17th September 2020, 10:46
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| BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Down south
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| Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Prologue First of all, BIG THANK YOU to Team-BHP for approving my membership. I was delighted for the new car delivery, but to be part of the home of Petrolheads was just the icing on the cake. It all started when VW/Skoda announced their India 2.0 strategy. I wanted a turbo charged petrol engine (diesel was ruled out considering the not so much difference in fuel pricing with petrol and I had no clue on the future of diesel mills), but I did not want to look outside of the VAG as we had VWs in the family for over a decade and they never troubled us – absolutely fuss free ownership all along. I also wanted a sedan and was never inclined towards compact SUVs (as they call) or crossovers. So, the upgrade has to be the next gen Vento or Rapid or their replacements. Apparently, the sedans based on heavily localised MQB-A0-IN platform were expected only by late 2021. Initially, I was in favour of patiently waiting for the new launch, especially after seeing the next gen Rapid launched in Russia (but the Russian Rapid was based on the older PQ platform). There were also rumours Skoda would bring RS variant of Rapid with 1.5TSI mill, but the leadership at VAG were tightlipped on this. So, I had little hope on this. Then, VAG announced the plan to bring their award winning 1.0L TSI motor (EA211 family) for the BS6 cars (Polo/Vento/Rapid) and I started exploring European forums to get glimpse of this engine family. In a nutshell, this piece was a 3 pot motor which appeared more powerful than the outgoing 1.2TSI at least on paper (109bhp/175Nm vs 105bhp/175Nm), but end of the day it’s having one cylinder less than the 1.2TSI and the refinement levels may not be satisfactory. However, the USP was 1.0L mill is a DOHC unlike 1.2 which was a SOHC in our market. VAG also stated their plan to discontinue the DSG for a Torque Converter in Polo, Vento and Rapid. This means, all the BS6 variants (up to Vento/Rapid) will get a 1.0L TSI DOHC minus the DSG or with a manual transmission. However, they retained the MPI mill for Polo which was upgraded to be BS6 compliant. Meantime, I was offered one of last unsold units of BS4 Rapid DSG and the deal was luring. I tried to negotiate it further and by then someone smarter than me picked it up! This was sometime early in January I guess. So, I decided to wait until late 2021 for the next gen cars. Then, the pandemic, locked inside home, no drives and quite boring. But one fine day, the itch for the TSI motor stuck again and I straight away called up Tafe Access in Bangalore. This was on 5th September and I was disheartened to know the Monte Carlos allocated to them for the month of September were all booked. A few more phone calls and I had little hope but next day morning I got a call from Arun (sales manager at Tafe who serves both the JP Nagar and HSR Layout outlets) saying he can arrange delivery of a Monte Carlo in flash red. No second thoughts – I booked the car immediately. Did I consider other C2 segment cars? Honestly NO, though I made an enquiry for Vento HL+ at the dealerships across Bangalore. In fact the discount on Vento was more and the OTR price for the top trim was a little lower than Monte Carlo though the VW wears a heavier ex-showroom price tag. The reason to prefer the Rapid to Vento is purely aesthetic. Under the hood and inside the cabin they remain the same except for minor differences like LED headlights in HL+ and sorts. My priorities were fun to drive turbo petrol, solid build quality, handling, ride comfort, braking, reliability and after sales service in the same order. With the Skoda wearing the notorious tag of after sales horror stories, let us rule out that part - it's a hit or miss and keeping my fingers crossed. Though I loved the swanky cabin of the Verna and the features the Hyundai loaded the car with, I wasn't inclined to it as I knew when it comes to driving pleasure the competition can't match the VAG. For the same reason, I didn't look at the City either though it's a nice family car with loads of cabin space. I wanted decent cabin space (and some big boot space too) but didn't want to squeeze in 3 passengers on the rear seats, so the huge floor hump in Rapid wasn't a show stopper. In fact, I was used to this since the Polo days. On a workweek, I carpool along with a friend at work and one of us drive. It's around 50km a day in the moderate city traffic as we start quite early from home and leave work even before the chaos starts. My family will be boarding the car only during the weekends and for occasional getaways from Bangalore including the KA-KL drives. The only time 4 adults occupying the car will be when we visit hometown (may be 3-4 times a year), then the parents join us for driving around. So, the Rapid's cabin and the trunk serve my requirements and I ended up picking it. Why MT and not AT? I know the market is slowly shifting to AT and I love to drive AT on our congested city roads. Had it been the DSG, I would have picked one eyes closed. I had a gut feeling that the upcoming Torque Converter will be no match for the explosive DSG. I always loved the TSI+DSG combo, but sadly gone are the days. Skoda/VW priced the TC AT almost on par with the DSG and honestly I didn't feel spending this much for an AT without DSG. In addition to this, I really loved the short throw MT gear box when I test drove the car. Soon after the test drive along the Electronic City - Hosur highway, I realised TSI+MT combo is deadly (second only to DSG IMO) and end of story, I picked up MT. Booking and the delivery experience One word – Superb! Big thanks to Arun and his team at Tafe Access. Right from the booking, working on the best deal, till delivering the car at my doorsteps (yes, I opted for a door delivery) were all managed very well   On the same night of delivery at the Nayara Energy (formerly Essar) outlet near Chandapura for refill. What I liked?
