BIG QUESTION: WILL THE SKODA RAPID OUTSELL THE VOLKSWAGEN VENTO?

First of all, let’s see what the Skoda Rapid has to offer over and above the Volkswagen Vento. Rather than offering more than the Vento on the features front, the Rapid actually misses steering mounted audio controls, a feature than the Vento has. But will the loss of this one feature be a deal breaker for the Rapid? We don’t think so.  Apart from fresher looks, (the Vento has been around for over a year now), all the variants of the Rapid are cheaper than the Vento by a few tens of thousands each.

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SKODA RAPID SEDAN LAUNCHED IN INDIA AT INR 6.75 LAKHS, EX-SHOWROOM DELHI!

Skoda India has just launched the Skoda Rapid Sedan in the Indian market, at a starting price of INR 6.75 Lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi for the base petrol Active variant. Typical of Skoda, the Rapid Sedan has been priced under the Volkswagen Vento’s price positioning. Incidentally, the Volkswagen Vento, when it was launched in 2010, was priced at INR 6.99 Lakhs ex-showroom Delhi for the base petrol Trendline variant.

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EVEN SKODA BRINGS THE RAPID SEDAN TO INDIA, THE DECIDEDLY MORE GORGEOUS MISSION L CONCEPT HEADS TO CHINA!

Cost is one factor automotive companies work overtime to bring down and hence, the Skoda Rapid Sedan featuring the front end of the Skoda Fabia and sharing the rest of the platform with the Volkswagen Vento Sedan is something that is expected to pare down development costs significantly for Skoda India. Even as the Rapid Sedan will make its Indian foray in a couple of days time, Skoda has lined up a gorgeous looker for the Chinese market, the Skoda Mission L concept.

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SKODA RAPID SEDAN’S DIESEL VARIANT UNLIKELY TO GET AN AUTOMATIC GEARBOX AT LAUNCH!

The Skoda Rapid Sedan is due for a launch in India on the 16th of November. The Rapid Sedan is a Volkswagen Vento cloaked in Skoda clothes, which means that apart from a few minor cosmetic changes to differentiate the two cars, most of the specifications of the Vento and the Rapid remain very similar. The Rapid Sedan will sit a notch under the Vento in terms of price positioning and will also offer a feature or two lesser than the Vento.

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YET ANOTHER SHOT OF THE SKODA RAPID SEDAN EMERGES AND THE MORE WE SEE IT, THE MORE IT LOOKS LIKE THE VOLKSWAGEN VENTO!

Earlier this week, we got you a few live images of the Skoda Rapid courtesy NDTV’s Siddharth Vinayak Patankar. Today, we have with us another image of the Skoda Rapid, this time depicting the Rapid’s rear end and from what we’re seeing the Rapid looks like an exact replica of the Volkswagen Vento barring of course the Skoda logo adorning its boot. While this is quite understandable considering the fact that the Skoda Rapid is essentially a rebadged and restyled Volkswagen Vento and one which is also built in Chakan, we’re wondering how these cars will actually co-exist in the Indian C-segment sedan market.

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Skoda Mission L out in the Air!

Skoda, Aos sixth and latest car platform will spawn a sedan that first foundations will share with the Volkswagen Vento Saloon, good for the Indian market at least. With only one week to go before this year, Aos Frankfurt Motor Show, Skoda just a couple of images of what she calls the Concept L mission.
 

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Spyker C8 Laviolette Review

The Spyker C8 Laviolette can be regarded as one of the most beautifully designed supercars. This exotic car is a combination of beautiful swooping curves, upswinging doors and stylish vents. The interiors of the car feature exquisite styling. Even though the Spyker cars are relatively new entrants in the exotic car market these cars are bound to create quite a stir wherever they are driven.

