Skoda India has recently added two front side airbags to the features list the top-of-the-line style variant of the Rapid sedan. In addition to the front driver and passenger airbags, the top-end variant of the Skoda Rapid now comes with four airbags in total. This was a step Skoda had to take, eventually, considering both its rivals - the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna come with 6 airbags in their respective top-of-the-line models. On the other hand, its German cousin, the Volkswagen Vento still comes with only dual airbags as standard and so does the segment leader Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.
Skoda launched the facelifted Rapid sedan in India, in November 2016 in three variants - Active, Ambition, and Style. Along with considerable styling upgrades and a host of new features, the car also offered dual front airbags as standard across the variant list. But with growing competition and need for better safety features, Skoda had to up its game and now we have it here. People at Skoda have told us that the updated Rapid models with the extra airbags have entered around late December 2017 or early January 2018.
Also Read: Skoda Rapid Facelift Review
Skoda Rapid gets 2 front side airbags in addition to the dual front airbags
Also, this is not the first upgrade received by the Rapid facelift since its launch. Last year, in April 2017, the carmaker introduced the reverse camera feature and 16-inch alloy wheels in the car. Rest of the features offered with the Skoda Rapid Style trim remain unchanged like - the chrome accented butterfly grille, projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights, chrome door handles, a touchscreen infotainment system with SmartLink connectivity and steering mounted audio and telephony controls, faux leather interior and more.
Mechanically, the car remains unchanged is continues to be powered by the same 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine and the 1.5-litre TDI diesel motor. The former makes about 104 bhp and 153 Nm of peak torque, while the oil burner churns out about 108 bhp and develops 250 Nm of peak torque. Both engines come with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the automatic options include a 6-speed Tiptronic transmission for the petrol model and a 7-speed DSG unit for the diesel version.