What I didn't?
On-road pricing, Skoda Standard Maintenance Package and the Extended Warranty The Monte Carlo OTR pricing in Bangalore with Skoda Drive Assure Elite package is 14.9L and I was offered it for 13.4L. I also purchased the Skoda Standard Maintenance Package for Rs. 29,999 with a 5K cashback offer from the dealership which I am yet to receive. So the effective price for the package is Rs.24,999. The following are covered in Skoda Standard Maintenance Package for 4 years/60,000km. - Basic Inspection - Engine Oil + Oil Change - Oil Filter along with Drain Plug and Washer - Additional Inspection - Air/Pollen/Fuel Filter Change - Spark Plugs Change - Brake Fluid Change - V Belt replace - Haldex Coupling Oil - ATF + Filter Replace (not applicable for MT) I haven't purchased the extended warranty as of today, but it's a must. I heard from my friends circle that I might get a better package with some discounts at a later point in time and it's not necessary to purchase the extended warranty right away. But I welcome BHPians comments in this regard. Safety and related features I have nothing more to add here as the official review has captured everything in detail. The ABS and frontal airbags being standard across the variants, wish Skoda would have equipped at least the top trim with 6 airbags. Couple of safety features which many might think silly are actually I am fond of - say the anti-pinch power windows, auto door locks as soon as the car exceeds 15kmph (or 20?) and so on. These are really cool features especially when you have kids travelling along. I also liked the one touch button for all four power windows. These features were present in VAG cars for long though, so nothing new here. Interior, exterior styling and essential accessories kit The interior is way too dated. I still see not much difference in this 2020 edition from over a decade old VW in the family. Perhaps the only difference I could easily notice is the drop in plastic quality and the fit and finish. A friend's impression who recently picked a Seltos, after getting in to the driver's seat was "Oh! This looks as dated as my first gen Swift!" Prospective buyers, be prepared for such comments/feedback. The one thing that stands out inside the cabin is the lovely flat bottom steering with red stitching. Holding the wheel brings smile on your face, despite having a dated interior. The height adjustable driving seat is comfortable and I managed to set it to my liking quickly, thanks to the rake and reach steering wheel.  The Monte Carlo badged seat covers look very aftermarket to my eyes. The fabric upholstery from the factory looked better when I saw the car at the Tafe yard. Unfortunately, I did not click pictures of it for a comparison. After reading the T-bhp Official Review, I decided to take delivery of the car with the factory fitted RCD340. Sales Manager at Tafe got this worked out for me and I am happy with my decision. RCD340 is a nice head unit by the stock standard in terms of sound quality. However, as I was running a JVC M740BT along with JBL components in my older Polo, the RCD output is something which I oversee for an upgrade, but not immediately. I'd love to enjoy the car in stock condition at least for a year. Apple CarPlay works flawlessly so does playing music via Bluetooth. I did not explore Android Auto or Mirror Link yet. The reverse parking camera feed is pretty decent on the HU display, though I noticed a delay of 3-4 seconds to switch back from camera mode when I disengage reverse gear. Did others notice this? Other than this, I am happy with this HU and suggest buyers not to go for the 8" Android touch screen unit which looked like a cheap AliExpressed sourced unit. The factory fitted RCD340 HU  The exterior styling and design still stand out I'd say. I really loved the stock Monte Carlo alloys, facelifted bumper design, the lack of chrome, the headlight design (thumbs down for the terrible performance though), the black diffuser trim (looks much better than the Vento) and the glossy black boot lip. Paint quality and finish is top notch with the glossy black roof adds it to the beauty. Panel gaps are minimal and even, a typical VAG car IMO. I'd suggest to pick the Essential Accessories Kit. The rear window blinds you get are of excellent quality, you get the blinds even for the quarter panel glass. Car looks nice with them installed. The Monte Carlo badged pillows are nice as well. The floor mats in the bundle are of very good quality though they don't fit end to end and I ended up getting 3D Maxpider mats. Tafe also sent me a car cover, though I am not sure if it's part of the accessories kit. I left it unopened in the trunk, so no comments on the quality. I checked the trunk and the tool kit is intact alongside the space saver wheel. Interior space and comfort The interior space serves my requirement as I stated in the beginning of the post. The car is mostly occupied by 1 or 2 persons and the weekend drives along with occasional highway rides, getaways with family will have 2 adults and a 6 year old. There's sufficient space for us, I'd say. Finding the right driving position was pretty easy for me as I am from the Polo family. Driving seat is very comfortable even for the long drives, absolutely happy with it. There's sufficient easily accessible storage for the driver and front passenger. Cooled glove box could be quite useful during long