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Spyker C8 Laviolette Specifications

The Spyker cars feature audi engine and the Sprker C8 Laviolette review reflects the same. The car has an Audi 4.2L V8 engine that can generate power of 400 bhp at 7500 rpm along with peak torque of 480 Nm at 7500 rpm. The length of the car is 4185 mm and its width is 1880 mm while its height is 1245 mm.

The car can accommodate 2 persons and the engine comes with 6-speed manual transmission feature. Like other Spyker cars this one is muscular and has a beautiful aggressive design. The chassis as per the Spyker C8 Laviolette review is made from aluminium and the car also has completely adjustable front as well as rear suspension.

The car also has tremendous stopping power due to its AP brakes that come with 6-pot callipers. The kerb weight of the car is 1275 kgs and the car also has fuel tank capacity of 75 litres. The car has top speed of 300 km/hr. The car can be started by flicking the red cover off a switch and pressing it. After this the start button can be pressed to bring this car to life.

The car has a hard ride quality but is exceptionally well balanced. The steering also has a precise feel to it. The car also offers exceptional cornering and on the whole it ensures the driver can enjoy an intimate driving experience.

Spyker C8 Laviolette Mileage

The car can deliver mileage of around 8 km/litre

Spyker C8 Laviolette Interiors

The interiors of the car are beautifully designed and feature generous use of Alcantara leather. The interiors have beautiful orange contrast stitching. The instrument panel in the car has turned aluminium and prospective buyers can also opt for Chronoswiss switches and dials. The car also has roof upholstery designed in black alcantara and fire protection floor mats.

Spyker C8 Laviolette Safety features

The safety features in the car include driver’s airbag, seat belts with 3 point restraining system, remote controlled central locking feature and alarm system that comes with immobiliser.

Spyker C8 Laviolette Price and design variations

The Spyker C8 Laviolette starting price is around Rs 2.4 crore and the car is available in two design variations which include Spyker C8 Laviolette LWB and Spyker C8 Laviolette SWB.

Spyker C8 Laviolette Colors

The car is available in as many as 20 distinctive colors

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Skoda Octavia Review

The Skoda Automobiles were initially launched in India in 2001 and the cars were enthusiastically supported by the car buyers in India. The Skoda Octavia review indicates that the Octavia model has become quite popular in India. The Octavia is available in both petrol as well as diesel variants and also has two transmission options which include 5-speed manual as well as 4-speed automatic feature.

Skoda Octavia Specification

The Skoda Octavia comes with 1781 cc Turbo petrol engine with MPi feature. This engine can generate power of150 bhp at 4000 rpm along with peak torque 210 Nm at 1750 rpm. The car can seat 5 individuals and has McPherson strut suspension for the front while the rear has torsion bar stabiliser. The car has front disk and rear drum brake system. The car has tilt steering and its ground clearance is 134 mm.

The kerb weight of the car is 1235 kgs and it has a fuel tank capacity of 55 litres. The car also has an option of 1.9L in line diesel engine and this can generate power of 90 bhp along with torque of 210 Nm. The Elegance variant of the car has fuzzy logic feature and this ensures that occupants can enjoy a smooth and problem free driving experience. The engine of the car is frugal and delivers good performance.

Skoda Octavia Mileage

The car delivers decent mileage of 7.75 km/litre within the city while its mileage on the highway is 10.7 km/litre. The 1.9L diesel engine provides10.7 km/litre within the city and on the highway it can deliver around 18.9 km/litre.

Skoda Octavia Interiors

The interiors of the car are elegant and are a blend of technology and luxury. The car has leather steering wheel. The car has electric regulated air conditioner with climatronic feature. This allows the occupants to set the temperature in the car as per their comfort. The car has ashtrays for front and the rear seats along with 12 V DC outlet. The car has three piece trim set of wood for mid console, child safety features, cruise control, central locking, independent heating, electric front windows and sunroof along with other features. The central consol has the instrument cluster and this is extremely elegant. The audio systems in the car include CD player, CD changer and radio.

