The Czech Skoda Rapid liftback came to the Russian market with some delay. To find out if he can impose competition in the segment of budget subcompacts, we gave him a comparison test with the best-selling Kia Rio.
For the European test drive Skoda Rapid, we went to Slovakia in the fall of 2012. That car was equipped with European motors and European suspension. Russian sales of the liftback began in the spring of 2014. During this time, production was established in Kaluga, and the car itself was adapted to our difficult operating conditions. He received a suspension adapted for bad roads with an increased ground clearance of 15 mm, a more powerful generator and starter, and a high-capacity battery. Below, the engine compartment got protection, and the electro-hydraulic power steering, as we expected, was replaced with an electric one. In addition, the anti-corrosion protection of the body has been improved.
However, the Kia Rio, produced at a plant near St. Petersburg, is adapted for Russian conditions no worse - where else in this class can you find heating of the steering wheel and windshield? Except for the related Hyundai Solaris. After three years of production, the Rio is refreshed. The car received a redesigned headlights and taillights, bumpers with LEDs, improved interior materials, a redesigned climate control unit, a new music system and some other not particularly noticeable innovations.
The starting price of the Kia Rio is 469,900 rubles for the version with a 1.4-liter 107-horsepower engine and a manual 5-speed gearbox. If you equip it with a 4-band "automatic", the price will rise to 567,900 rubles. The most affordable option with a 1.6-liter 123 hp engine. and 6-speed "mechanics" costs 585,900 rubles. He, but with a 6-band "automatic" will cost the buyer at least 625,900 rubles.
The minimum price for Skoda Rapid is 489,000 rubles. So much is the option with a 1.2-liter 75 hp engine. and a mechanical 5-speed gearbox. This is followed by a modification with an old 1.6-liter 105-horsepower engine, which is offered for 539,000 rubles in the version with a 5-speed "mechanics" and for 584,000 rubles - with a 6-band "automatic". And finally, the most powerful variant, equipped with a 1.4-liter engine producing 122 hp. and a 7-speed DSG transmission with two clutches, sold at a price of 698,000 rubles.
Interestingly, the base price of the Rapid with a 1.6-liter engine and "mechanics" (539,000 rubles) is noticeably lower than that of the Rio with the same engine (585,000 rubles). Moreover, the 1.6-liter Rapid with automatic transmission costs 1,000 rubles less than the Rio with a manual transmission. To be honest, we thought it would be the other way around. But if we take the initial modifications of these cars with the most modest engines, then here the advantage is already for Kia. We also tested 1.6-liter versions, with the Rapid equipped with a manual gearbox, and the Rio with an “automatic”.
Salon decoration
The Skoda brand belongs to the Volks-wagen concern, which means that the quality of the interior decoration of its cars must be at the highest level. Even a budget model like the Rapid. On the one hand, this is true: the gaps between the interior panels are minimal, all buttons and levers are activated with clear clicks, and the visual quality of materials is at a height. True, the plastic is hard to the touch everywhere, which, in principle, is inevitable for cars of this class. But when you get into the Kia salon, you suddenly realize that its interior is ... better! The build quality is not inferior to Skoda, while the plastic looks more expensive, and the dashboard is sheathed with leatherette. And the design is more lively and modern.
True, in terms of ergonomics, Skoda already takes the lead - the Rapid's on-board interface is more understandable. However, the Czech liftback is also not without sin. So, only the driver's window has an automatic mode, and it works only when the glass is lowered. At Kia, the auto mode is also provided only for the driver's glass, but unlike the "Czech", it not only lowers itself, but also rises.
The Rapid wins again in terms of the geometry of the landing behind the wheel. Everything here is Volkswagen-like correct, including the large ranges of steering and pedal adjustments. But in Rio there is a feeling that the fit was chosen for short and long-armed riders. The seat is very high even in the lowest position, and the steering wheel lacks adjustment for reach. As a result, one has to sit either with strongly bent legs or with strongly extended arms. If you move to the right front seat, it turns out that it does not have a height adjustment, while Skoda's right seat does.
