Skoda Rapid: the second life of a model that failed in Europe but lives on in Russia

The Skoda Rapid had a fleeting life in the European market. It did not perform as expected and was consigned to oblivion, abandoning its sale in the markets of the countries on the continent. But although in most of these the Skoda Scala arrived to replace it, in Russia it continues to be sold to this day. In fact, it has just been announced that this market will get a new version of this model in 2020.

Although it still enjoys considerable success in this market, we do not know whether this new Skoda Rapid will be a new generation, with new features, or whether it will be a facelift and update of the current model. For now, the Czech brand announces it as the “new Rapid“, so we have few clues.

The concept image we can see of the model could make us think there are quite a few changes, especially aesthetic ones. The image may look like a saloon, but there are details that seem to recover the current styling, which may suggest that it is really a facelift of the model taking elements from the Scala.

One of the drawbacks of the Skoda Rapid compared with other similar models in the Volkswagen group is that it is based on the A05+ platform of the German group, which is quite old. In fact, its immediate successor, the Skoda Scala, was based on the MQB 0A platform, which is the same one on which the MK7 version of the Volkswagen Golf is based.

What will happen to this model already discontinued in Europe is an unknown, because if it turns out to be a new generation of the model, with the necessary updates to compete on equal terms with similar models from other brands, it could return to the European market, even if only in a limited way and as a cheaper option to those other models. We will know, in any case, within a few months when all the information about this car is made public.