Skoda Octavia Safety features

The safety features in the car include airbags for driver as well as passenger, pretensioned seat belts and antilock brake system. The car has antilock brake system and this ensures that the car does not skid on slippery roads if brakes are suddenly applied. The car also has Xeon headlamps that provide excellent visibility and the headlamps also have integrated fog lamps.

Skoda Octavia Price and design variations

The price of the car is around 12 lakhs to 13.31 lakhs. The design variations available in the car include Skoda Octavia L&K, Octavia Elegance 1.9 TDI, Octavia Rider 1.8 Turbo, Octavia 1.9TDI Turbo and Rider and Octavia Automatic.

Skoda Octavia Colors

The colors available include Anthracite grey, magic black, storm blue, cappuccino beige, candy white and corrida red.

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Skoda Roomster Review

Skoda is one of the leading luxury automobile manufacturers in the world and it will be launching the Skoda Roomster in India. This multi utility vehicle will be launched in India sometime in mid 2010. This car will directly compete with other cars like Chevrolet captive, Toyota Fortuner, Honda CRV and Ford Endeavour among others.

Skoda Roomster Specification

The Skoda Roomster review shows that the car will be available in three different engine options and these include 1.4L, 1.6L as well as 1.9L petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engines available include 1.4L and 1.6L. The 1.4L engine will be able to deliver power of 85 PS at 5000 rpm along with peak torque of 132 Nm at 3800 rpm.

The 1.6L petrol variant will deliver power of 104 PS at 5600 rpm along with peak torque of 153Nm at 3800 rpm. The diesel engines available will include 1.4L and 1.9L. The 1.4L diesel engine will be able to deliver power of 80 PS at 4000 rpm along with peak torque of 195Nm at 2200 rpm. The 1.9L will deliver power of 104PS at 4000 rpm along with peak torque of 240 Nm at 1800 to 1900 rpm.

The car will be mated with 5-speed manual transmission. The length of the car is 4205mm and its width is 1684mm while its height is 1543mm. The car will have ventilated large disc brake system with advanced features like speed sensitive power assisted steering.

Skoda Roomster Mileage

The 1.4L petrol engine will be able to deliver mileage of 10.2km/litre in the city while the mileage on the highway is expected to be around 15.8 km/litre. The 1.6L petrol engine will be able to deliver mileage of 9.6km/litre in the city while the mileage on the highway is expected to be 15.5km/litre. The 1.4L diesel variant will deliver mileage of 14.6 km/litre in the city and the mileage on the highway will be 20.2 km/litre. The 1.9L diesel engine will deliver mileage of 13.9 km/litre within the city and the mileage on the highway will be 19.2 km/litre.

Skoda Roomster Interiors

The interiors of the car are quite impressive and have dual tone dashboard with an advanced instrument cluster. The features in the car include power steering, gear knob which is leather covered, leather covered steering wheel, leather upholstery and stylish pedals. The car has air conditioner with climate control feature, remote fuel flap control, ISOFIX child safety seats, rear sliding seat with 60:40 split, low fuel warning lamp and door ajar warning among others.

Skoda Roomster Safety features

The car has several safety features and these include dual front as well as side curtain airbags, electronic brake force distribution and antilock brake system. The car has electronic stability program, three point ELR seat belts, ISOFIX child seats, central locking, child safety locks, driver seat belt reminder, front seat belt along with height adjustment feature and front fog lamps.

Skoda Roomster Price and design variations

The price of the car is expected to be Rs 14 to Rs 16 lakhs. The car is expected to be available with three engine options in a single design variation.

Skoda Roomster Colors

The colors in which the car will be available are not known as yet.

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Skoda Superb Combi Review

The Skoda Superb gained a fair deal of popularity after its release because of its spaciousness. Following its success the company revealed the estate version of this car called Skoda Superb Combi at the Frankfurt Motor show of 2009. The car will be launched in the Indian automobile market in August 2010.