The legroom in the second row of the Czech car will be envied by the models of a couple of classes higher. If the front seat is adjusted for a person with a height of 180 cm, then the passenger of the same height sitting behind him has a margin of about 15 cm in front of his knees! This leaves about 5 cm of free space above the head. However, you won't be able to put your head on the headrest - the top of the head rests against the falling roof. Surprisingly, Kia has only a couple of centimeters less in front of the knees, but above the head it is the same couple of centimeters more, and the head, albeit back to back, can be placed on the headrest. In terms of convenience, the rivals' sofas are approximately equal - two riders will feel quite comfortable. Neither one nor the other have central armrests.
The Rapid's trunk is immense and well-planned. The only complaint is the very heavy fifth door. When in the hands of a weighty bag, there can be problems with lifting it - it would not hurt to install more powerful springs here. The Rio's luggage compartment is not so voluminous, but there is enough room for luggage. Both rivals have a full spare wheel under the floor. And for both, you can increase the volume of the trunk by folding the back of the rear sofa, while neither Skoda nor Kia have a flat platform, which, however, is not at all scary.
Different schools
Skoda Rapid, thanks to its relationship with Volkswagen, is a full-fledged representative of the German school. The clutch is informative, and the manual transmission lever has clear, small moves. At the same time, the first, third and fifth gears are located very close - so much that you can make a mistake out of habit. The engine roars briskly and pleases with good traction thanks to close gears - in third, you can safely turn at intersections. But on a suburban highway, you have to regret the absence of the sixth gear, since the engine runs at high speeds, which does not contribute to efficiency.
At the Kia Rio, the engine develops almost 20 hp. more than Skoda, with the same volume of 1.6 liters. Due to this fact, the acceleration of the Korean car feels no less intense, despite the presence of a slow automatic transmission. But the "automatic" works very smoothly. At the same time, there is enough traction in most road situations, including outside the city. And the presence of the sixth gear allows you to save fuel at high speeds.
The brakes work well in both cars, but the Skoda pedal is more accurate and informative, which makes it easier to control the deceleration.
The German school of chassis settings makes the Czech liftback one of the leaders in this test in terms of handling. Stability on a straight line "reinforced concrete". At the same time, Rapid ignores rut and other irregularities, continuing, as if on rails, to follow the course set by the driver. If you close your eyes, you can easily imagine that you are driving a VW Passat or even an Audi A6, the car is so unshakable. And on a twisty track, the chassis behaves brilliantly - the Rapid rides very tightly and accurately, with minimal roll. The steering is also extremely positive. The steering wheel is sharp - only 2.5 turns from lock to lock. At the same time, there is no nervousness at high speed, and accurate and quick reactions in turns. And the information content is great. Shine!
The Rio does a bit of a prowl in the rut, although overall this car also behaves well on the highway (it's just that in comparison with the Rapid, its chassis settings pale a little). "Korean" is not so fast in turns, rolls a little more and is less accurate. If Skoda can please an active driver, then Kia tells him that he prefers a calm and balanced ride, without squealing "rubber" in turns. The "calm" steering wheel, which makes exactly three turns from lock to lock, echoes the settings of the chassis. In terms of speed of reactions, information content and accuracy, it cannot be compared with its rival, but in general, its settings do not cause any complaints.
The price to pay for the Skoda's refined handling is ride comfort. The suspension, although it is tuned softer than the European version, is still quite stiff: not a single bump or crack in the asphalt will go unnoticed. And on a wavy country surface, the car starts tossing riders on the waves. But the energy intensity of the suspension is excellent - although it shakes on a bumpy road, there are no breakdowns.
