Czech artist Marek Piano Kedzierski has rendered three body styles that Skoda could bring out using the Rapid platform. For Europe the Rapid is a compact liftback (a la old Skoda Octavia) unlike in India where it is a sedan. The European version will have MissionL styling cues and more expensive interiors.
Piano proposes three variants - Sportback, Combi and Coupe besides a tightly designed hatch variant.
The Rapid is as much important to Europe as it is to India. The wide-open gap between the Fabia and Laura is its home and in Europe variants like estate or sportback can find a lot of takers. Skoda offers an estate variants on Fabia, Laura and Superb and the plenty of sporty variants including the vRS models. The Rapid is expected to get the vRS version and perhaps enhance its appeal to a wider customer base using a wagon variant. The company has not announced future plans for the Rapid, but we don't expect them to stop with the liftback.
A Skoda India management member told IndianAutosBlog.com recently that the company could introduce the European model as an extension to the Rapid brand. Mr Thomas Kuehl said this is a possibility and alternative fuels like CNG or LPG are also interesting options for Volkswagen India.
The European Rapid breaks cover at the Paris Motor Show in October.
[Source - Piano.Carbonmade.com]