drives. Height adjustable front arm rest is ergonomically designed. I loved shifting gears resting my arm on it. As I heard from the rear seat occupants (I am yet to be there), seats are comfortable with enough leg space. Under thigh and back support seem to be fairly decent. The seats are wide enough for 2 passengers with the 3rd one if you'd end up squeezing in, would have the luxury of the huge floor hump! However, the rear armrest would have had a bottle holder along. The headroom is sufficient and the neck support (except for the 3rd passenger in the middle) is pretty good as well. None of the rear doors can hold a bottle, at least one bottle holder along the door panel would have been nice. However, there's one holder adjacent to the rear AC vent. The two 12V charging sockets (one each in the front and rear) are easily accessible. The biggest miss though in this era is a wireless mobile charger (Just VAG things!), I need to be happy with what I have when it comes to features. The frontal and rear cabin lights are bright and controls are easily accessible. However, I feel LEDs for cabin lights and foot lamps would have been better. Controls and MID Controls and MID are pretty dated in comparison with the competition. I am used to it and find it no non-sense though. Wiper stalks and the indicator stalks are easy to operate and smooth. So is the cruise control. Adjusting the electrically controlled ORVMs are hassle free and the auto dimming IRVM does it job well. I never had a problem with high beams on the IRVM. Something which I find it very annoying is the moment you exceed 80kmph, the MID flashes the speed warning with a single beep and all other functions in the MID get disabled until you slow down below 80kmph. This is very frustrating. Perhaps, a VCDS tweak could get rid of this. Steering mounted controls on the LHS is very basic with buttons to accept calls, knob to control volume and buttons for sailing through playlist. On the RCD340 HU, touch response is really good. However, I've explored only a few options such as the the equaliser. Before hitting the road I ordered the 3D mats and started hunting for a dual Dashcam as well. For the time being, installed a basic Yi dashcam from the Polo which I sold prior to Monte Carlo's arrival. Please be aware the 3D Maxpider mats are not designed to fit for Rapid/Vento/Polo with dead pedal. However, the seller claimed me it fits. This is how it looks and I find it annoying.  Eventually, I had to cut a small portion of the mat so that it fits alongside the dead pedal which one wouldn't want to do but I was forced to do so - thanks to the seller for passing misinformation. The upgrade I wanted to do straight off the showroom was tyres - sadly, couldn't get it done. Hunt for Michelins and TPMS I was very particular about Michelin Primacy 4st and was shocked to know they were out of stock with almost all dealerships in Bangalore. Apparently, there was recently imposed curbs on imports of certain tyres and this has impacted brands like Michelin. I spoke to at least a dozen dealerships and yet no luck. I had a lengthy chat on WhatsApp with Nikhilb2008 and he advised to get Continental MC5 as P4st are out of reach. Somehow I couldn't convince myself and decided to stick with stock Goodyear Assurance in 195/55/R16 profile for a year or some 15-20k km, later swap them for the Michelin. Also, I wanted a TPMS and decided to install SensAiry. Drove straight to Madhus on a Sunday morning and unlike other weekends, the place wasn't crowded to my surprise and I was the lone customer.  This is the box with sensors and an extra valve.  The sensor and the valve:   Technicians immediately started working on the car and sensors were installed with perfection. I opted for a 5 sensor kit, though I haven't installed the 5th sensor inside spare wheel as it's a space saver.   Now, the sensors are installed, filled Nitrogen and the tyres are back in the car after Road Force wheel balancing! The mobile app shows the tyre pressure and temperature.   I had a rainy drive back home and the TPMS reading holds good. Fortunately, we've a long drive planned in a week and will have more feedback by then (on the car too).  Rolling down the road! Though I still feel sad for missing Michelin P4st, trying to be happy with what I have now. I had driven only 100km since I took delivery of the car barely 3 days ago. The drives were mostly on the city roads, a brief stint on the BETL flyover and 6 lane highway towards Hosur. I must say no juice until you hit the turbo zone, but drivable. However, the moment you hit an open highway and oh boy! The TSI never lets you down, this is the car that brings smile on your face. I loved the engine revving, the note and struggled not to push it as I thought I should let the engine run-in for at least 2,000km (I'm old school in this department). The rpm is roughly 2000 at 100kmph and it was the stock Goodyear that roared - upgrading tyres is highly recommended if you are a frequent highway rider and this car deserves better shoes. The 3 pot refinement level seemed to be satisfactory though no match for iVTEC. Flat bottom steering wheel is a bliss to hold and felt the steering feedback is precise. Air conditioner cooling and effectiveness Bangalore has pleasant weather these days with occasional rain and it's too early to comment on the effectiveness of air conditioner. I kept it mostly in Auto mode, though