The Kia Rio rides softer on relatively flat asphalt than the Skoda Rapid. Particularly impressive is its suspension's ability to "dissolve" patches and cracks in asphalt, as well as tram tracks. And on the cobblestone pavement, the Korean car carries its riders like on an air cushion, while the "Czech" under these conditions resembles a vibration stand. True, on a wavy road the "Korean" begins to swing, and on the broken asphalt the chassis energy intensity is no longer enough - the suspension "catches" hard breakdowns. Interestingly, when we drove the Kia Rio last time, about a year and a half ago, its suspension was tuned noticeably stiffer. Apparently, the company's engineers are still trying to find a middle ground for our roads. But it's not easy - you win in one thing, you lose in another. In a word, with the current settings, the Kia Rio has become more comfortable than before, driving on more or less flat roads at the cost of energy consumption on bad tracks. So for broken directions it is better to choose the Skoda Rapid.
Usually cars of class "B" are distinguished by the absence of normal noise insulation, but our competitors in this parameter have shown themselves surprisingly well. Of course, one should not expect the silence of business sedans from them, but in general, the acoustic comfort in both Skoda and Kia is at a height. For both, the sound of the engines is quite loud at high revs and is not particularly melodic, but does not cause irritation. The noise of the oncoming air flow at high speeds is audible clearly, but it does not go beyond the comfort zone. And the tires are surprisingly quiet. However, both test specimens were "shod" in high-quality tires, and with the installation of cheap "rubber" the situation may change.
To be honest, before the start of the test, we thought that Skoda would win "with one goal". Rapid actually won, but his victory cannot be called easy. Yes, the Kia Rio is not gambling, and it does not have such a perfect chassis as the Skoda. But the Korean sedan pleased with its excellent quality interior and almost did not lose in terms of capacity for rear passengers. Moreover, the Kia proved to be more comfortable in city driving. And at a Moscow car wash, they charged 450 rubles for Rapid, while for Rio only 350. This is also an argument ...
| Specifications Kia Rio 1.6 |
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|---|---|
| Dimensions, mm | 4370x1700x1470 |
| Wheelbase, mm | |
| Front / rear track, mm | |
| Turning circle, m | there is no data |
| Clearance, mm | |
| Trunk volume, l | |
| Curb weight, kg | |
| engine's type | petrol L4 |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | |
| Max. power, hp / rpm | |
By the way, one platform, almost the same equipment, similar features and positioning should reduce the difference between cars to a minimum. The example showed that even in this case, there is still a difference, albeit not too significant. For Polo and Rapid, it turned out to be even more noticeable - maybe this is one of the steps to reduce, or maybe it is precisely the desire to clearly separate cars in positioning. Be that as it may, it does not interfere with evaluating cars from the point of view of the profitability of the purchase.
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There are peculiarities not only in the prices and wealth of equipment, but also in the variability of the latter, and in the technical component. Speaking of technology, it is worth noting, for example, that with the same lines of power units, the combination of the top-end 1.4-liter TSI turbo engine with 125 hp. with a six-speed manual transmission is only available for the Polo: in the Rapid it is combined exclusively with a seven-speed DSG. Another nuance concerns the base 1.6-liter MPI with 90 hp: Volkswagen in the richest trim levels does not come with it, but Skoda may have an "initial" engine under the hood, even in the top-end version.
But one of the main difficulties of direct comparison of these cars turned out to be the difference in approaches to the modeling of trim levels. The point here is that Volkswagen offers almost all the options in packages, grouping them by functional accessory, and Skoda, in addition to similar packages, allows the buyer to add options and "piece by piece" for a separate amount of money. Do you need an electric heated windshield, but are not interested in heating the rear row? No problem, they can be ordered separately. Don't need a rear wiper? You don't have to order it. Want cruise control, but don't want to overpay for the next trim? And this problem is solvable.
As a result, an attempt to directly compare cars turns into a test: yes, there is no such option in this configuration, but it can be bought for little money, but something else is available from a competitor for this money ... Everything is complicated by the fact that Skoda has The list has four configurations, while Volkswagen has five: the German sedan has a special version of LIFE, which is completely "stuck" between the middle and the top, offering attractive options in a general package for less money. Therefore, the only right decision was to exclude special versions from the comparison list: for the Polo we left out the LIFE and GT versions, and for the Rapid - the Monte Carlo version. And only this approach made it possible to reduce the number of compared versions to equal numbers. Although, we emphasize again, this comparison remains not entirely straightforward due to the highest configuration flexibility, especially with the Czech brand.
