The 2014 Skoda Rapid is a humble genius

An icon of sorts for those who appreciate understated refined yet assertive automobile design and evolved engineering the Rapid has quietly won admirers The tastefully proportioned handsome looking machine remains almost unaltered for its 2014 version Skoda India however has lent this capable family car a new engine and an automatic transmission which propels it a leap ahead of its competition The allimportant dualclutch DSG automatic finds a place under the Rapidrsquos polished visage making it clearly the most desirable car for the engineeringoriented car buyers in its segment Herersquos why the engine and transmission transplant on the new Skoda Rapid is a big dealDesign and appearanceSkoda India has decided to keep the exterior of the new Rapid for India unchanged Except for the new design of the alloys and the new 15inch steel wheels with a new cover as standard on lower spec variants the car remains unaltered on the outside The new 15inch alloys look muscularly smart and go well with the sophisticated look of the carFor those who want some more flamboyance over the standard model Skoda has presented a special Black Edition The new variant adds some devilishness to the Rapidrsquos otherwise cultured face with a few tactically appointed changes The Black Edition Rapid will be available at an extra cost with smoked out headlamps fog lamps with black surrounds special 12 spoke black alloys and black ORVMs Even the chrome grille garnish with the Skoda logo has been blacked outThere is a new magnetic card holder on the centre console to keep toll ticketsFor those who want to wear black whenever in doubt Skoda offers some additional black treatment The roof of the car can be finished in black along with black foils These two additions however are available as accessories at the dealer level The other changes however come incorporated directly from the factory as original equipmentEngine and transmissionFor the 2014 version a variable geometry turbine VGT version of the 15TDI diesel engine seen first on the VW Polo replaces the 16TDI powerplant on the Rapid While the displacement has been reduced by 100 cc there has been no change in the power and torque output Peak power is rated at 103bhp as before and is produced at 4400 rpm Peak torque remains unchanged too at 250 Nm between a wide revband of 15002500 rpmThe addition of the 7speed DSG dual clutch transmission makes the Rapid stand apart from rest of the products in its segmentSo while the power and torque figures havenrsquot really changed on paper the character of the engine on the road most definitely has While the earlier 16TDI unit though not laggy really brought to fore its forceful torrent of torque only post 1800 rpm The new 15 TDI engine is more linear and gets to business from about 1500 rpmWhile itrsquos difficult to see all that happening on the tacho with the brilliant 7speed DSG transmission swapping ratios effortlessly based on the pedal position and speed we did manage to study the behavior in detail on a forlorn piece of tar in Verna Goa That transmission has always been a brilliant unit and makes the new Rapid shine with its presenceThe controls for the newly incorporated cruise control are combined with stalk lights under the steering wheelThe 7speed twin clutch DSG automatic transmission doing duty on the new Rapid simply makes it the most effortless car to drive in its segment With the linear torquey engine playing perfect foil to the quick shifting transmission the new Rapid upshifts quickly if you drive with a light foot and manages to exceed the manual transmissionrsquos efficiency figure by about 05 kmpl So while the manual transmission variant of the Rapid 15TDI delivers 214 kmpl under standard cycle the DSG variant manages 2166 kmpl More convenience better performance and more efficiency mdash nothing quite matches the magic of the DSG in the mainstream car market when it comes to automatic transmissionsYou can choose from Drive or Sport modes and can also shift manually by slotting the shifter lever to its left and then pushing the lever up or pulling it down for up and downshifts respectively Gear shifts in manual mode are lightening quick in typical DSG fashion and there really isnrsquot any other auto transmission with a diesel engine which can come close to this piece of kit for promptness in its classThe Black Edition gets black wheels grille garnish ORVMs foglamp housings and smoked headlampsThe Sport mode peps up the shift pattern making the engine hold on to its revs for longer Typically with part throttle the upshifts would happen at around 3500 rpm in this mode However with the pedal put under more than usual pressure the tacho needle would visit the 4500 rpm mark before the DSG slots the car in a higher gearThe new engine is slightly toned down yet a thoroughly enjoyable unit and should be able to propel the Rapid to a genuine 180 kays on the clock In conjunction with DSG the whole experience becomes much more convenient and enjoyable all at the same timeInterior and featuresNot much has changed on the inside of the Skoda Rapid The headline news is the inclusion of cruise control for the Ambition Plus and Elegance variants Skoda has also incorporated a new magnetic card holder on the centre console to keep toll tickets Parking sensors have also been incorporated in the car for the new model Last but not the least Skoda has introduced a unique iOS5 and Android based phone app for the back seat occupants Using this application the rear seat occupants can remotely control the carrsquos radio The generous list of features available on the previous model as wellremains unchangedRide and handlingThe Rapid ever since its launch has strongly laid its claim on being the best handling car in the segment With the underpinnings on the new car having not being changed the car retains its fabulous road manners The Rapid takes into its stride even the more vicious undulations without breaking a sweat Itrsquos only on the acutely broken pieces of tar with sharp ridges where the Rapid really lets a thud pass into the cabin The balance between a composed ride and reassuring handling exhibited by the Rapid is laudable and is a benchmark forits segmentWe drove the Rapid spiritedly around a deserted road which roughly forms a square allowing us to test the carrsquos handling abilities to the hilt Being a mainstream family car the Rapid does show a wee bit of roll around bends when pushed hard though it still is much better than how other cars from its class behave under similar circumstances It actually eggs you on to try harder The steering is incredibly neutral and you enter corners on a fabulously balanced set of wheels While the feedback at the lightish steering isnrsquot too great itrsquos amazingly precise and lets you place the car wonderfully well on the roadOur Verdict Keeping the exterior of the car unaltered may have taken some of the thunder away from the new Rapid but the inclusion of the allconquering DSG has made this car an absolute delight to drive A refined exterior a torquey yet linear engine a feature rich spacious cabin and the most competent automatic transmission in the segment mdash there isnrsquot really anything this car does wrong Save for the relatively more expensive service and spares there is absolutely nothing that should stop you from buying this machine if a capable comfortable wellengineered family sedan for R12 lakh or thereabouts is what you are looking forRs 1032 1084 lakh Rs 1097 lakh Black EditionTechnical specsEngine15 litre turbo dieselTransmission7speed DSG automaticPower 103 bhp4400 rpmTorque 250 Nm15002500 rpm