Skoda Superb Combi Specification

The Skoda Superb Combi review indicates that the car comes with 1968cc, TDi PD diesel engine. This engine can deliver power of 140 bhp at 4000 rpm along with peak torque of 320 Nm at 1750 rpm. The length of the car is 4838mm and its width is 1817mm while its height is 1510mm. The car can seat 5 individuals.

The car has independent McPherson strut suspension for the front while the rear has anti roll bars. The turning circle of the car is 10.80 metres and it has boot space of 565 litres. The car has tilt steering and the brake system includes front ventilated and rear disk brakes. The engine of the car is mated with 6 automatic gears. The ground clearance of the car is 158mm and it has fuel tank limit of 60 litres.

Skoda Superb Combi Mileage

The mileage figures for the car in the country are not known as yet.

Skoda Superb Combi Interiors

The interiors of the car are quite spacious and have air conditioner and come with dual zone climate control feature. The car has power windows and remote central locking. The car has leather seats and the driver’s seat can be electrically adjusted. The car has MP3/CD player and also comes with reach and rake steering adjustment feature. The steering wheel has some buttons or controls.

Skoda Superb Combi Safety features

The safety features in the car include 8 airbags, fog lamp, parking sensors and seat belts. The car has antilock brake system, electronic brake force distribution feature and electronic stability program.

Skoda Superb Combi Price and design variations

The price of the car is around Rs 27 lakhs and the car will be available in a single design variation.

Skoda Superb Combi Colors

The colors in which the car will be available in Indian market are not known as yet.

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Skoda Laura Review

The Skoda Laura sedan is luxurious and has excellent technological features along with good interiors and safety aspects. The Skoda Laura review indicates that the structure or design of the car is quite minimalist and the car has had a facelift with several design changes.

Skoda Laura Specification

The car has a 1798 cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine with TSi feature. The power generated by the engine is 160 bhp at 4500 rpm and the peak torque levels are 250 Nm at 1500 rpm. The car has a length of 4569 mm and its height is 1485 mm while its width is 1769 mm. The car can seat 5 individuals and the suspension system of the car includes McPherson strut for the front.

The rear has Multi axel along with torsion bar suspension feature. The turning circle of the car is 10.20 metres and its boot space is 560 litres. The car comes equipped with tilt steering and 6 manual gears. The car also has front ventilated along with rear disk brakes. The car has a ground clearance of 164 mm and its kerb weight is 1305 kgs. The fuel tank capacity of the car is 55 litres.

The other engine options in the car include 1.9 Diesel engine with TDi PD feature and 2.0 diesel engine with TDi PD feature. The 1.9 TDi diesel engine can generate power of 105 bhp at 4000 rpm along with maximum torque of 250 Nm at 1900 rpm. The The 2.0 TDi PD engine generates power of 140 bhp at 4000 rpm and the maximum torque is 320 Nm at 1740 rpm.

Skoda Laura Mileage

The car provides good fuel economy and can deliver mileage of 12.9 km/litre in the city while on the highway the mileage is 18.6 km/litre.

Skoda Laura Interiors

The Skoda Laura has new steering wheels along with new upholstery and stereo system and this enhances the elegance and beauty of the car. The interior features are crafted beautifully and the car also has some other features like front parking sensors and sunroof. The seating of the car is comfortable and quite spacious.

The interiors of the car are two toned with black color for top region of the dash while the rest of the car is in beige. The car has trim runs with brushed aluminium look and this makes the interiors stand out. The ride comfort offered by the car is excellent at low speeds. The driver’s seat of the car has 12 way electric adjustment feature and the car also has heated front seats.

The entertainment system in the car includes TFT touchscreen which is 6.5 inch in size and the car has 6 CD changer music system along with twelve speakers. The steering wheel has audio controls and the car also has dual zone system for climate control along with leather upholstery. Other features in new car include cruise control, personal comfort settings, multi-function display, reading sport lamps for front as well as rear and front wipers that have rain sensors.