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Basic configuration
The basic configurations of both cars are restrained in German, in some ways even very. At the start, of course, they are equipped with identical 1.6-liter engines with 90 hp, aggregated with a five-speed manual transmission. Both cars offer ABS, bi-directional steering, power steering (electric for the Rapid and electromechanical for the Polo) and simple 4-speaker audio setup. However, discrepancies are already beginning in the further basic options. So, Volkswagen, without stint, installs on any car front airbags for the driver and passenger and power windows on all windows, but Skoda is distinguished by the absence of a passenger airbag and manual "twists" for the rear door windows. In addition, the German sedan already in the base has a driver's seat height adjustment and a monochrome display between the dashboard scales, but the Czech liftback does not. He, however, answers differently: each Rapid has heated windshield washer nozzles, a central locking with a set of keys with remote control and a stability control system, which Volkswagen will have much later or for a surcharge.
And one more important argument, which in some cases can claim to be decisive: the presence of an air conditioner. Yes, it is absent in both cars, but from the “Czech” it can be ordered for 35,600 rubles even for the initial configuration of the Entry, but the “German” does not allow such liberty, including it in the mandatory equipment of the next configuration.
True, there is not too much monetary benefit in such a solution: the starting Rapid Entry already costs 611,000 rubles against 599,900 for the Polo Conceptline, and the air conditioner brings this amount to 646,600, which is more expensive than the next version of the German sedan. But in the second versions there are also certain differences.
A little more options
The second stage for these machines is akin to the "real basic" one: for both, very little is added. True, this "a little" means different things for different money.
So, the Trendline version of the Polo differs from the starting one by the presence of an air conditioner. And disc rear brakes - but only if you fork out for a 110-horsepower engine, because the base 90-horsepower is solely the drums. That's the whole functional set - and besides the size of the "stamping" discs (14-inch for a 90-horsepower engine and 15-inch for a 110-horsepower engine), this is actually an absolutely exhaustive list of additions.
The Rapid Active has a slightly larger list - however, it all consists of what was "lacking" in the starting configuration: there will be two front airbags instead of one, driver's seat height adjustment and an on-board computer. Well, the 110-horsepower engine, like the Polo, has disc rear brakes. Only one "but": there is still no air conditioner!
But those who are seriously concerned about the choice between these two cars should pay attention to the little things starting with these basic versions. After all, Skoda wouldn’t be itself if it hadn’t offered a little more convenient details: for example, the Rapid always has individual reading lights in the front of the cabin, pockets on the side of the front seats and a branded ice scraper, and the Active version is complemented by a 12-volt power outlet, stowage compartments and bag hooks in the trunk. And in the future, the Czech “Simply Clever” approach will still remind of itself.
Well, here it is also worth mentioning once again (and not for the last) time about the possibility of supplementing the complete set of cars with optional packages. Air conditioning, heating, parking sensors and even a rear-view camera and side airbags are available for a surcharge from Skoda, and Volkswagen, although it does not indulge all of these "luxurious" options, also makes it possible to significantly "improve" the car.
From a technical point of view, the rivals have parity: both cars offer a choice between a 90-horsepower and a 110-horsepower version of the 1.6 engine, which in the first case is complemented exclusively by mechanics, and in the second - an optional six-speed automatic. But there is no smell of price parity: the prices are in the range of 639,900 - 729,900 rubles for the Polo and 667,000 - 770,000 rubles for the Rapid, and many will want to supplement the second with air conditioning, bringing the difference to a good hundred thousand ... that the surcharge for the machine is the same for both and amounts to 45,000 rubles.
