Skoda’s Rapid response to family hatchback segment

SKODA RAPID

In an ambitious bid to double its sales over the next few years, Skoda has re- focused itself on the family hatchback segment with this Rapid, bigger and better value than most of its Golf and Astra-sized competitors.

Rapidity may not be high on this car’s agenda but with proven mechanicals and a refreshing lack of gimmickry, it aims to appeal to an assured kind of buyer who doesn’t need to hide behind a badge to impress others. In other words, the kind of person who’s traditionally bought a Skoda will probably very much like this one.

This was a segment Skoda used to serve with its Octavia model, but with that becoming much larger and medium range Mondeo- sized in third generation form, a gap opened up in the marque’s line- up that this Rapid slots right into. Not that this is a conventional offering for Focus folk. Developed alongside SEAT’s virtually identical Toledo, it’s true to Skoda’s core values, costing you a little less yet offering you a little more, with starting prices pitched a shade below the family hatchback norm and cabin space, particularly in the boot, a little above it.

‘ Effective’ is a word you keep coming back to after a drive in this car. There’s nothing particularly enjoyable about the way it goes about its business, but most likely buyers don’t seek that in an affordable five- door family car.

In any case, there are plenty of other attributes on offer that target customers will probably value more highly. They’ll very much like the narrow body that makes parking and road width restrictions easier to negotiate aided by the excellent all- round visibility, the light, consistently- weighted controls and the simple switchgear that, thank goodness, features a proper conventional handbrake.

Though list pricing sug- gests that you should expect to pay somewhere in the £ 13,000 to £ 18,000 bracket for your Rapid, I think you’d do better to budget from around £ 14,000, allowing for a couple of well- chosen extras on top of the cost of the 86PS petrol 1.2 TSI variant that arguably represents the sweet spot in the range.

Skoda understands its customers. Ease of ownership, value pricing and solid build are all priorities - and all satisfied here by this Rapid. That the brand can deliver more sophistication than this is not in doubt - the larger Octavia demonstrates that. But the point here is that a significant number of customers just don’t need it.