the blower in auto mode was always at level 2 or so at least to start with. Blower sound is audible at this level. Cabin gets cooled quite fast, however the real test will be the scorching summer. So far so good. Boot space Boot is fairly big and sufficient for a small family. I am yet to load the boot to it's capacity but I am sure it can accommodate trolley bags and backpacks for a family getaway. However, I just realised a 6 year old's bike won't get inside. Sad, indeed. Engine performance and drivebility in the city Honestly, in the first week I find it a little difficult to drive along the city roads even with moderate traffic. It took me a while to get adapted to the pedals combo. I embarrassingly stalled the car couple of times along a speed hump and potholes. I felt the low end torque was not adequate for city commute. You will find the Honda City much easier to maneuver in traffic. But I mastered the art of driving TSI in city traffic in 4-5 days! The Rapid moves from standstill without much hassle. I tried stopping and moving on an incline and it pulled nicely. As stated in the official review, the lag below 1500-1600 rpm is annoying yet it pulls. However, if you are looking out for a sedan mostly for the city use, I am sure Rapid cannot bring smile on your face. Look elsewhere. However, it's an all different story when you drive it on an open highway. I will share my highway experience later in this thread. Gear shift and clutch I've fallen in love with the TSI+ 6 speed MT combo. Shifting gear is absolutely smooth with short throws. It would be nice to know how the TC AT fares against this 6 speed MT. The clutch pedal is moderately light though the long travel might annoy a few, especially in city traffic. To the Riverside - Kabini calling! It has been a week since I took delivery of the car and a drive out of hustle and bustle of the city was in cards. We headed to Kabini on a Saturday morning. The best part of this trail was blend of both the worlds – congested village roads, winding roads set in the lush green backdrop, some inclines, drive inside national parks, 2 lane state highways and 6 lane toll roads. I was gentle on throttle to keep it around/under 2K rpm. Trust me, you'd struggle not to throttle this TSI motor. The throttle response is amazing in the turbo zone, and there's definitely lag in the low end. The Rapid TSI was well planted on the not so nice NICE road at 120kmph (with the rpm a little over 2.1K) and I did not push it further. The engine note at 120kmph (around 2.2K rpm) is audible even when RCD340 is in action (I normally keep the volume to low/mid), but I loved it. Does a bolt on sports exhaust on 3 pot make sense? While cruising at 100kmph in 6th gear roughly around 2K rpm, I'd rate the NVH levels satisfactory. It was mostly the tyre noise from stock Goodyear, wind noise was not much. Overall, I would rate the noise insulation excellent. I find the suspension tuned to my liking, stiff yet the ride comfort is top notch. Once you exit NICE road on to Kanakapura road, you have everything to test the suspension, braking, low end driveability, torque surge and what not. Huge pot holes and illogical speed humps were negotiated without much impact carried inside the cabin. The traffic was sparse and I loved this stretch and beyond Mysore it got even better until we reached Kabini. As we stayed at Kabini for 2 nights, decided to cross the border on to Wayanad in Kerala on one of the days and returned to the resort on the same day. The joy of driving along the Kattikkulam-Thirunelly stretch during the monsoon is priceless. Butter smooth roads with very little traffic, sharp corners, a few hairpin bends and not so long straights are in offer. This stretch always reminds me of the F1 circuit at Spa-Francorchamps for it's green cover, twisties and moderate inclines. Handling and on-road behaviour along the twisties I loved the way the Rapid handled the stretch from Bavali till Thirunelly even with the stock tyres. With the right stiffness and matured suspension tuning, Skoda has set the benchmark here. The car was very well planted on the straights and corners. I didn't feel any body roll. The stretch had a few patches where I didn't slow down and the car handled it well without much impact carried inside the cabin. The feedback from the flat bottom steering is precise, it weighs up as the needle sweeps right. I tested braking along the sharp corners and find it satisfactory. I just wished had the Michelin P4st been around, the joy would have been doubled if not tripled. I had to drive over many speed humps (a few of them were really big and not scientific at all) and the ground clearance was just adequate not to scrape belly. Overall, I liked the car's handling along the highways and winding roads, perhaps the competition cannot match the Rapid here. However, for the city roads, a City or Verna would fare better. As the car now had a much needed long drive, here are a few pictures from the drive:      Finally, it's time to return to Bangalore and all the fun I had driving along some scenic stretches were ruined by the chaotic traffic along the Mysore road (as expected). I always prefer Kanakapura road to messy Mysore road whenever we drive to Mysore and beyond but this time I wanted to avoid high beams along the former route which doesn't have dividers. Knowing the Rapid's stock projectors' dismal performance I thought I'd