Precisely with air conditioning
Usually such a subtitle appears in the second configuration of budget sedans, but this time it has slipped down a bit. But the equipment in the third versions - the Comfortline for the Polo and the Ambition for the Rapid - is no longer so striking with its "inequality". True, questions remain with the price - but more on that later, first we'll figure out what the Germans and Czechs will treat the buyer to.
Both will complement their cars with electrically adjustable and heated exterior mirrors, heated front seats and a decent head unit with AUX, USB, SD card support and Bluetooth. Skoda also has an Apple Chip in the list of radio features, which allows you to play music when you connect the appropriate devices via USB. Immediately, the Czech catches up with the German in terms of rear windows and air conditioning, and the German, in turn, gets heated windshield washer nozzles and the ability to control the central lock remotely with a key, which the Czech has for a long time.
But that doesn't stop there: while the Rapid is just getting a full set of power windows, the Polo Comfortline already has an anti-pinch auto mode for them, and sports a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gearshift lever and handbrake. Skoda responds with the presence of front fog lights and an uphill assist, which, however, is only offered for cars with DSG.
In the photo: Volkswagen Polo Sedan "2015 – present and Skoda Rapid" 2017
The price forks for these configurations, as mentioned above, differ markedly: for Volkswagen they ask from 684,900 to 769,900 rubles, and for Skoda - from 768,000 to 911,000. Such a big difference in the cost of the most expensive versions can be explained by the fact that for The Polo is not yet offered an older 125-horsepower 1.4 TSI engine, but the Rapid can be equipped with it, and even paired with an uncontested seven-speed DSG, and the surcharge relative to a 1.6-liter unit with an automatic transmission will be only 40 thousand. However, the versions with 1.6 and mechanics still have a difference of 84 thousand, which is a lot for the class, and it is difficult to justify such an imbalance with a couple of little things like an eyeglass case and a backlit glove box.
Non-top top
Gradually, we got to the older versions of both cars: for Volkswagen it is traditionally called Highline, and for Skoda - Style. True, despite the top position in the hierarchy of complete sets, they do not mean at all that the cars will be equipped at the highest level: the list of additional paid options is extensive for both competitors. But we'll get to that - for now, let's see what marketers have included in the "base top execution".
Of course, in both cases, it was not without climate control, fog lights and alloy wheels - on this, as well as the center armrest, the similarities in trim levels ended. And the differences began: for example, Volkswagen "caught up" with a competitor in terms of the Apple component in the radio, and also got hold of a heated windshield and a standard alarm. But this time the Rapid responds with a much more serious set of options: in addition to the "belated" leather trim of the controls and exclusive for this pair of LED taillights, it "attacks" with cruise control and side airbags, as well as trifles like an in-car mirror with auto-dimming and duplication multimedia functions on the steering wheel. Added to Rapid and a bit of exclusively Czech chips: background LED interior lighting and an umbrella under the front passenger seat replenish the number of "cozy" solutions.
The difference in the cost of the complete sets this time also turns out to be not so shocking, starting from 29 thousand: to buy a Polo you will need from 784 900 to 864 900 rubles, and Rapid - from 813 000 to 956 000. True, this is explained by the above-mentioned "trick": for 813,000 rubles, you can buy a Czech liftback with a 90-horsepower engine and a manual transmission, but for a German sedan such a unit is not available - there will be at least a 110-horsepower engine under the hood. Therefore, in comparable versions with the same power units, the price gap between the models still fluctuates around 90 thousand rubles, but this time it is justified by important nuances of equipment.
By the way, we will repeat one more thing: when buying a Polo with a 125-horsepower TSI, you can save as much as 70 thousand by choosing a six-speed manual instead of a seven-speed DSG - in the top-end version, the surcharge for a "robot" will be just that. But a hydromechanical automatic machine, which relies on a 110-horsepower 1.6 MPI, costs 45 thousand in the price lists of both machines.