Skoda Laura Safety features

The Skoda Laura has several safety features and these include Xenon headlamps that have dynamic levelling. The car has system that monitors tyre pressure and it also has six airbags. The car has anti lock brake system along with electronic brake force distribution feature. The car also has traction control feature and anti slip regulation. The other safety aspects in the car include distance control for front as well as rear parking, electronic stability program, hydraulic brake assist/mechanical brake assist.

Skoda Laura Price and design variations

The price of the car is around Rs 12.68 lakhs to approximately Rs 17.15 lakhs. The car is available in six design variations and these include Skoda Laura Ambeinete 1.8 TSi, Ambiente 1.9 TDi, Ambiente Auto 1.9 TDi, Elegance 1.9 TDi, Elegance Auto 1.9 TDi and PD L&K 2.0 TDi.

Skoda Laura Colors

The car is available in five different colors and these include magic black, brilliant silver, candy white, cappuccino beige and arctic breeze.

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Skoda Yeti Review

The Skoda Yeti is a compact car with attractive design and is filled with surprising features. The car was initially launched in 2005 in Geneva and it was showcased in India in the Auto Expo 2008. The car was finally launched in India at the Auto Expo 2010. The car has five doors and has impressive front styling with ribbed grille.

Skoda Yeti Specification

The Skoda Yeti review indicates that the car is available with 5 engine options and these include two petrol as well as three diesel engines. The engines are turbocharged and are transversely mounted. While it is not clear which engine will be included in the car model to be launched in India the options include 1.2L TSI petrol engine as well as 1.8L TSi engine. The base engine which is the 1.2L petrol engine can deliver power of 1.3 bhp.

The 1.8L engine delivers power of 118 bhp at 4500 rpm along with torque of 250 Nm at 1500 rpm. The car has transmission options that include 6-speed manual transmission and 7-speed DSG auto feature. The length of the car is 4223mm and its width is 1793mm while its height is 1691mm. The car can seat 5 individuals.

The suspension system of the car includes McPherson Suspension along with multi element axle. The turning circle of the car is 5.15 metres and it has tilt steering. The ground clearance of the car is 180mm and it has front and rear disk brake system. The kerb weight of the car is 1520 kgs and its fuel tank capacity is 60 litres.

Skoda Yeti Mileage

The car can deliver mileage of 12.7 km/litre in the city while the mileage on the highway is expected to be 17.2 km/litre.

Skoda Yeti Interiors

The interiors of the car are elegant and the car has several stylish features. The dashboard of the car is in black and has graphite decor lining and the seats have attractive fabric upholstery. The centre console has drinks holder along with storage compartment. The car tries to deliver high seating position similar to that in other sport utility vehicles. The back seat in the car can slide thereby altering the balance between boot and the passenger space and this provides greater room.

The rear seats can be folded and even removed so as to provide greater cargo space. The seats are extremely comfortable with generous amounts of support in the right areas. The buttons and switches can be easily operated and have a wonderful feel to them. The car also has an off road mode that adjusts the traction control and other aspects for loose roads. The car has advanced integrated audio system. The car also has climate control air conditioning feature along with heating and ventilation feature.

Skoda Yeti Safety features

The car comes equipped with several advanced safety features and these include nine airbags including dual front SRS airbags, anti lock brake system, collapsible steering column and electronic stability system. The car has anti submarine along with ISOFIX seats, high rigidity frame, engine immobiliser, theft deterrent system and side impact beams. The car has feature of central locking and child locks as well.

Skoda Yeti Price and design variations

The price of the car is around Rs 12 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs. The exact details on variants available are not entirely known but the car is available in two design variations that these include Skoda Yeti 1.8 TSi and Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDi.

Skoda Yeti Colors

The colors that will be available are not yet known.

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