at least drive on a stretch with dividers, though it's a chaos with the road widening work, speed humps, barricades and what not. It was heavy downpour all the way till Bangalore and I realised how bad the headlights really are! All I could do was to follow the tail lamps of a well driven car ahead. Now, as the car is with us for 2 weeks and the odo reads 778 km after a 650 km drive over the weekend. I also managed to get a fuel efficiency of 16.5kmpl (full tank to full tank method) by end of this trip. Impressive, isn't it? I've already fallen in love with the car and many more miles to go! On the SensAiry TPMS I've installed, it holds the reading and keep updating live PSI/temp, however you get notified only in case of an air leak or if the pressure drops below the threshold you set. I'd recommend this if you're looking for aftermarket TPMS. Now, if you ask me what I liked the most in Rapid TSI, it's the TSI+MT combo! The most disappointing thing if I'd need to choose? Of course, I'd pick the Monte Carlo's halogen projector headlights. They're terrible. So, what's my take on the Rapid TSI 1.0 MT? Should I recommend it? Well, it depends on the buyer's priorities. If you are looking for a spacious family car loaded with swanky features, super light clutch, easiness to drive in the city traffic, concerned about after sales support, reliability and minimal risks during ownership, leave Rapid aside and look at the Japanese or Koreans. However, if you'd love to embrace outright performance and leave aside the rest, this well built European sedan is for you. Having said that, I'd always love to have a healthy relationship with the sales and service personnel at the dealerships and this definitely pays back in hard times. Happy revving! Last edited by Aditya : 7th October 2020 at 20:53. Reason: As requested |
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2nd October 2020, 04:48
| #2 |
| Team-BHP Support  | Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing! Your car is going to our homepage today  Last edited by GTO : 2nd October 2020 at 07:42. |
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2nd October 2020, 09:45
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| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Bangalore
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2nd October 2020, 11:00
| #4 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: ???
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| Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Congrats on your new car. A Flash Red Monte Carlo is the best look for a Rapid in my opinion. Those diamond-cut Clubber wheels look stunning! Wish you many happy miles and memories. Quote:
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2nd October 2020, 11:33
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2nd October 2020, 12:42
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| BANNED Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: UP32/Freeport 7
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2nd October 2020, 12:56
| #7 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Congratulations and wish you many happy miles of ownership. Does not matter it is a 10 year old model. Looks smashing. The interiors may be perceived dated , but it is a solid, well built car and will age very well. The new TSI motor is the icing on the cake. The attraction to all the new age gizmos inside the car will wear off very quickly. What will always stay with you is the drivability and in that aspect the Rapid will not disappoint. Sounds like a very good deal too. |
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2nd October 2020, 12:56
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Pune
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2nd October 2020, 14:16
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| BHPian  | Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Quote:
This delay is intentionally given using a module like the one below.https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32861594993.html | |
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2nd October 2020, 16:49
| #10 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Quote:
Can't agree more with you on TSI+MT combo and thank you for allowing me to take it for a shot spin absolutely loved it No will wait for the odo to pass 2K. Cheers! | |
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2nd October 2020, 17:38
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| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Down south
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| Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Quote:
Quote:
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2nd October 2020, 18:36
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2nd October 2020, 20:49
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| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Bangalore
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2nd October 2020, 23:38
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3rd October 2020, 00:44
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| Re: Review: Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0L TSI – A Little Beast! Quote:
Fitting charges you'll have to watch out for - installation + balancing ~ 1200 to 1500. | |
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