Author:
ROBIN ROBERTS
Small businesses love the Skoda brand for low running costs and reliability, but they they will soon have another reason, the sheer good looks of the forthcoming Rapid.
Now Skoda-files will undoubtedly remember the brand’s former Rapide, but the newcomer is nothing like that and its more than just a case of dropping your e, this is a completely new model which gives dealers a model to sell between Fabia and Octavia, which are already hits with businesses.
To be seen first at the Paris motor show end of September it continues the brand’s theme of cleanliness and room with an undated look and delivers a lot of room as well.
And while the new Skoda Rapid might look like a company car saloon, it is in fact a hatchback.
The Rapid has been timed perfectly for Skoda too, arriving across European dealerships from this autumn just as company car drivers are downsizing from bigger cars – but still expect a high specification features list.
The Rapid is the first ŠKODA series car ever to fully feature the brand’s newly formulated design language. “This is a car that gives out a clear statement at first glance: clear, precise, fresh and emotional,” says Eckhard Scholz, ŠKODA board member for technical development.
The new brand logo confidently stands out on the harmonically rounded front edge of the bonnet. The grille shows a finely drawn chrome frame and is formed by vertical slats. The headlight ensemble is grouped at the front of the ŠKODA Rapid to form a cloverleaf shape.
ŠKODA’s latest model measures 4.48 metres in length and 1.7 metres wide and has room for five and baggage. To put that into context, it’s bigger than Golf and Focus five-door company car rivals.
Five petrol and two diesel engines will be available offering low CO2 emissions for reduced company car tax.
More details will be released in the autumn for the UK before it goes on sale end of November.
Check out Skoda in our guide for business car leasing and see how they rate in company car comparisons .