Earlier in July 2020, Skoda had temporarily halted bookings for the base Rapid Rider in India, and then eventually delisted the sedan from their official website as well. Now Skoda has reintroduced the Rapid Rider variant in India for a price of INR 7.79 lakh, ex-showroom. The base Rider variant of the Rapid had been temporarily discontinued due to stronger than anticipated demand. Zac Hollis, brand Director, Skoda Auto India, had tweeted in September last year that the Rider variant was virtually sold out for 2020.
The new Skoda Rapid Rider is INR 30,000 more expensive than when it was first launched. There is however no change in the equipment list, both on the inside and outside. This base variant still comes decently well loaded with most features you'd need in a car. Under the hood, the Rapid Rider continues to draw power from a 1.0L TSI turbo-petrol engine that produces 110hp and 175Nm of peak torque. The base Rider variant only comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Also Read : 2021 Skoda Superb Launched With New Features; Prices Start From INR 31.99 Lakh
Skoda Rapid Rider Equipment List
As for the features list, here are some of the key features the Rapid Rider comes equipped with a 2-DIN audio system with USB, auto climate control, rear air-con vents, all four power windows, aux and Bluetooth connectivity, power-adjustable wing mirrors, centre armrests for the front and back, remote central locking, rear defogger, adjustable headrests at the front and rear, rake and reach adjust for the steering wheel, and full-wheel covers. Safety features as standard include dual airbags, ABS and rear parking sensors.
Skoda Rapid Rider Price vs Base Price of Rivals
As before, the Rapid Rider is still the most affordable variant of any mid-size sedan you can currently buy in the country. The next most affordable car you can buy in this segment is the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in its Sigma trim (INR 8.32 lakh), which is INR 53,000 more expensive. Even the base-spec Volkswagen Vento is over INR 1 lakh more expensive (INR 9.09 lakh) than the Rapid Rider. As for other sedans in this class, the Hyundai Verna starts from INR 9.03 lakh; the 4th-Gen Honda City starts from INR 9.30 lakh; and the Toyota Yaris starts from INR 9.16 lakh.
Prices of a few other select variants too have been revised
Apart from the reintroduction of the Rider variant, Skoda has also mildly revised the prices of a few select variants from the Rapid range. The Rapid Rider Plus manual and automatic are now INR 20,000 dearer, costing INR 8.19 lakh and INR 9.69 lakh, respectively. The prices of the Rapid Ambition automatic and Rapid Onyx automatic have also gone up by INR 20,000, thus now costing INR 11.49 lakh and INR 11.69 lakh, respectively (all prices, ex-showroom, India).
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