambition variant onwards. No wonder they priced it so less.

Wasn't Airbags made mandatory for all cars by some government policy? Or is it rolled back now?

Being a sedan person, I would've probably exchanged my 1st gen amaze for the Rapid Rider, if it weren't for Covid.
The Rider variant is decently spec'd for a base variant. Could just spend another 50k to get the steering wheel with audio controls and aftermarket alloys, to make it almost perfect.
The driver side window controls is definitely a glaring omission, but it's something we can live with.

[ramki.grandhi]

Originally Posted by jithin23

Just now I saw the website of Skoda and there is no mention of Airbags Airbags are offered from ambition variant onwards. No wonder they priced it so less.

Airbags are mandatory in all cars. Rider has two airbags, i just checked the brochure again. See the screenshot below:

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Airbags are mandatory in all cars. Rider has two airbags, i just checked the brochure again. See the screenshot below:

Thanks for the update, the key features in the website didn't include the airbags. So Skoda needs to update it's website

[ramki.grandhi]

Originally Posted by jithin23

Thanks for the update, the key features in the website didn't include the airbags. So Skoda needs to update it's website

Imagine losing a potential customer because of content mistake on website !

[JishD]

Over the compact sedans , yes. However if backseat comfort and modern interiors are as important as the FTD factor, the Honda city with discounts is a far better option, even if you have to stretch a bit

[JayKavadi]

Voted for the Rapid Rider. Clearly seems to be the better car in the comparison. I was never a fan of the odd ball designs on the sub 4 meter category and no matter how much one tries to justify the vfm quotient on some of the entries in the CS segment, to me it will always seem like a compromise.

On a slightly different note, has anyone noticed that VW Vento in its Trendline spec costs a whopping 10.53 lacs OTR mumbai against the Rapid’s 8.72 lacs. And the feature list is super spartan. Wonder whats the logic there???

[anandkumargb]

Voted for Rapid TSI. Infact I test drove one today. Clutch and gear shifts are super light and slick. Engine revvs freely but suffers from turbo lag. Coarse engine note, feels & sounds a little bit like diesel. Asks for 1st gear very frequently. MID showed 11.5 kmpl.

I own 1.6 TDI MT (110 k kms) and 1.5 TDI DSG (50k kms). Loved both the cars and ownership has been trouble free.

Strongly recommend!

[TheVegabond]

A proper sedan over any of the pseudo sedans any day.

Rapid rider is a steal for the price. It comes with all basic features one need. Few cosmetic changes can be managed outside.

Only thing I am worried about is the 116mm ground clearance because of my frequent drives to my hometown in Uttarakhand.

[warrioraks]

It would be Rapid eyes closed. Infact, I am surprised that one out of five votes was for compact sedans. Was expecting this to be a white-wash for Rapid.

Skoda is an aspirational brand in India and Rider no doubt appears super-value for money. On top of that, for me mechanicals of a car take precedence over all the bells and whistles. And let's not forget that Rapid is no bare bones un-usable base variant. The specs on Rider can practically put all cars (base variants) to shame south of 15 Lacs.
And yeah, in times like these when we are practically surrounded by technology no matter what we do, I won't mind if the car becomes a digital detox zone. Allowing me to be offline and disconnected from all the hooplah and screen time is something I am willing to consider as a benefit.

On the other hand, it does become tricky when you start comparing Rapid with CSUVs (like Nexon). There is a good probability I will buy a car this festive season (budget 10 Lacs OTR). Had no doubts that it would be Nexon. But now with this recent launch, Skoda has made me reconsider the decision. I wasn't even looking at sedans till a few weeks back. So Skoda - take a bow, you have lived up to being 'Simply Clever'.

[Batfreak]

Voted for the Rapid Rider.

We owned a Rapid 1.6 TDI for nearly 7 years before replacing it with a Kia Seltos 1.5 MPFI late last year. Nonetheless, in my opinion for the sheer satisfaction of ownership, the Kia, despite all its so-called "feel-good features", is still no match for the mechanical thoroughbred quality of the Skoda. Anyone in doubt about the difference, please just pop the hood and look at the wire connections in the two vehicles. The tiny details are what make it such a solidly engineered product. Honestly, in retrospect, features seem to do so little when it comes to long-term ownership.

No rattles, no niggles and no major troubles over the 90k+ kms that we clocked on it. The average service cost was roughly around INR 12-13k for every 15,000 kms, even near the end of 7 years which IMO is a very reasonable figure, especially for a diesel vehicle. The only major downside from the mind POV is the low resale cost.

In fact, we were so satisfied with the Rapid that it was the front-runner when it was time to replace our old vehicle as well. The only thing that acted as a deterrent was the fact that we couldn't justify the 12L+ OTR price-point for a nearly decade-old vehicle. The Rider TSI corrects that and how! Heck, the Rider even includes more features than our new mid-spec Rapid did 7 years ago.

One of the things that I noticed in this discussion is the significant negative perception against the brand, particularly harboured and propagated by people who have never really owned a SA/VAG car themselves. On the other hand, most present owners of the brand seem to vouch for it with their eyes closed. Could this be a sign of how far things have changed and continue to change within the brand's portfolio when it comes to the A.S.S.?

[Geo_Ipe]

Skoda Rapid Rider!

- More sorted chassis + suspension setup wrt Compact sedans
- Full size sedan
- More luggage room
- More rear leg room
- More snob value

Also, the 1.0 lit turbo petrol + 6 speed manual transmission looks quite good on paper. Will need a test drive though as I'm not familiar with small turbo petrols. Hopefully, the low end will not disappoint me too much - unlikely as I drive a Jazz 1.2 iVTEC!

One more point to ponder is whether this is going to be the point where manufacturers are going to realise that inflated price tags are not going to move their cars off the shelf. Especially in these unpredictable economic situation. It is quite difficult to beat the VFM quotient Skoda is offering. The Verna petrol base model is 1.8L more and the City petrol base variant is 2.6L more. Extremely difficult for Hyundai & Honda to justify those prices, no matter how many bells & whistles more they offer.

[Highh5]

Compact sedans are a big NO for me, never understood their placement and concept. And no matter how feature rich they are, will always be a compromise from a full fledged sedan, be it looks, safety, space and engine size.
Nothing can replace a full size proper sedan.

Someone on a shoe string budget looking for a full size sedan has one of the best option available in the market with all the necessities.

If I have to pick one, may add fog lamps and allow wheels only. May look for a ICE upgrade later on.

My hand still reach out to the circular knobs of music system to control the volume rather than steering mounted controls, so won't miss that feature much.