Maximum equipment
Well, for a snack we traditionally leave the cars packed to the brim with paid options from the configurator. It is worth noting: we have added exclusively functional "dopas" to the equipment, leaving style effects such as discs, spoilers and contrasting colors overboard. And this experiment also brought several important and interesting discoveries.
You can buy a lot for both cars. Equally available options include bi-xenon headlights with washers, a rear-view camera, rain and light sensors, front and rear parking sensors, as well as advanced multimedia head units with a color screen. True, the Czech system Amundsen pleases with the presence of a navigation component, but the presence in the German "head" of navigation is not mentioned. In addition, the Polo will have to pay extra for everything that was already in the Rapid's Style package: multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, side airbags and a salon rear-view mirror with auto-dimming are paid options here. A small - albeit paid - exclusive bonus is the electric folding door mirrors with turn signals.
But Skoda offers to pay extra for completely different things. And not just others - but such, which Polo does not have for any money. Heated windshield and alarm are not included in their number, but heated rear seats, side curtain airbags, a keyless entry and engine start system and an automatic high-beam control system are even included. In addition, the seat height adjustment can also be provided to the front passenger.
And here - for the last time - we mention the more flexible configuration options for a Czech vehicle. Some things here are not only cheaper, but are also available separately: for example, the Polo's bi-xenon is combined into a package with headlight washers and costs 56,990 rubles, while the Rapid's bi-xenon headlights (in combination with front foglights) cost 38,300 for the Ambition configuration and 33,300 for the Style version, and optional washers can be added for 6,700.
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In the photo: Volkswagen Polo Sedan "2015 – present and Skoda Rapid" 2017
In the end, the price tag of the most packed Rapid turns out to be expectedly higher than that of the Polo: all of the above "exclusive" options cost money. Therefore, for Volkswagen with all the option packages, you will have to pay 1,022,850 rubles, and for Skoda - 1,159,500 rubles. The psychological barrier of a million is broken in both cases - but the German sedan neatly "pierces" it, and the Czech liftback is already thoroughly breaking down, offering a little more for a little more money.
conclusions
The final conclusions about the profitability of the purchase, as always, remain with the buyer. Someone will prefer to get a more practical liftback body in combination with the pleasant features of the Czech approach to the perception of the car, while someone will choose to save almost a hundred thousand rubles in a comparable configuration or focus maximum attention on a pair of a 125-horsepower engine and a manual transmission. There is something to think about here, and hours in the configurator still await almost everyone who scrupulously configures a car according to their budget and requests - and we, as usual, hope that we have made the decision-making process much easier.
After a detailed study, I would choose ...
The ŠKODA Rapid was announced back in 2011, six months later its sales began in Europe and they promised to bring it to us, but as everyone knows, they have been waiting for the promised three years! And finally, in April 2014, after the presentation, we have it on the test.
Here the question arises why the most competitive B-class car came to us so late. It's all about the localization of industrial production Rapid, i.e. if the car were transported directly from the European Union, then the price tag for the basic version would have exceeded 700,000 rubles, and quite reasonable - 479,000 rubles.
What is assembled in the Russian Federation does not affect the quality of the car, most of the components from which the car is assembled are foreign. In order to confirm my words, I carefully examined the engine compartment and trunk, looking for various inscriptions and photographing parts that bear the marking of the manufacturer's country.
For three years, a huge number of not the weakest competitors have entered the domestic market, including Chevrolet Aveo, Citroen C-Elysee, Peugeot 301, Nissan Almera, and if you recall the pioneers of the "B-class" Volkswagen Polo sedan, Hyundai Solaris, KIA Rio, shivering at so many competitors for the vacant seat of an affordable family car.
What can our newcomer Rapid offer in response to competitors. For comparison, let's take the closest fellow Volkswagen Polo sedan. The Rapid and Polo sedan share the same PQ25 archetic platform, as well as thousands of other unified parts. In general, the situation with unification resembles an advertisement for the production of Twix sticks, where fondant pours from top to bottom on the left stick, and vertically on the right stick, and the manufacturer claims that these are two different technologies and completely different products.
