Skoda Rapid Achieves Nearly 12 Per Cent Market Share In The Compact Sedan Segment: Zac Hollis

The Skoda Rapid has been the entry-level model in the Czech carmaker's India line-up for a while now. Earlier this year, along with some minor updates, the company made the Rapid a petrol-only car and introduced its new BS6 compliant 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, which has further aided in boosting the car's sales. Recently, speaking to carandbike, Zac Hollis, Director - Sales, Service & Marketing, Skoda Auto India, said that he is very pleased with the reception the Rapid has received, and as of November 2020, the car holds almost 12 per cent market share in the compact sedan segment.

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Skoda India is currently selling an average of 800 units of the Rapid sedans in a month

Commenting on the 2020 Skoda Rapid's performance Hollis said, "I think I am really pleased with the performance of the Rapid at the moment. Last month we had almost 12 per cent segment share of the Rapid, which is a really fantastic performance. And if you go back to 2019, we were selling petrol and diesel, in Rapid, now we have just the 1.0-litre TSI but it's been received so well received by journalists, and by customers alike." He further added, "So, we are selling more Rapids at the moment, then we did last year, which is a really tremendous performance, I am really happy with it."

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Visually, apart from a few updates the Skoda Rapid largely remains unchanged, however, it still offers a lot usable creature comforts

Skoda India has been selling an average of 800 units of the Rapid sedans in a month, and in October and November 2020, the company sold 1,024 units, and 813 units of the car, respectively. Last year, around the same period, monthly sales of the Skoda Rapid stood at an average of 700 units. So, the company is selling about 100 cars more now, compared to last year, despite offering only a petrol engine. While it's true that apart for a few facelifts over the year, the Skoda Rapid has largely remained unchanged, however, the 1.0-litre TSI engine has brought some freshness, and it perfectly complements the much-loved ride and handling of the car. The engine is tuned to make 108 bhp and 175 Nm of peak torque, and we have spoken in lengths about it in our review of both, the manual and the automatic Rapid sedan.

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The new, small displacement 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine is tuned to make 108 bhp and 175 Nm

Speaking about the new engine, Zac Hollis added, "It's a fantastic engine, it's more powerful than the outgoing 1.6 MPI engine we had, it's more efficient in terms of fuel economy with more torque also. So, it really ticks all the boxes. It's a great driving experience with the 1.0 litre TSI, and of course with the Rapid, at the moment, it's a great price as well, so, it's a great value proposition. But, it's not only that. That 1.0-litre TSI will become the bread and butter engine for Indian 2.0. It's a local engine that we are making locally together with the AT gearbox as well, and that gives a lot of confidence in the future, just with the reception of the 1.0-litre TSI engine."

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The Skoda Rapid is right now the most affordable option in the compact sedan segment

With the prices starting at Rs. 7.99 lakh, going up to Rs. 13.29 lakh (ex-showroom, India) the Skoda Rapid is right now the most affordable compact sedan in the market.