The car is identical to the regular Rapid as far back as the B-pillar, but its restyled rear end makes it 179mm shorter at 4304mm, and slightly shorter than the Kia Cee’d.
The truncated rear end means the boot volume is reduced from the Rapid’s 550 litres to 415 litres, expanding to 1380 litres when the rear bench is folded down (although it doesn’t go completely flat). Mind you, that ranks it at the head of the class when it comes to usable space for haulage, eclipsing the 380 litres offered by the Cee’d.
The boot also has a very low lip, at 677mm above the ground, to make loading bulky items easy, as well as a floor that can be positioned at two levels. This serves two purposes: it makes it possible to hide possessions out of sight of prying eyes, but also allows heavier items to be slid straight into the boot, rather than up and over the lip.
That big boot doesn’t come at the expense of passenger space. The Rapid Spaceback provides generous rear legroom that won’t have passengers pleading to stretch their legs at every service station, and headroom is good for all but the tallest of passengers.
Up front, there’s a refreshing lack of clutter about the layout of the major controls. Switches and controls don’t convey the sense of a car that’s been ruthlessly built down to a budget.
The Rapid Spaceback features a different steering system and revised suspension to that found on the existing Rapid. This is in response to feedback on the original car from customers, who highlighted the car’s unsettled ride over rippled road surfaces. Skoda has changed the set-up of the dampers to offer better cushioning right at the top of the damper travel, a tweak that will be transferred onto the standard Rapid too.
Our test drive occurred as part of a controlled convoy on predominantly smooth roads near Munich, which made it difficult to fully assess the impact of the new suspension, although there were hints of an unobtrusive and more settled ride that could prove welcome on the UK’s gnarly roads.
A new electric power steering replaces the outgoing electro-hydraulic system. The new kit, referred to by Skoda as ‘column-electric power steering’ or ‘C-EPS’, brings a 2-3kg weight saving, but also offers the driver a more stable straight-ahead feel. The car feels light and easy to position on the road, but isn’t remotely involving.
The lower-powered diesel churns out the same amount of CO2 as the more powerful variant, but accelerates more slowly. Mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission, the front-wheel-drive takes 12.1sec to hit 62mph from a standstill compared to the 10.3sec taken by the 104bhp car.
Press the throttle pedal and there’s a noticeable lull before the power arrives, but thereafter there’s smooth acceleration and the unit isn’t found lacking in everyday driving situations.
The engine possesses a lively thrum that filters through to the cabin and leaves you in little doubt that there’s an oilburner in the bow. By modern standards, that feels just a touch unsophisticated.
Join the debate
Flatus senex
Thrum?
I am always suspicious when motoring journalists refer to "thrum". My fears are that this is merely a euphemism for "coarse".
PeterA5145
Not so bloated
It will also appeal to buyers for whom Golfs and especially Focuses have become too wide to fit up their drives or in their garages.
MrJ
Neat and compact
The compactness is a definite virtue.
Also, the clean, simple lines are easy on the eye.
northeastcorner
Getting there
Nice to see Skoda acting on feedback about the current Rapid. Suspect a diesel vRS version would be the perfect replacement for my wifes' Mk1 Fabia vRS.
vRS FAB.
Agree with northeastcorner.
Skoda,Put a 150 bhp diesel in it, for his missus and vRS it up a bit.
northeastcorner
vRS FAB
180bhp
Will86
Sorry Skoda
But this just reminds me of an early Kia Rio. The 'notchback' version at least has a familar, distinctive and obviously Skoda shape even if it's still not that interesting. This is just a blob.
Mini2
Will86 wrote: But this just
Agreed. How Autocar can call this a car with "a touch more flair" is flipping beyond me.
"Work hard and be nice to people"
fadyady
Poorly
Agreed. Other than the Octavia none of the Skodas seem to have been designed by a coherent mind.
They serve a purpose. But they are either too long (Superb, Rapid), too tall (Fabia) or too square (Yeti).
RSkoda
Undisguised it looks a lot better
The car in the images is still quite heavily disguised. Here is the undisguised version:
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