The ŠKODA Rapid, like all Czech cars, looks solid, without a hint of emotion, as befits a family car. It also looks like two peas in a pod on the ŠKODA Octavia A7, which should be added to the image of the new owner, who will feel more confident on the road.
The Volkswagen Polo sedan has a more dynamic and youthful design, so after 4 years from the start of sales, the car still looks fresh and not to say that people have become boring.
The Czech car looks noticeably larger, but only due to the design talent of Josef Kaban. The body of the ŠKODA Rapid is modeled lower and wider towards the base, thus visually adding at least 100 mm. If you look at the numbers, you understand that the Boar is a designer from God, the Rapid has added only 7 mm in width, the height has lost 4 mm, but these figures are so scanty in comparison with the increase in length of 99 mm.
Extra inches went into the trunk and interior. The Rapid has a luggage compartment of a record 530 liters, and since this is a liftback, loading bulky items is easy, and it's not a problem to reach the right thing.
Although the car is considered a budget one, the luggage compartment is completely sheathed with a pleasant to the touch, not easily soiled felt, but if you recall other competitors, for example, the trunk of the Citroen C-Elysee is covered with hard and echoing plastic, it can be more practical, wiped it with a napkin and cleanly. but it dampens external sounds worse, and over time "crickets" will appear.
The Rapid's salon is spacious for rear passengers in the legs and overhead, much more than in the Polo sedan, but in the German, three adult passengers will comfortably sit on the back sofa, only two passengers can be seated in the Rapid. The central tunnel, complemented by a monstrously healthy bottle holder, is to blame; there is simply no room for the legs of the third passenger.
In the Rapid driver's seat, there is complete harmony, everything is implemented in the best traditions of ŠKODA, perfectly readable instruments, conveniently located controls for the climate and multimedia system. I liked the thick steering wheel with comfortable grips, and if it is also covered with leather, you get the perfect steering wheel.
The fuel consumption of the ŠKODA Rapid during the test drive is 8.7 liters.
The test ŠKODA Rapid is equipped with a reliable and economical 105 horsepower naturally aspirated engine, the same one is on the Volkswagen Polo sedan. The engine thrust is elastic and it is quite enough both on steep climbs and when overtaking, but the car becomes especially dynamic in combination with a 5-speed manual transmission. The gears are matched perfectly, and the short-stroke yoke allows you to clearly and instantly engage the desired gear.
Clear and large numbers, information is read instantly. The Maxi DOT screen also shows the current gear or the one to change to.
The clutch seems to be too elastic, this is a feature of all new cars, during operation, all mechanisms are worn in and become softer, getting used to the clutch took literally a couple of clicks.
If the engine is the same for the brothers, then the suspension is set up completely differently, in the Rapid it is softer and more comfortable, it swallows even the largest potholes confidently, while not losing directional stability.
But when entering a turn at high speed, Rapid loses all its concentration and begins to yaw, shifting to the outside of the turn, heading correction in this case becomes the most effective action, allowing you to pacify Rapid in a turn.
The second-rate Kama tires are most to blame for this behavior. On the Volkswagen Polo sedan, which was compared, Cordiant tires are installed as standard, they are also in the budget segment, but due to the rigid shoulder area, the tires do not interfere with the car, to take a turn along a predetermined trajectory.
Expenses for the ŠKODA Rapid owner in the first year of operation:
The costs of the owner of a Volkswagen Polo sedan in the first year of operation:
* Cost of CASCO insurance policy in VTB Insurance (Rating A ++)
Outcomes:
In this pair, no outsiders and winners have been identified, they are equal leaders in the class of compact city cars. Each of them has their own little flaws, which are more than covered by a huge list of talents, now the main thing is that buyers identify the right priorities for themselves and come for their new car.
Comparison of prices for the ŠKODA Rapid and closest competitors in similar trim levels:
The cost of a ŠKODA Rapid test drive is about RUB 610,000.
